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Gila Box packrafting trip

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Apr 26, 2009 at 9:16 pm #1235908

Brett Tucker
Member

@blister-free
Locale: Puertecito ruins

Following my Grand Enchantment Trail hike this spring I finally found the opportunity to explore a couple of the desert rivers that flow nearby.

The canyons of the San Francisco and Gila rivers are close companions of the GET for a number of miles, but in this vicinity and at this time of year, both are typically best floated rather than hiked. Show up a week or two late though, as I did, (or too early) and a packrafting trip such as this becomes a bit more, well, interesting…

Photo essay (starts at slideshow frame 1)

Video (select HQ video for best viewing)

Next time I'll try to muster a compadre or two and pass around the camera a bit (preferably a waterproof model)!

All in all, a very worthwhile trip through seldom-seen country with plenty of drifting solitude and watchable wildlife. The perfect companion adventure to an eastbound GET hike from Safford to Clifton.

Apr 26, 2009 at 10:16 pm #1497213

Richard Nisley
BPL Member

@richard295
Locale: San Francisco Bay Area

Brett,

A very interesting and professional presentation of your trip! Thank you very much for sharing your adventure with us.

Apr 26, 2009 at 10:38 pm #1497214

Brett Tucker
Member

@blister-free
Locale: Puertecito ruins

Thanks Richard. The camera really didn't see enough use during the trip, for the reasons stated. So the end product was somewhat lacking for raw materials, but hopefully it paints a broad brush stroke, anyway.

Apr 27, 2009 at 7:08 am #1497249

Joe Clement
BPL Member

@skinewmexico
Locale: Southwest

Nice write up. I've been on a few float trips, where it seems like you walk as much as paddle.

Apr 28, 2009 at 7:07 am #1497493

David Stenberg
BPL Member

@dstenberg1
Locale: South

Brett,
Thanks so much for taking the time to document and share with us. That looked like a fun couple days! Great job!

Sep 30, 2009 at 7:08 am #1531710

Rick Beaty
Member

@reeock
Locale: New England

The Gila is GORGEOUS! How long was the trip? How did arrnage transportation?

Feb 20, 2010 at 6:42 pm #1576538

Jerry Cagle
BPL Member

@xclimber
Locale: Southwest

Great pics, and nice video too. Very professional (where'd you get the music?)…

I'm going to be floating the box in Mid-March courtesy of La Nina…!

Feb 22, 2010 at 3:41 pm #1577191

Roman Dial
Member

@romandial
Locale: packrafting NZ

Brett,

Nice video. The birds and breeze sounds @ 3:40 were nice and the giant fish in the mud-puddle very surprising!

Looking forward to your future videos, and as you mention here, your future partners.

Amazing how a floatable river just gets sucked dry.

Feb 22, 2010 at 5:12 pm #1577235

Eric Falk
Spectator

@zerolimit

Liked the video, thank you. I feel bad for the fish :)

Mar 4, 2010 at 1:09 pm #1581755

Brian Vogt
BPL Member

@slickhorn

There are several boatable sections on the Gila. This trip report covers the Lower Box section.

Starting near the Gila Cliff Dwellings near Gila Hot Springs, NM, the runs go in order like this:

Leopold Wilderness run 39 miles class II-III
9 miles of private land/fences/diversions
18 mile class III+ Middle Box
then the lower box, which starts above the san francisco but includes the canyon covered in this report.

Below the lower box there is still the Arizona Box and a reservoir and the mostly dewatered sections.

There isn't much beta about floating some of these sections, so I just wanted to post to make some sense of it for people looking at it down the road.

thanks for sharing the great pix!
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