Four-Day Gates of Lodore Rafting Trip

This area of Dinosaur National Monument is roadless wilderness, so we bring all food and gear on oar boats and stop at a new camp each night. Guides and guests practice leave no trace camping, so if you pack it in – pack it out. Portable toilet systems, privacy tents and hand-washing stations are provided.

Enjoy catered meals starting with day one lunch and ending with day four lunch. Adrift Dinosaur will provide everyone a profile form to complete and return prior to your trip for dietary needs and requests. Your guides will prepare meals and clean up, while you relax and enjoy your time on the Green River.

There is a $15 upcharge per day for major food considerations, Gluten Free, Vegan, etc. If this was not paid through your reservation, please pay when you come to pick up your dry bag.

To make packing easier for you, we encourage you to stop by the Adrift warehouse before 4 pm the day prior to launch and pick up a waterproof bag and any rental gear. You can also tell us where you are staying locally and you can request we drop off your dry bag in the lobby. This will allow you to leisurely and carefully pack for utah rafting the night before we meet you. Note the unique name on your personal bag so you can identify it later. Each person is given a waterproof duffel bag. All of your personal items, such as sleeping bag and clothes, must fit in your personal bag, except for large tents for which we have a separate “tent bag.” Once packed, personal bags are given to guides at the launch site and after each breakfast and are not accessible until camp.

Items which you will need during the day should go into a large waterproof duffel bag, called the “day bag,” which is available on each raft. If you want more immediate access to personal gear, consider purchasing a small waterproof bag for rafting in Utah at the Adrift store or bringing your own. Make sure you can properly close your personal bag or it will leak. Carry beverages, water bottle and special food items to the launch site and a guide will store them for you.

The night before the trip set aside what you’ll be wearing on the river the next morning. Take time to pack everything on the Personal Gear Checklist. Pack all items for camp in your “personal bag.” Place the items you’ll want to go in the “day bag” in a small backpack, a plastic bag, or in a small waterproof bag. Items which we recommend being placed in the “day bag” include; sunscreen, camera (carry at own risk), raincoat, extra shirt (polypro), light sweater, binoculars and river guide or books.

Daytime temperatures in the regular season (mid-June, July and August) are often in the 90's, but the weather can be much cooler. Additionally, a brief rain shower and rapid splashes can quickly cool you off. So bring some warm clothes, and dress in layers that can be taken off readily. While on rafts most people wear shorts and/or swimsuit, a t-shirt, river sandals or tennis shoes, and sun screen/block, with a light sweater, rain jacket and rain pants readily available in the day bag. We reccomend bringing a sturdy waterproof rain jacket. If you wear long pants for sun protection we recommend a fast drying fabric like nylon. We advise against cotton blue jeans because they stay wet and cold all day. Another good option for cool days is a long sleeve polypropylene shirt top. Visit cascaderivergear.com for excellent tips and shopping for hard to find items.

• small backpack type tent
• warm jacket / puffy
• fleece or wool sweater layer
• long pants (for camp)
• hat or visor
• Sun Hoodie
• t-shirts and long sleeve shirt
• wool or synthetic socks
• bandanna
• polypropylene long underwear top
• camp shoes (DRY shoes other than river shoes for hikes or for comfort)
• river shoes – laced tennis shoes that can get wet, or river sandals
• compact sleeping bag, sleeping pad, groundcloth
• the last night is “costume night” so bring fun or wild clothes
• toilet articles (toothbrush, comb, biodegradable soap)
• water bottle with securing clip or caribiner
• extra locking carabiners
• plastic bags for wet or dirty clothing
• coffee cup / mug
• small backpack or small waterproof bag
• insect repellent
• binoculars (carry at own risk)
• durable rain suit
• small towel
• flashlight with extra batteries
• sunglasses with tie strap
• swimsuit and/or shorts
• sunscreen and chapstick
• camera (carry at own risk)
• camp pillow

OPTIONAL ITEMS:

• sketchbook
• diary or journal
• paperback book
• personal beverages

Weather in the boating season can be highly variable with afternoon highs in the 90's and lows from 40 to 50. Sunshine dominates but you need to be prepared for afternoon showers. River flow rates are controlled by releases from Flaming Gorge Dam and are variable.

Depending on the size of your trip and water levels, there may be three different boating options to choose from, you can stay with one type the entire trip or switch at anytime. Choose between a paddle raft where you grab a paddle, and with the assistance of a guide who sits in the back to steer, you'll assist in maneuvering the boat through the rapids as a team (small trips may not have enough people for a paddle raft); or select an oar powered raft where you just sit back and let the guide do all the work. Another option is to run the river "on your own" in an inflatable kayak with support rafts nearby.

These inflatable kayaks are provided on certain trips and they are shared by all interested participants. Kayakers must follow the guidance and rules of the Adrift crew and stay close to the support rafts. It is ultimately the decisions of the Adrift Dinosaur staff whether or not the kayaks can run certain rapids.

This is a 4-day wilderness-rafting trip. You will be active during the day and should be in good physical condition. Being in good physical condition will help you enjoy your river trip even more.

You are responsible for getting to and from the meeting place, unless you fly into Vernal. We will transport you from your motel to our location the morning of your trip's launch and back to the motel after your trip. The closest airport is the Vernal Regional Airport (VEL) with daily flights from Phoenix AZ to Vernal UT offered by Contour Airlines in affiliation with American Airlines. Please see FlyVernal.com for more information. Drive time from Salt Lake City is 3 ½ hours and driving from Denver is close to 6 hours. Please arrive in the area the day or evening before your trip's launch date, since we have a 7:15 am meeting time.

If you are flying into Vernal, please make arrangements for transportation to your motel. We can pick you up the morning of your launch from your motel and transport you to our headquarters. You are shuttled back to our headquarters on the last day of the trip. If you are flying out, we can shuttle you to the airport or back to your motel.

We do not provide soda or alcoholic beverages on the trip. However, you can bring your own soda and libations. If you bring wine, beer or other alcoholic beverages, please bring it in cans or put it in a plastic bottle to avoid broken glass. No liquor is sold after 7:00pm or before 11:00 am or on Sundays/holidays in Utah. PURCHASE ALL BEER, WINE OR SPIRITS PRIOR TO ARRIVAL AT ADRIFT DINOSAUR. Please drink in moderation.

Adrift has drinking water available at any time, and normally provides the following beverages during the trip. Breakfast; coffee, tea (herbal), and hot cocoa. Lunch; drink mix (lemonade). Dinner; coffee, tea (herbal) and hot cocoa.

Although our rafting trip includes a small fee for the park, it does not cover a Parks Pass to enter Dinosaur National Monument. Park passes Include America the Beautiful Year Passes, Senior Passes, Veterans Passes, 4th Grade/5th Grade Explorer Passes, etc. If you do not have a year pass, 7-day permits are sold at the Dinosaur Quarry entrance station at $15 an adult (15 and over) or $25 a vehicle. Please visit NPS at https://www.nps.gov/dino/planyourvisit/fees.htm to purchase a park pass if you do not already have one. NPS requires that all guests rafting with us have one of these passes with them and available while on a river rafting trip.

At camp and during the day a portable human waste toilet is provided. When at camp the toilet or “groover” is setup in a private spot to allow depositing only feces and toilet paper (Hygiene products get disposed in trash near groover). Please do not urinate into the toilet, or drop foreign objects, such as applicators, food or packaging into it. Since there is only one toilet, please use the facility quickly. For your safety and others on the trip, and to protect park resources, please use our toilets. If you must go “Number 2” during the day outside camp, we have a “day groover” with all the necessary items. Ask a guide for directions.

PLEASE URINATE INTO THE RIVER, or into a separate pee or “sunshine bucket” near the toilet, but NOT INTO THE TOILET. It is very important not to urinate in the toilet, around camp or behind rocks for three reasons. One, research has shown that urinating into the river is the safest method of disposal because urine is usually sterile and decomposes rapidly in moving water. Two, urinating in the toilet creates so much volume that the toilet becomes too heavy to carry out. Three, low rainfall does not “wash away” urine and camping areas can begin to smell.

PERSONAL SAFETY AND HYGIENE You should be extra safety-minded on this trip because you are a long ways from hospitals, doctors and pain medicine. In the interest of your safety and others on the trip we ask that you consider the following:

WASH YOUR HANDS- ALWAYS Wash your hands before every meal, before entering the kitchen, and after using the toilet. Bacteria can spread rapidly through a group if you do not wash your hands. A hand wash station with soap is provided at each meal and camp.

SUNBURN Sunburn is a BIG health concern, because it can make your trip miserable. It is very easy to quickly get a burn at this altitude and dry climate. Keep covered with sunblock, hat and/or clothes. WEAR SHOES- Walking around at camp without shoes can be hazardous because there are sharp rocks, cactus and sticks. The most common injury on a river trip, and one subject to infection, is a foot injury.

DEHYDRATION Drink a lot of water, much more than you would at home. Dehydration is a subtle but very common problem on desert river trips. This is because of the low humidity and your elevated activity levels. Signs of dehydration are few urinations, afternoon headaches and lethargy. You’ll be moody and unhappy if you get dehydrated. Drinking alcohol can promote dehydration.

Our guides work hard to provide you with the best possible river trip. If you feel their service has been extraordinary, we recommend a standard service industry gratuity of 20% of your bill for the trip. This can be given to the Trip Leader who will then distribute it equally among the crew. As with all tipping this is optional and solely at your discretion.