Wenatchee (III) - 2011 Trip Packet

Wenatchee River 2011

June 4th & 5th 

Trip Leader

Contact: Gary Gautreau
Mail Code: 4C-80
Cell number:  (206) 714-4594
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June 11th & 12th 

Trip Leader

Contact: Joshua Modrzynski
Mail Code: 04-EE
Cell number: (785) 979-1776
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June 25th & 26th 

Trip Leader

Contact: Randy Daly
Mail Code: 50-57
Cell number: (253) 740-1146
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River/Trip Stats:

Miles on river 17 Miles ? ? ?
Appx hrs on river 3 hrs ? ? ?
Drive Time 2:30

River Description:

Without a doubt, the most rafted river in Washington State. From Leavenworth to Cashmere is a 15-17 mile run of Big Wave class III water - Boulder Bend, Rock-n-Roll, Gopher Patch & Gorilla Falls, Drunkard's Drop, Snow Blind, Granny's and Suffocator. In between rapids it's fun in the sun, and Class V water fighting! This river contains a weir (low level dam) at the lunch stop, just after Rock-n-Roll, which must be portaged for safety reasons.

Pre-Trip Work Party:

The pre-trip work party will be the Thursday before the trip at 5:30pm at the Club Garage.
Since BEWET is a club and not a commercial outfitter we are able to provide Rafting services fairly inexpensively. We are able to do this because we rely on our members and their guests to support the club by helping to share the work involved. By sharing the load, we reduce the burden on club organizers and guides. You can help. Before each trip, we tune up our equipment to insure that it is in good working condition. You are not required to have any prior knowledge or experience, just be willing to help. The tasks you will be assigned will be doable by you. We have Work Party Captains whose job it is to decide what tasks need to be done and to instruct on how to do it. If you are willing to help, please contact your Trip Leader. Work parties are a good place to meet other club members and to learn about club equipment.

Driving Directions:

From Stevens Pass or the north:
Take I-5 or WA 522 (Monroe) to US 2 over Stevens Pass and down to Leavenworth.

• Just as you get to Leavenworth, you take a right on Icicle Creek road to E. Leavenworth Road, there you will turn left.  After crossing the small bridge on E. Leavenworth Road, go ¼ mile to Das River Haus, located on your left. Look for the orange BEWET cones.

From Blewet/Swauk Pass or the south:
Take I-90 to SR970 (at Cle Elum exit 85), to US 97 over Blewett/Swauk Pass and head north on US 2 into Leavenworth.

• Heading toward Leavenworth and just before the big bridge, turn left on E. Leavenworth Road.  Go 2.5 miles without crossing another bridge.  Das River Haus is on your right. Look for the orange BEWET cones.

Camping:

The campsite is reserved for both Friday and Saturday nights, if you are scheduled on the trip this is included. Our campsite is located on the upstream side of Icicle Creek at a private Bed & Breakfast, 8280 E. Leavenworth Rd in Leavenworth. Look for the sign or cones on the road.

Dress:

Always be prepared.  Bring all your cool weather gear-just in case!  Even on warm or hot sunny days wetsuits and booties (while not required) are the standard apparel of whitewater rafting.  You can rent a “farmer john” style wetsuit and neoprene “booties” from local dive shops.  Poly-pro with a windbreaker can be an alternative.

In the early season, bring wool socks to wear inside your booties.  Under your wetsuit wear a quick-drying swimsuit or lyrca shorts and top.  Over your wetsuit, plan to wear wool, polypropylene or nylon pile.  Don’t wear cotton shirts or sweatshirts.  They hold the cold water and chill you through.

Add layers for the coldest conditions.  Your outer layer should be a paddling jacket or nylon windbreaker, rain jacket or mountain parka.  You may want to bring a ziploc bag to store any small items that need to stay dry.  Hats are also great in maintaining body heat.  Also, if you wear glasses, be sure to bring a “croakie” to protect them from being washed off your head.
Most wet suits can be rented for $15-30 for the weekend.
Suggested rental locations can be found on the BEWET website at the following link: http://bewet.org/wetsuit.htm

Schedule:

Friday

• Drive to campsite
• Campfire (if allowed)

Saturday

• 9:30am Arrive at put-in
• 10:15am Run Shuttle
• 11:00 Launch
• 2-3:00pm Arrive at take-out
• 5:30pm – Pot luck and BBQ. Bring something to BBQ and your favorite dish to share with the group.
• Campfire (if allowed)

Sunday

• 9:30am Arrive at put-in
• 10:15am Run Shuttle
• 11:00 Launch
• 2-3:00pm Arrive at take-out

Shuttle:

There will be a Shuttle Coordinator designated by the Trip Leader who will organize the shuttle and lead drivers to the Take-Out.

Raft Assignments:

Assignments will be coordinated at the put-in.

River Food:

No alcohol is permitted on the river.
We will probably not stop for lunch on the river so plan on bringing food that can be consumed on the river. Glass bottles are not allowed on the river.

Camp Food:

There is going to be a pot luck and bbq back at camp.  Bring something to grill for yourself and your favorite dish (be creative) to share with the group.