The San Juan River 

The San Juan River begins in the high San Juan Mountains in Southwest Colorado, near Wolf Creek Pass, and winds several hundred miles through alpine valleys, lush lowlands and, eventually, through some of the most magnificent canyons in the world, notably the famed "Gooseneck" section where the river carves a tortuous course through a narrow 700 foot chasm. The river used to merge with the Colorado, but the confluence is now under the waters of Lake Powell. It is rated as a Class 2 run, with some moderate sized waves  at mid to high water levels, a couple of  dodgy, technical sections, and, at high water, the famed "sand waves" of the San Juan.

The entire run is 84 miles in length, and it is managed by the Bureau of Land Management in Monticello, Utah. Permits are required to float the river, they are distributed on a lottery system basis.

We've run the river together 3 times, in 1990, 1994 and 1995. Karin ran it once some years earlier. It's a tough permit to get these days, but a gorgeous trip. Best months are May and June -- the canyon gets very hot in the summer.

Late afternoon, in camp...you can see the outline of the Madness 3 (our old cataraft) in the foreground.

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