Canoe Colorado
Performance Canoes and Sea Kayaks

Canoe Colorado's 2008 Trip Schedule

Canoe and Sea Kayak Trips, Races and Events

Additional trips will first be announced on the E-mail list before being published here.

Click here for our Guidelines and Rules

We have moved all our trip postings to the Colorado Paddlers Forum

Guidelines and Rules:

Years of paddling have taught us a few things about how to enjoy our trips. To maintain the pleasure of the group, we have adopted a few simple rules.

Cost:

We do not charge for our trips. We are not outfitters or guides. We are a group of people who enjoy paddling, and we offer our trips to our fellow enthusiasts. If you are looking for an outfitter or a guide, please check our links page, or ask us and we can direct you in the right direction. We do not provide any guide services ourselves.

We do not provide any equipment for our trips. We only provide a group to go paddling with. Trip participants are responsible for all necessary and required equipment. Boats must be self-sufficient, carrying all their own gear. Participants are also responsible for their food, camping, and toilet needs. We will assist in coordinating shuttle, but we do not provide any transportation to or from the trip. Fixed permit costs will be covered by Canoe Colorado, any additional per person fees are the responsibility of each individual participant.

Trip Designations:

We offer a wide variety of trips, events and races. The following designations are rough guides to the different types of trips that we offer. We have trips for beginners, intermediate and advanced paddlers. Some of our trips require specific craft, and the requirements for those trips are also listed here.

Our terms beginner, intermediate and advanced are subjective to our specific type of trips. For example, an advanced whitewater paddler may not be suited to an advanced flatwater trip, and vice versa.

One person per solo boat, two people per tandem. Paddlers in tandems must be able to control their end of the boat with skill appropriate to the level of the trip.

Beginner Trips:

Beginner trips assume that paddlers are able to control their boats on calm water. These trips may not be appropriate for someone who has never been in a boat before. If you are a beginner and would like help with your paddling skills, please let us know. We will be happy to meet with you before a trip to go over basic paddling technique.

There is no length restriction on beginner trips. These trips are open to all types of canoes and sea kayaks. Paddlers should be able to maintain a 3mph pace on lakes, which is easy in an efficient canoe or sea kayak.

Intermediate Trips:

Our most popular trips, the intermediate trips follow our traditional rule structure. Solo boats must be at least 15' in length, tandems 17'. Intermediate paddlers should be able to maintain a 4mph pace on lakes, which requires moderate effort in an efficient canoe or sea kayak. Paddlers in shorter boats, who can demonstrate an ability to paddle 8 miles in under 2 hours are welcome to bring their shorter boats on the trips. Shorter boats unable to paddle at that pace will find themselves working too hard to enjoy the trip.

Advanced Trips:

Trips sponsored by the Fast Paddling Group, as well as Whitewater or Wilderness Trips fall into the advanced category. The specific requirements of each advanced trip will be listed with the trip description.

People and Pets:

We require that there are only two people in tandem boats, and only one person in solo boats. Due to the nature of our trips, children are discouraged. They often find our trips too long and tiresome. Pets are not permitted on any trips.

The Checklist:

These are the general rules and guidelines for most trips, exceptions as noted.

1. Solo boats must be at least 15', tandems 17'. We change this rule for beginner trips (we don't care about length) and whitewater trips (whitewater boats are short).

1a. We will waive the length rule for someone who can demonstrate their ability to paddle an unloaded boat 8 miles in 2 hours. Since we're often paddling 10+ miles in that time, you can just come with us when we're going around Chatfield or Cherry Creek and do a couple of laps. If whatever pace we set is comfortable, you won't have a problem. If we're too fast/ slow, keep that in mind.

1b. Even if you have the right boat, if you're totally out of shape and can't paddle, we may still say no.

1c. If you can't maintain our pace/ don't have the right equipment but need help with shuttle let us know. You won't be paddling with us, but we can let you in on our shuttle. You will want to get in on the initial shuttle, because we won't wait for you at the take-out.

2. All boats must have supplemental floatation. In canoes this means floatbags, at minimum a center bag in tandems and end bags in solos. For kayaks this can either be waterproof bulkheads or floatbags, or a combination of both. Floatbags are cheap insurance, if you flip it's not only easier for you to recover your boat, but it's also less likely to be trashed.

2a. Many people say they have paddled for years without floatbags. Not a problem, we won't hold your past against you. You need them for our trips.

2b. Tandems need to have a center bag. Remember the rule of only one person per solo, two per tandem. There is no room for a third person in the middle on any of our trips.

3. PFD's must be worn while on the water, each boat must have a spare paddle.

3a. Very good swimmers still need to wear a PFD while on the water.

3b.  PFD's must be coast guard approved for paddling, canoeing or kayaking. Horsecollar and Waterskiing PFD's aren't legal. The BLM may refuse to allow you to launch, or may fine you for not having a PFD. If you are fined, that's not our fine, we're legal. If they say you can't launch, we'll go without you. Best to have the right type of equipment.

3c. You may call that hunk of plastic a spare paddle, but if you lose your paddle or it breaks you're stuck using it. We know we have nice paddles for spares, but you can't use ours. We may need them and we don't want to use yours. A better approach than carrying a hunk of junk spare is to carry two good paddles designed for different conditions. Say a bigger blade/ whitewater paddle and a flatwater touring paddle. When it's calm, grab the flatwater stick, when it's rough grab the big blade. The paddle you're not using is your spare.

4. All boats must have end lines. We take the 12' straps used to tie our boats to our roofracks and use those. Any similar 12' rope will work.

4a. 6' end lines are too short to be of any use. 100' of rope is an entanglement hazard. 12' is a good length. When you get on shore you can grab it to tie off your boat. If you flip you can grab it and recover your boat. 15' isn't bad either but gets a tad long, anything short of 10' may not work for what we use the lines for. 12' isn't set in stone, but it's in the middle of the range.

5. Paddlers must be able to control their boat or their end of the boat.

5a. Don't make one of our trips your first time on the water. If you don't know what you are doing, practice ahead of time. We may help, we may not. Remember we don't provide anything but a group to paddle with, that means we're not obligated to provide instruction or rescue. When you come with us, think of yourself as being on your own. If you can't handle the conditions on your own, don't come.

5b. This ability to control a boat also applies to children. In the rare event you have a kid that likes to spend hours paddling, they'll probably be ok. If you think your kid will enjoy hours of paddling, test this theory before coming on one of our trips. Go to a local lake or reservoir, and paddle for at least 4 hours. It's ok to take a lunch break (not included in the 4 hours time), but note how often you have to take breaks. Is your kid having fun after 4 hours? If they're bored, keep in mind that we spend 6+ hours a day on the water. Are they too tired? 4 hours is less than 6+.

5c. The ability to control a boat also applies to conditions. If you don't have the skills for a trip, don't come. If you have to ask if you have the skills for the trip, you don't have the skills. However if you claim you have the skills, and we disagree, we may still say no. Or we may say yes, with the expectation that we'll get to sell you a new boat after you break yours in two. Remember, you're responsible for yourself. Don't rely on us to make your decisions for you.

6. You are responsible for providing your own equipment. We are not outfitters.

6a. We don't do group food. There are some vegetarians and some people who only eat steak, they're not going to be happy with each others food.

6b. Know how to set up your tent before coming on a trip. Don't know how to set it up? A trip is not the best time to learn. Know how to use your stove, or better yet learn how to eat without needing a stove. We don't allow fires on our trip, and if in your first time stove user excitement you burn down our campsite, you won't be welcome on future trips.

7. Other odds and ends

7a. We wake up around 6am and are on the water by 7am. If you want to party all night long, we may just leave you in camp if you're not up and ready to go with the rest of the group in the morning.

7b. No fires

7c. We practice minimal impact camping. Pack it in, pack it out. Leave only footprints, and cover those up if you can. BLM approved toilets may be required, and you have to provide that on your own.

7d. No loud radios, bag pipes, etc. We come into the wilderness to enjoy peace and quiet. You may enjoy playing your bagpipes, trombone, or whatever but it's not our thing.

7e. No drugs. This is our newest rule but needs to be said. We're not 420 friendly. We don't want to smell it, and we don't want to deal with it. Keep in mind some people on the trip may be with the police, DEA, or other government agencies. If you need to use drugs on a trip, go with another group.

8. Paddlesports are dangerous. This isn't a rule so much as a reminder that you could get hurt or killed on our trips. You could drown, you could get trampled by a buffalo, you could have a bolt of lightning zap you or a tree branch crash through your tent at night. We make no claims about the safety of our trips. You're on your own. It's a dangerous world. Bad things can happen.

9. These rules are subject to revision as needed.

9a. As you may have guessed, something happened that required us to write down each and every rule. Most are common sense, but common sense is not so common. As more interesting things happen in the future, this list is sure to expand.

9b. There may be rules that are not on this list. We may have forgotten to add it, or we may have added the rule but not put it on the website.

9c. Arguing about any of the rules will automatically disqualify you from coming on trips. If you don't like our rules, lead your own trip. You can even post it on our forum www.canoecolorado.com/forum