Trip to Trip Logistics
So where ARE you camping tonight? Where are you hiking tomorrow? Are you going to lay over at [Fill In The Blank]?
These are questions you should feel comfortable asking of every other trip you see on the water, and everyone on your trip should have the answers to. A good place to start this is right at the put-in at Lee's Ferry. If you are double launching with another do-it-yourself river trip, make friends with them the afternoon you are both rigging. You will be well served to ask for the trip leader and introduce yourslef. They should know their trips rough itinerary, or at least know who their trip's River Leader is for your to talk with. You will be traveling down the River with them, and if your groups can jell early and become friends, it will pay both trips good dividends downstream.
Oh, LOOK! They have dories like we do! Let's go chat! Two do-it-yourself trips at the Lee's Ferry put-in ramp begin what will be a great river relationship, resulting in camping together below Lava, exchanging addresses and a lot of photo sharing of each others group at trips end.
Every River trip you see on the water? Well, ok, there are always exceptions. If it's 8:00 in the morning and a motor trip goes by your oar trip on a summer day, chances are fairly good that they will be camping so far downstream of your group that you will not see them again on your trip.
When you stop at a well visited attraction site like North Canyon, Saddle Canyon, Nankoweap, etc., go over to any other trip and ask their Trip Leader what their plans are. Of course, it will help to know what your plans are.
It will also help to make sure everyone on your team knows where you are intending to camp for the night, especially your sweep boat (your last boat). This will be the first boat a faster trip will encounter. It will also help to make sure your lead boat or kayak or paddle boarder knows where you are planning to camp. Any pre-camp arrangements you make with other trips will fall apart if you don't camp where you said you would. It's a good idea to have a few camps in mind and be flexible when you can, firm when you need to be. Remember, double camping is allowed everywhere but at the three Nankoweap Camps, Upper, Middle and Lower. It is always helpful when you discuss camp options with another trip that you share what you know about where other trips are going to be.
Deer Creek is one of many spots you may share with other trips, and is a great place to ask folks about where they are planning to spend the night. It will help if you have looked at your map or river guide and have a tentative idea of where YOUR GROUP would like to spend the night.
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