PAT FRIENDS ON THE ESCALANTE
Patrick Stadler and 2 friends floated the Escalante in their S16 in late May of 2004 with a minimum of flow. Probably one of the hardest rivers to run in the US is the Escalante River in Southern Utah. The Escalante winds 80 miles through gorgeous red rock canyons until in flows into Reservoir Powell. There is hardly ever enough water to float all the way through, and often people are known to drag their boats much of the way.
“Low as #@!%#” is how Patrick described it. The river flows dropped during their 8 day journey, so they had to drag more at the end of the trip. Having 3 people and gear in their S16 made it a bit tight, but often the river was low enough that at least one person hiked the river.
The take out at Coyote Gulch is a long hike up a steep, sandy canyon trail. So if you want to run one of the most elusive rivers in the US, be prepared to be tested in this remote canyon setting
