Clarks Fork Yellowstone (The Box) Kayaking

[@goji059]

simply a gorgeous day out

[@UrsaMusic]

Hell yeah this is amazing. That portage looked savage before you showed the overnight gear.

[@philipmalatin9730]

Wow, great video. Thank you.

[@AlaskaBrian]

Wow, what an amazing canyon. World class scenery and some super cool looking whitewater. Feels reminiscent of the Black Canyon of the Gunnison with the steep, vertical walls, hard whitewater and stout portages

[@Chompchompyerded]

I was in the first and only group to run the Black Canyon from its headwaters at the confluence with the Taylor River and the East River, all the way down to it's confluence with the North Fork of the Gunnison before the damn dams were put in. Yes, I'm older than dirt, and can't think about getting into a kayak anymore. We didn't have the sweet plastic boats that you have now. That river was a whole lot crazier before they put the dams in. If you can imagine water pouring over all those bare boulders that are down there now, you can begin to understand it. There were also places down there where you had sheer walls on either side, and no place to get out for a good distance. That part which is down in the National Monument was a lot different and a lot more challenging before they put Blue Mesa Reservoir and Crystal and the low water dam in. We really started doubting the wisdom or deciding to run it after going past Curianti's Needle, and then we were sure of our imminent doom once we were down in the canyon looking up to where that white rock goes across the sheer grey granite, but somehow we managed to get through. Some of our boats were pretty badly broken, and most of them were more duct tape than any other sort of material by the time we got into the relatively smoother water going the last third on down to the north fork. I'm pretty sure that was the stoutest thing I've ever done, and looking back on it, I think we all must have been stupid crazy for doing it. Still, I mourn that they plugged that river up. That could have been some of the best and most challenging white water in the the nation if they had not. It would have been miles of river like upper death on the Colorado above Glenwood Springs if they had have left it alone, and the part between where old Sapinero was (not the hot dry nastiness above the lake where it is now) and where it used to join the Lake Fork could have been a Mecca for rafters and kayakers alike. Unfortunately people and their motor boats who wanted to be able to sit and fish without really doing anything won out, and so no one will ever see that wonderful cottonwood flanked bit of river with it's peaceful green hay fields ever again. Shame really. Just a shame.

[@AlaskaBrian]

@@Chompchompyerded Yes I am definitely of the mind that dams ruin rivers and are almost never worth it. Thanks for sharing your story!

[@zachramseyphoto]

Heavy paddling and heavy beat down. Glad he popped back up

[@JackofallAdventures.]

Dang that guy got worked

[@jamesmignin9839]

Conger took a beamer at 3:55. Heath at 10:47 is also a highlight.

[@chmith27]

Was that a body shot to the shoulder or did boat hit the rock?? 3:55

[@charlesmcdonald5465]

Pretty yuk in there. Buddy of mine drown in there I the late 80’s . Keenp being safe

[@noahnsal]

Wow. Nice footage. Brings back memories from my younger days in there...some good, some not good. But I was confused..it looks like you guys did the last portage (ball buster, we used to call it) on river right? With a rappel? If memory is serving me, we used to do that one high on the left.

[@Ryan_Baird]

This was my first time in there but it sounds like it changed substantially from the floods in 2022 and the portage is now on the right

[@artfisher1235]

Stout hole there.

[@Chompchompyerded]

Why did you guys portage so much of it? You want to live to tell about it or something? Well yeh, I guess that's a pretty good reason.