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< March/April 2000
	River Runner Supplement
River-Trip Planning Eric Hermann

Even if you didn't score a permit for the Grand, early spring is often when the seeds of many river trips are planted. Preparation is crucial, especially for multi-day trips, so for those holding a permit prize, here's a few tips on the process.

The first step is enlisting a core of committed paddlers. Beginning trippers are often naive about expressing keen interest then dropping out of a trip - very aggravating for those who put it together. If the journey demands a certain skill level, be candid enough to exclude paddlers with questionable skills. A trial run on similar water can also weed out potential rescue cases.

Learn all you can about the river. This is half the fun, because it allows you to visually float the stretch months in advance, mentally basking in canyon sunshine while the snow falls outside your window. Solid information is the most vital asset to bring. Learn all you can about the route: Where are its challenges, its best campsites? Where are its wilder, more scenic stretches that entice you to go slowly? Check various appraisals of the river's difficulty, focusing on the time you plan to run it.

Budgeting time is always partly guesswork with variables of current, weather, portages and such, but ten miles a day is an easy average for casual trips. The first day, after shuttles and packing, is usually low-mileage - a shake-down cruise. If the trip can be done in two days, plan at least three or four. Layovers for hikes, lazy mornings and gear-drying are wonderful.

Detailed maps, especially the mile-by-mile charts in guidebooks, are an absolute must. Study several, including maps of the access roads to help you plan time for travel and shuttles. When I find a good map, I mark mileage along the river, write marginal notes from guidebooks about logistics, then photocopy and laminate a map for each boat. The mileages allow suggestions like "Let's stop for lunch at mile 24."

Learn the regulations. Some may dictate where and when you can camp, whether you need to use a portable toilet or fire pan, and whether you need to carry out your ashes. Compile a good equipment list and get together for this and other planning discussions. Agree on an expense plan: Some groups have a member collect sales slips, tally the total and equalize the expenses. Other groups just figure that differing expenses average out in the long run. Figure who will bring what group items. For example, not everyone needs to bring a tent and a stove. Good planning begins with good information, good contact people, good maps and plenty of discussion. Keep it fun and keep your mistakes the laughable kind.