The best Outpost on Clear Creek… coming soon to you!

And in more exciting news for 2010, AVA will be purchasing a new 4,000 square-foot building on 9 acres in Idaho Springs, just up the road from the Chicago Creek put-in at exit 240. We will be undergoing massive construction this winter in order to provide you with the very best Outpost on the Front Range.

We can’t wait for you to see and experience our Clear Creek trips from this new spot. It’ll be packed with great amenities to make your rafting trips unforgettable. Check out the current picture of the building. This is our "before" picture. Just wait until we show you the "after" picture!

We’ll keep you posted each newsletter on the progress of our transformation!

"Future Clear Creek Outpost"

Global Spotlight: Siang River Trip

By David Dill, Global Descents guide

Day 2: More waterfalls and big rapids. We pulled in to lunch and camped above our possible portage at Marta Rapid. We had a relaxing afternoon and enjoyed the sight and sound of a very powerful and intimidating rapid.

Day 3: In the morning a few local villagers wondered into camp to check us out. They left and returned with a bunch of guys with guns. They passed by Rick sitting on the groover (toilet) and we all got a good laugh. They were just curious about us and we all posed for a photo with the armed villagers. The villagers roamed around near camp collecting some kind of beetle they like to eat. We spent the morning getting boats through Marta by lining the paddle boat and rowing the oar boats with a rope attached to the stern in order to belay them into the eddy at the bottom. We lunched at the bottom of Marta then headed directly into the next big rapid. Below the next rapid we crossed under a sketchy hanging footbridge and continue to enjoy waterfalls dropping in to the river. Things finally eased up for a bit and we pulled into camp near Gette.

Day 4: We stopped to scout Yingkiong rapid which was a bit challenging as the rapid seems to go on and on. After a lengthy scout and lunch the paddle boaters decided to walk and Dave Kashinski towed the paddle boat out behind his kayak, set it up for a good line and turned it loose. The paddle boat ran a clean line and Dave towed it to shore at the bottom. All day, there were truly impressive sights to take in.

Day 5: We passed by two of the most beautiful surf waves I have ever seen. The first wave had a nice fluffy pile and the second wave had a beak on top. It was a wet and rainy day so the paddleboat ran conservative lines in an attempt to stay warm. At this stage we experienced unseasonable rain fairly steadily for the remainder of the trip. As a result of the rain, we decided to push downriver and set up for either a layover at our last camp or to get off a day early if the rains continued. Sadly the rain continued and we opted to take out a day early. The rain continued for the next two days while we stayed in Pasighat, so in the end it was best we got off the river early.

"Yingkiong Rapid"
- Photo by Jeremy Deem

"Hanging Bridge"
- Photo by Jeremy Deem

We awoke the last morning on the river to find the river rising fast. We hurriedly moved the kitchen and a few guide tents and did so just in the nick of time. It was difficult to say what kind of flow we had on the last day. Estimates amongst the guides ranged from 60,000 cfs to over 100,000 cfs: who knows. No USGS river gauges there! Every day we experienced big volume, intimidating and powerful rapids, mean eddylines and deep seams. Every day we also experienced stunning scenery, waterfalls, hanging bridges, flora and curious locals.

Sadly, late in the trip upstream from Boleng we started seeing what I believe were benchmarks from survey and engineering crews looking for a suitable dam sight. The Siang River is a world-class river trip, unlike any other river I have seen in the world. Take advantage while you can, who knows how long before the dam construction begins. This trip can be described as an exploratory expedition style trip. The section from Palsi to Yingkiong sees very few river trips each year and the rapids change from year to year and have varying flows. Special thanks to my fellow crew members who put so much time and energy into this trip before, during and after. Also special thanks to Jim King, Wylie Greig, Ted Fouts, Wally Limburg, and Jim Martin for all your efforts and great attitudes.

Looking forward to my return to the Siang River next fall, Dave Dill.

Read the Siang River expedition details.

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