Field Notes

A working logbook

Field Notes is the moving edge of the site — what we're running this season, what we got wrong on the last trip, and the small revisions to packing systems, flow calls, and access notes that make the next one less expensive.

• Trip Reports

  Day-by-day logs from rivers, routes, and expeditions — flows, weather, camps, and what we'd change.

• Articles

  Long-form pieces on river craft, desert places, and the systems that make remote travel possible.

• Stories

  Narrative writing — quieter pieces from the side of the canyon where nothing is happening, and that's the point.

From the field library

A rolling sample of recent published articles. The full library lives at /articles/.

• Best Rafting Companies on the Colorado River

  How to evaluate Colorado River rafting outfitters in Utah — what permits and guide certifications actually mean, what's included vs. extra, and when DIY makes sense.

• Rafting Cataract Canyon

  Cataract is not fourteen miles of whitewater with a float attached. It is a system where flow sets pace, pace sets days, and the takeout is the least flexible part. Built from 21 logged descents between 3,400 and 47,900 cfs.

• Colorado River Rafting Permits

  Permit requirements for each Utah Colorado River section — BLM advance reservation for Westwater, NPS seasonal release for Cataract, and a practical cancellation-watching strategy for both.

• Dispersed Camping Rules Utah

  The canonical Utah dispersed-camping page. BLM's statewide rules from the agency's own fact sheet, the Moab Field Office exceptions, a forest-by-forest table for the national forests, SITLA trust-land rules, fire restrictions and desert Leave No Trace — every rule number traced to its source.

• Honda 2.3 Outboard Review for River Use

  The Honda 2.3 is the lightest serious outboard on the market. That's its main feature and its main limit. This is where it earns its place on a raft — and where it doesn't.

• How Difficult Is Cataract Canyon Rafting

  Cataract Canyon difficulty varies dramatically with flow — Class III–IV at moderate levels, big-water Class IV through high water. Above 50,000 cfs, Webb, Belnap and Weisheit warn, the canyon can be very dangerous and boats frequently flip. Big Drop 3 defines the trip; here's what experience level is actually required.

• How Many Days for Westwater Canyon Trip

  One day is doable in Westwater Canyon if you launch early and move well — but two days changes the experience entirely, giving you time to experience the black granite gorge.

• How to Rig the Ultimate Raft

  Complete multi-day raft rigging guide — frame setup through shade system — with a tiered access system so daily items are reachable without unloading gear built to survive a flip.

• North Wash Boat Ramp

  For most of the last decade the bottom of a Cataract trip was the part you couldn't plan. Since June 2026 there is a ramp at North Wash. Here's what's actually on the ground, what it replaced, and what the river underneath it is still doing.

• Westwater Canyon Rafting Guide

  Westwater Canyon is 17 miles of Class III–IV through ancient black gneiss and schist walls — Skull Rapid demands a scout every time, a BLM permit through recreation.gov is required, and one vs. two days is a real tradeoff.

• Yampa River Rafting Guide

  The Yampa is the last major undammed Colorado tributary — a 5–7 day spring-only trip through Dinosaur National Monument with Warm Springs Rapid (Class IV) as the crux and Echo Park as the highlight. This guide covers both the private permit lottery and guided commercial options, plus cost, ideal flows, and a packing list.