Come learn to whitewater kayak with us in beautiful Jackson Hole!
This camp is for girls who are excited to learn the basics of whitewater kayaking in a comfortable, safety conscious, and fun environment. We have an all-star female staff of ACA (American Canoe Association) fully certified whitewater kayak instructors from the best kayak school in the country, Rendezvous River Sports.
The information below is for our overnight camp. Due to Covid-19 our 2021 Jackson Hole Camp will be operated as a DAY CAMP. The information below does not pertain to our day camp. Meals and lodging will be of the responsibility of the camper’s family.
Food: Meals begin and end with lunch the first and last trip day. The food is backcountry gourmet at its finest with lots of fresh vegetables and fruit. Meals are well-balanced, healthy, and tasty. Most dietary restrictions can be accommodated with advance notice.
Lodging: We camp in tents along the Hoback River for the duration of this camp. More details for 2021 to come.
DAY CAMP INCLUDES
- 4 day progression and instruction of whitewater kayaking from the best female instructors in kayaking
- All necessary kayak equipment including boats and paddles
- Photographs from the week
Itinerary
Day 1 Flat Water Training – Slide Lake or Equivalent Site
Arrive to Rendezvous River Sports at 9am. Orientation and introductions.
Learning good kayaking technique requires the right equipment, a properly fit boat and a solid foundation of skills. We will start the day at Rendezvous River Sports shop. Our instructors will begin getting to know the students as we gear everyone up for being on the water and discuss the features of a whitewater kayak.
We take extra care to ensure that everyone is comfortable with their personal equipment and with the boat they will paddle. We are pleased to offer a very broad range of the latest kayaks from Jackson, Dagger, & Pyranha for our girls to use.
Once everyone is geared up (about an hour +/-) we will travel to Slide Lake or an equivalent flat water training site to learn basic paddling skills. We begin with the body mechanics of kayaking, correct posture and wet exits (Depending on weather conditions we may teach wet exits in the RRS pool). As many students are apprehensive about being upside-down we are careful not to rush this step.
Next, we move on to strokes beginning with forward and reverse sweeps and forward and back paddling. After lunch we will play with using the kayak on edge, J-turns, braces and draws. This will still leave us time for a few games to test our new skills and for a short paddle around the area. In addition to kayaking, our instructors are also knowledgeable about the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem and will help the students understand the natural history of the unique places we will paddle through.
Day 2 Snake River – South Park to Astoria Boat Ramp
To the river! Beginning at South Park Bridge we will go through a detailed outline of river safety, including how to swim in moving water. After a review of basic paddle strokes we will learn about river features & how to deal with them. Why does the river do what it does? What creates whitewater? What is an eddy and why are they important? All of these questions and more are answered there. Before embarking we will again discuss river safety with the addition of river running strategy and on river signals. Once we are headed downstream everyone will focus on peel outs, eddy turns, ferries and having fun with the moving current. Angle and edge control are what it is all about. We will paddle approximately 9 miles including King’s Rapid.
Day 3 Rolling & Hoback River to Astoria Boat Ramp
At this point everyone will have experienced flipping over in their kayak. Now everyone will experience how to roll the kayak back upright. This will be done at the Broken Arrow Ranch pool. After a half day of rolling we will have a relaxed lunch and then go back to the water. This time we will start on the Hoback River, near the confluence with the Snake. There we will again review river features and safety and get more time to practice peel outs, eddy turns and ferries. We will soon flow into the Snake and repeat the bottom section of the stretch from the day before – about 3-4 miles.
Day 4 Snake River – Pritchard to Sheep Gulch Graduation Day!
We are off to the Canyon. At this time everyone will have the option of using the kayak they are in or switching to an open deck and/or sit-on-top kayak. Stable and self-bailing, yet with a hard shell, sit-on-tops offer most of the performance of a closed deck kayak in a more user friendly package. They are a great option for anyone who wants to experience more whitewater with a little added ease, while still using the skills they have learned in the course.
Beginning at Pritchard Creek gives students ample warm up before entering the canyon proper. The Alpine Canyon stretch of the Snake is World famous for its super fun, yet fairly forgiving rapids. We will experience the challenge of paddling through Station Creek, Double Draw, Blind Canyon, Big Kahuna, Lunch Counter, Rope, Champagne and Cottonwood. As we travel down river we will stop to play and surf on the waves and features, using all the skills we have acquired during the week. Congratulations everyone!
PARENT PICKUP AT 5PM.
Ski. Climb. Kayak. Move Mountains.
OUR
SPONSORS
Keely’s Camp is comprised of an all-star female staff of Olympians, World Cup Skiers, and Guides who coach, mentor, and empower girls in skiing and outdoor sports. Keely’s Camp Coaches are proud to give girls what they didn’t have growing up – FEMALE COACHES!
________________
Keely’s Camp for Girls is owned and operated by Keely’s Camp, LLC