Gila

Packraft trip through the Gila Middle Box at 370-360 cfs (Redrock Gauge) as an overnight trip (April 25-26, 2023). We started at 32.8321, -108.6115 (photo, a short walk from the USFS River Vista Birding Area parking), camped on a small gravely terrace about half a mile before the USGS river gauge, and took out at the Redrock Bridge (~16.5 miles total). Float time was around 3.5 hrs for first day’s 10.3 miles and 2 hrs for the second day’s 6.2 miles. The flow was great for packrafts.

There are no strainers of note in the canyon. There are a bunch of strainers before and a few after. We portaged around a couple before the canyon and one close to the takeout, but generally were able to see them coming to avoid, navigate, or scout. I had GPS points for each stream coming in and it corresponds well with the rapids, read-and-run. Everything in 'The Narrows' comes at you really quick. Some of those rapids were challenging.

Timothy Scofield's March 13, 2023 report was very helpful. (https://www.americanwhitewater.org/content/River/view/river-detail/1209/reports/opevxSTiJBnnOs1GJ5hVE)