Packrafting the South Platte

Neptune General Manager Tony took to the water:

This Labor Day weekend I decided to keep it local with an urban adventure, instead of sitting in a line of traffic headed for the mountains like everyone else.  Our owner, Maile Spung, had generously offered the use of her Alpacka Narwhal packraft to any employee that was interested in seeing what this evolving sport is all about.  I seized advantage of this opportunity and figured a trip down the South Platte River, right through the heart of Denver, was just what this holiday weekend called for!

I put in at the Mary Carter Greenway trailhead, just downstream from Chatfield Reservoir and floated all the way to Confluence park.  I had no idea you could have so much fun inside the city limits!  It was a blast learning about a new pursuit.

The Alpacka packraft really inspired confidence and allowed me to develop new skills throughout the day.  It was a fairly mellow float, with a few whitewater features thrown in to test my new skills.  I saw a ton of wildlife, including Great Blue Herons, Egrets, multiple species of Ducks, Geese, Trout, Carp, Crawfish and an unidentified member of the Weasel family.

The mountains always provide great allure, but I would really encourage everyone to check out what's right here in our own backyard.  I didn't run into another boater all day. Other than the wildlife, I had the river all to myself!

Astral PFD's

Aquabound paddles

Julbo Eyewear