Fall San Juan info?

[MCSkid]

Thinking of doing a Fall San Juan trip, Mexican hat to Clay Hills. Know it will be low. Never done this trip before. How many days to you get? What are the best camps/side hikes? Can you bring the dog? Where does the water start to get back up and how many days should we plan for that part? Any thing else I should know? Thanks, Mike

[paulster]

The San Juan in the fall can be really nice. I have done it a handful of times from mid- September to early November on flows from about 400 cfs to 17k, all self-support ducky trips. You can float all the way to Clay Hills - how easy that is depends on wind and flow, but the wind doesn't tend to be bad in the fall. Lots of good campsites, with my favorite hiking at Chinle Wash, Honaker, Johns, Slickhorn, and Grand Gulch. I'd done it in 3 days from Sand Island on very high water, but more reasonable is to take 7 or 8 days for the whole thing or 5 days from Mexican Hat down. No dogs. You should check out the BLM page

[dbendell]

Originally Posted by MCSkid

Thinking of doing a Fall San Juan trip, Mexican hat to Clay Hills. Know it will be low. Never done this trip before. How many days to you get? What are the best camps/side hikes? Can you bring the dog? Where does the water start to get back up and how many days should we plan for that part? Any thing else I should know? Thanks, Mike

4 nights min, watch out for flash floods, side creeks and river. Try to grab Slickhorn B. I have done this in 3 nights and 5,6 nights, all will work out for you.

NO DOGS!!!
Water is warm, bring lots of beer, sunscreen, nights can be colder (month?)
hike Honaker, 3 hrs round trip, could see 500 cfs to 10,000 cfs.

as always, the sandbars below Slickhorn are always um fun?