Wind River Race Info

Upper Wind Downriver race, March 22nd-23rd.
Organized By:




March 22nd, Saturday 1st practice run @10am, 2nd practice run @1:30pm.

March 23rd, Sunday – Races start at 11am. Class (IV+ - V). 3 miles, mass start by class at Stabler Bridge to approximately 2 miles below Climax. Take out will be river right above High Bridge. Classes include; kayak (all lengths), cataraft, and paddle raft (6 paddlers or less, boats 14 feet or less in length, 3 thwarts), and unlimited.

To reach the put in, drive north past Carson about 8 miles. There will be a store and a road on your left (This is Stabler). Take a left, cross over the bridge, after about 100 meters take a right, stay right, and follow that road down until it dead ends at the river. Unload quickly, park your vehicle off to the side of this short access road or park back up on the main road. This is a residential area, please be courteous and minimize traffic.

To reach the take-out, drive north past Carson, take last left before crossing High Bridge, take first right, next right, follow all the way to river (turns into dirt road).
Carson has gas, a small store, café, camping in the area, and cabins. Stevenson, Washington is about 6 miles away and has hotels, a supermarket, and many restaurants.
High water cutoff is 9 feet, low water cutoff is 5.3 feet. If the low water cutoff is enacted the race format will be converted from a paddle raft race to an R2 race for the sake of competition.

Schedule of activities:

Saturday 1st practice run, shove off time 10am. 2nd practice run shove off time 1:30pm. Time trial seeding for the catarfats will occur during the second Saturday practice.

~ 4pm Saturday; “debrief”, snacks and refreshments near the cabin at the put in area.

8-9am Sunday; race registration at the cabin near the put in. Around $15 per competitor which includes ACA insurance. Starting positions determined by who signs up first.

10am racers meeting at the put in area.

10:15am, safety boaters and camera crews launch. Race coordinators begin boat and gear inspection.

10:30am, begin staging racers. Kayaks first in line, paddle rafts next, followed by the cats and the unlimited crafts.

11am SHARP. Mass start kayak race.
11:05, paddle rafts.
11:10, catarfats.
11:15, unlimited.

12:30pm, all racers gather in eddies and on shore at the finish for final head count. Proceed downstream once the paddlers at the finish match the number of starters.

2:30pm : Begin Chili Feed and Awards Ceremony at the cabin near the put in.

4:30pm : Start headin home.

The 1st Annual Upper Wind River Race is part of the Western Whitewater Championship Series (WWCS) which is coordinated by the Oregon Rafting Team (ORT). All participants are required to be safe, have fun, paddle hard, and support river communities in any way possible. Questions contact USRA President Tim Brink at : nomadyellow@yahoo.com