The Black Canyon Project

Milo in first drop of "double trouble"




















Captain Black, early exploratory descent


















Portaging or "river viewing" is one of the many benefits of running the Black Canyon...

The Black Canyon of the Gunnison contains many unrunnable waterfalls, cataracts, and sieves...

Bryan on the 18 footer, Black Canyon, circa 2001

The Walls of the Black are 2,000 feet high and 20 feet wide in the Narrows, this combined with a steep gradient make the canyon a remarkable and spiritual place to paddle....

Sampson's crew likes to spend the night on the river and one of their favorites is the Black Canyon of the Gunnison. Sampson's crew has been running it for years and have developed a devoted group of Jr. Black Rangers. Led by the fearless Captain Black, the JR Rangers continue to explore the inner canyon in their kayaks. Stay tuned for info on the Black Canyon Project, an educational video project about kayaking the Black Canyon of the Gunnison, in collaboration with Below Zero Digital.

photos: Chris Larsen and Bryan Owen