What we’re about
Western Slope Adventurers (WSA) meetup is a group of motivated outdoor enthusiasts who want to get together and meet other like-minded folks--to share hiking, backpacking, canyoneering, road and mountain cycling, skiing of all kinds, and water sports such as rafting, kayaking, paddleboarding, and more socially oriented outings like pot-luck or restaurant dining events, birding, dog walks, car camping, film festivals, photography, games nights, theater outings, lectures and field trips.
You are encouraged to BE ACTIVE in the group. The beauty of this and other Meetup groups is to connect online for "IRL" --IN REAL LIFE-- outings.
We are geographically centered in southwestern Colorado (including Montrose/Grand Junction all the way to Durango), and we welcome members, hosts and activities elsewhere. MeetUp.com allows for a principal 'Organizer' (and a number of Assistant or Event Organizers . If you have an event you’d like to host, we welcome your enthusiasm! The Organizer will grant the rights for you to create and post your event. It’s very easy.
Western Colorado is a great place to live and we will meetup up to share it and make it even better , for ourselves, our group and and larger community.
Meetup.com charges $365/yr, and the Organizer pays the hosting fee. The "Pledge" donation feature you will encounter on some of our pages is to reimburse these costs, and any surplus will be used for group events (such as venue rental for social events). Event costs (such as carpooling, camping fees, etc) are managed by the event organizer(s) and participants are expected to share these. To respect the wishes of our founder, the late Doug Van Etten, there are no dues nor subscription fees to be a member, and event costs are shared amongst event participants. The only requirements for entry are a willingness to participate, to contribute to the group, to respect other members, to be responsible for yourself and your guests, and to observe responsible outdoor safety and ethics practices.
Upcoming events (4+)
See all- Burnt Timber TrailNeeds location
Do not let the trail name scare you off. Burnt Timber is a gorgeous trail in the springtime. Flowing creeks (some years) and wildflowers. Perhaps a sheep or two (just kidding! used to be...). This was an old ranching trail. Plenty of artifacts from old camps along the way.
The trail is rated easy but feels moderate. 9.5 miles. Elevation gain of 2,500'. Begin at 8,500', top out at 11,000'. Will take about 6 hours to hike the loop. I have done this often in May. So be prepared for cold, wind (maybe rain...but doubtful), or warmth. Bring layers for all conditions.
We will meet at the trailhead, which is off of the TRANSFER PARK campground near Lemon Reservoir. Continue north past Lemon. Cross the Florida River. Turn left then follow the road to the campground. Plenty of parking. Meet there at 8:00 AM. This is early so we can complete the loop.
After the hike, I invite you to join me for refreshments at my home in Edgemont (it's on the way back to Durango). This is a good way to make new friends!
Burnt Timber Trail and Lime Mesa Loop, Colorado - 49 Reviews, Map | AllTrails
- Day Float (Lower) Gunnison #3 Delta to EscalanteEscalante Boat Ramp, Delta, CO
A Class 2 4-6 hr float from Confluence Park in Delta to Escalante boat ramp. Will meet at Escalante boat ramp TAKE OUT at 9 am. There we will group-think the shuttle, which of course depends on # of people, boats and and vehicles and is much easier with inflatables. This is a good early season float and is suitable for beginners.
When you RSVP YOU MUST PLEASE leave your name, cell, email and type of craft. THIS INFO IS REQUIRED.
PLEASE--river worthy boats only! No sit on tops, lake kayaks or pool toys.
Hardshell kayakers need helmets, everyone needs PFDs, and we'll have a first aid kit and spare paddle for the group. Plan on variable weather and bring a really good lunch.```
By RSVPing YES and participating in this activity you acknowledge that you and your guests have read and agree to the statements below, and will abide by them while participating in this or any Western Slope Adventurers meetup activity. Outdoor activities involve risk of injury or death. You are responsible for your own safety and staying within your own comfort limits. All Western Slope Adventurers events are peer to peer and are unguided events. By participating in a WSA event, you acknowledge that you have a personal duty and responsibility for your own safety. Western Slope Adventurers MeetUps are organized to provide a venue for outdoor enthusiasts to meet and have fun while sharing in experiences and adventures. By your participation, you acknowledge that you have a personal duty and responsibility to (a) assess your own skills, honestly and accurately, to determine your suitability as a participant for each event, (b) seek adequate information to assess the difficulty of each event to determine if it is within your fitness and skill level, (c) seek adequate information about the current conditions in each area and the weather to assess potential risks to you by participating, and (d) evaluate other prospective event participants and to use your own judgment to determine their suitability for the event and how their participation may affect you. All participants are encouraged and expected to: • honestly assess your skills to ensure each activity is within your ability • assess your prospective fellow event participants • accept responsibility for your own safety and comfort • do your share of any teamwork involved • share your ideas for situation assessment before and during an event • speak up if you're having a problem • speak up if you question what's going on or something that is being done, no matter who's doing it • have all of the clothing, equipment and any other special items needed for the activity • inform the event organizer or other designated participant if you are using medication (prescribed or otherwise) or have any medical condition that may affect your full participation in the event • on any biking, canyoneering; or, river event that is class II difficulty or higher, wear a helmet • have fun
``` - Day Float (Lower) Gunnison #4 Gunnison Forks to Delta (or Hwy 65 Bridge)Confluence Park Boat Ramp, Delta, CO
A Class 2 4-6 hr float from Gunnison Forks (Pleasure Park) to either the Hwy 65 bridge or all the way to Confluence Park in Delta. MEET AT THE TAKEOUT ("Confluence Park Boat Ramp" in Delta) AT 9. Shuttle will depend on # of people, craft and vehicles. WE WILL BE LAUNCHING AT "Gunnison Forks Recreation Site," the BLM boat ramp near Pleasure Park, a 20 minute drive. WE MAY LEAVE A VEHICLE AT THE HWY 65 BRIDGE for an intermediate takeout point for anyone that wants to shorten the trip or avoid the last few slow miles of the river (including the HARTLAND DAM BYPASS, see 2nd photo).
THE HARTLAND DAM BYPASS is a manmade structure that forms an unpleasant Class 3 rapid. It can be portaged on the left.
This river is best for inflatable kayaks, canoes, packrafts, SUPs and small rafts. This is a good early season float and is suitable for beginners.
When you RSVP YOU MUST PLEASE leave your name, cell, email and type of craft. THIS INFO IS REQUIRED.
PLEASE--river worthy boats only! No sit on tops, lake kayaks or pool toys.
Hardshell kayakers need helmets, everyone needs PFDs, and we'll have a first aid kit and spare paddle for the group. Plan on variable weather and bring a really good lunch. Costs are shared.```
By RSVPing YES and participating in this activity you acknowledge that you and your guests have read and agree to the statements below, and will abide by them while participating in this or any Western Slope Adventurers meetup activity. Outdoor activities involve risk of injury or death. You are responsible for your own safety and staying within your own comfort limits. All Western Slope Adventurers events are peer to peer and are unguided events. By participating in a WSA event, you acknowledge that you have a personal duty and responsibility for your own safety. Western Slope Adventurers MeetUps are organized to provide a venue for outdoor enthusiasts to meet and have fun while sharing in experiences and adventures. By your participation, you acknowledge that you have a personal duty and responsibility to (a) assess your own skills, honestly and accurately, to determine your suitability as a participant for each event, (b) seek adequate information to assess the difficulty of each event to determine if it is within your fitness and skill level, (c) seek adequate information about the current conditions in each area and the weather to assess potential risks to you by participating, and (d) evaluate other prospective event participants and to use your own judgment to determine their suitability for the event and how their participation may affect you. All participants are encouraged and expected to: • honestly assess your skills to ensure each activity is within your ability • assess your prospective fellow event participants • accept responsibility for your own safety and comfort • do your share of any teamwork involved • share your ideas for situation assessment before and during an event • speak up if you're having a problem • speak up if you question what's going on or something that is being done, no matter who's doing it • have all of the clothing, equipment and any other special items needed for the activity • inform the event organizer or other designated participant if you are using medication (prescribed or otherwise) or have any medical condition that may affect your full participation in the event • on any biking, canyoneering; or, river event that is class II difficulty or higher, wear a helmet • have fun
``` - Canyoneering Resources Cross-PostLink visible for attendees
Hello fellow canyoneers,
Wanted to let folks know about several canyoneering resources: Training, Ouray Canyon Festival and Events Calendar
IMPORTANT: This is a cross-post. If you are interested in any of these, you MUST use the links below in the description.
======================
- Training
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As a reminder, my training season is underway and I'll be teaching the spring in Grand Junction, summer in Boulder, and fall in Grand Junction again. My first L1 starts 4/18 and only has one spot left. All of my courses and more info can be found at https://www.meetup.com/canyoneeringco/events/ (Note: my courses are also listed at https://uberadventures.net/events which also has the other training locations - I'm the instructor for Colorado.)
To make it easy, here are my courses broken down by level and location (Grand Junction=GJ and Boulder), including a link to sign up:
L1: 4/18/25 GJ, 5/30/25 Boulder, 7/18/25 Boulder, 9/5/25 Boulder, 10/17/25 GJ
https://uberadventures.net/product/technical-canyoneering-course/
L2: 4/26/25 GJ, 6/7/25 Boulder, 9/13/25 Boulder, 10/25/25 GJ
https://uberadventures.net/product/advanced-canyoneering-course/
L3: 4/23/25 GJ, 6/14/25 Boulder
https://uberadventures.net/product/canyon-leader-course/
L4: 4/29/25 GJ,6/20/25 Boulder, 10/14/25 GJ
https://uberadventures.net/product/canyon-rescue-course/
In-Canyon Training: 5/2-5/6/25 Moab, 10/21-10/24/25 Moab
https://uberadventures.net/product/in-canyon-training/
Note: Other dates and locations by request - let's chat======================
2) Ouray Canyon Festival
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The Ouray Canyon Festival will run from Aug 6-10 this year. More info and sign up at:
https://www.ouraycanyonfestival.org/======================
3) Event Calendar
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For those of you who are looking for canyoneering events, festivals and rondys - I set up a new Google Calendar to provide a consolidated view. I added all of the events I knew about, and reached out to other event organizers as well. If you notice any events missing, please let me know (and please let me know who the contact is for the event if you know it.) Here's a link that you can use to just look at the calendar in a web browser:
https://tinyurl.com/SeeCanyonFestsNote: That link should also allow you to add the calendar (as a separate calendar) to your Google Account's Calendar (or copy an event to your personal calendar.) You can also use this URL to add the calendar: https://tinyurl.com/AddCanyonFests
If you are an event organizer, and want to add or maintain your own events - please reach out. I'm happy to add you as an editor, so you can add your event, and include any details you would like. You can also see what events are already planned, so event organizers can try to avoid overlapping with other events.
Feel free to comment with any questions, or PM me and I'll do what I can to help.
Take care,
A.J. - Training
