Provo River tubing/kayaking
I tubed the provo today. I wouldn't call it one of the premier adventures of the state, but it is something wet to do on a hot summer day. Besides popping one tube and having to ride double with one of my roommates (yes I know that sounds bad but it was a big tube :roll: ) it was a pretty nice two hour trip. People do it in small rafts, kayaks, fishing catarafts, inner tubes, kmart snow tubes, etc. The water is cold enough to get a little numb in, but the air is hot enough to prevent hypothermia and make it just about right on a hot summers day. Fly fisherman are usually visibly irritated that they have to share the river with so many giggling co-eds. I don't really feel bad for them. (did i mention this is a popular activity around Provo/BYU?)
The tubing section typically starts as close to the dam as you can manage to get to the river (there is a side-road and a bridge several hundred yards below the dam, shortly after the railroad underpass, that is an ideal/normal spot but any pullout will do). Possible takeouts include Vivian Park (the big nice bridge for the road up south fork) or 15 minutes down canyon at the White Trash trailer park where the "Rent Rafts and Tubes Here" sign is. Oh and you can rent rafts, tubes and kayaks there. It ends up being like 8 dollars a piece unless they've upped prices. You need to have a car at the top and at the bottom or hitch hike, unless you rent from that place and then they drive you up, which is nice. We usually take car tubes, but be warned they pop easily. The river is usually between 2 and 4 feet deep and moves pretty fast. Hazard #1 is the Railroad bridge (right after the car bridge near the middle). You can walk around, but most people float through without a problem. It becomes a dangerous obstacle at high water because it is at a bad angle to the current. Hazard #2 is logs. These are easily avoidable, just watch out. Distant third and fourth are rocks and a few riffles (class 1+).
Below the normal takeouts and near bridal veil is a class IV section only suitable for kayaks at higher water flows. Scout this section and be prepared before attempting it.
Below the class IV section is more class I and II for a few miles before you hit a small reservoir behind a dam. I've done this in an Inflatable Kayak and it was definitely a little harder than the upper section but there is less water and its short.