Throw Bags and Self-Rescue for Class I and II Floats Near Grand Junction

Most Colorado River floats near Grand Junction are mellow. BLM describes the Ruby-Horsethief stretch below Loma as mostly flat water with some Class I and II rapids. Mellow is not the same as safe. People still flip, still catch a paddle blade on a rock, and still end up swimming in cold water. This guide is about being ready for that moment.

Be honest about swimming in cold water

The National Weather Service says cold shock causes gasping and rapid breathing in the first two to three minutes, and that it can be as severe in 50 to 60 degree water as in near freezing water. CPW warns not to overestimate your swimming ability and to stay with your boat if you go in.

Before a float, ask each person: Can you float calmly on your back in a life jacket, feet downstream? Can you get back in your boat, or reach shore, in water like this? If the honest answer is no for anyone, it is a shore day or a shorter float. If you float in spring or fall, read our cold-water trip checklist first.

Throw bag basics

• One per boat, reachable. Clipped where you can grab it, not buried in a hatch.
• Practice on land first. Throw to a target 30 or 40 feet away, then coil or stuff the rope and throw again. Do it until it feels boring.
• Yell, then throw. Get the swimmer's attention, then throw past and slightly downstream of them so the rope lands across their body.
• Brace yourself. Sit down or set your feet behind a rock. Never wrap the rope around your hand or body.
• Swimmer's job: grab the rope, not the bag, hold it to your chest, and roll onto your back with feet downstream.
• Carry a knife you can reach, in case rope tangles.

Set the group cancel line

• The newest paddler or weakest swimmer sets the bar, not the most confident person in the shuttle.
• Agree on whistle and hand signals before you launch. Wind and moving water can erase voices.
• Know the next public take-out and the safe eddies before you leave the ramp.
• If wind, fog, or cold stacks up, end the float. See our wind and fog go/no-go.

Practice once at the start of each season, and again any time someone new joins the group.

Safety

A throw bag is a backup. The real safety gear is a fitted life jacket worn the whole time, a whistle on every paddler, warm layers that work wet, and a float plan someone else knows. BLM notes that Ruby-Horsethief has spotty to no cell service and that rescues there are long. Plan as if nobody is coming quickly. Our small craft safety guide covers the required gear.

Verify regs

Read CPW Boating Safety for required gear, the BLM Ruby-Horsethief page for flow guidance and permits, and the current CPW Fishing Brochure if you fish. Consider an in-person swiftwater or river safety course. A blog post is not training.

Shop related

We do not sell throw bags yet. The VCO Safety Kit is waitlist only, with nothing to pay today. Our ringer shirt and trucker hat are in our merch shop.

Plan with Trip Builder

Plan the float in Trip Builder, then read our low water guide and public access guide before you set the shuttle.

Frequently asked questions

Where should I throw a throw bag?

Get the swimmer's attention, then throw past and slightly downstream of them so the rope lands across their body. Brace yourself and never wrap the rope around your hand.

What class are the rapids on Ruby-Horsethief?

BLM describes the Ruby-Horsethief stretch as mostly flat water with sections of Class I and II rapids.