Mountain Lake Paddle & Hang: Mixed Group Tour

Pricing

Solo - $175 Small Group (2-3) - $135/person Large Group (4-6) - $125/person

Duration

4-5 hours

About

This is our highest recommended SUP tour! Take the day at your own pace, rather than the pace of the river. Electra Lake is a large privately owned, pristine lake, tucked up in the mountains with absolutely stunning views and a few islands to paddle around. The association has a nice boat launch, bathrooms, tables, and we will pack a picnic lunch for our outing. It is great to keep the lake pristine, but unfortunately there is a sometimes lengthy wait to get each of the paddleboards, PFDs, and paddles washed by the person at the gate. Please note that with booking this trip, there might be a .5 - 1 hour wait depending upon the size of your group. That being said, lakes are the best place to learn to SUP, and this one has endless nooks and crannies to explore and stunningly beautiful! Hang out, soak in the beauty, paddle, and explore. This adventure is one you will never forget and the pictures are top-notch! Many of our SUPs are able to convert into a kayak-like mode, with a backrest to lean against, and an extra paddle blade to make for a double-sided kayak paddle. Let us know what sounds best to you, and we will make it a great outing!

Additional Tour Details

This tour includes a 30 minute drive to the lake from town and then back down at the end of the tour. As stated above there is a potentially lengthy mandatory cleaning at the entry gate, so please be aware of that when booking. Even with this wait, it is still our favorite SUP tour by far. The tour includes lunch from our local natural foods co-op, sourcing local and organic ingredients on their delicious sandwiches with a variety of vegan/vegetarian/GF options. Please be sure to let us know ahead of time if any guests in your group have any food allergies or dietary restrictions to make sure we provide a lunch that fits your needs. The tour price includes the entrance fee to the private lake, mandatory SUP/PDF/Paddle cleaning before entry to the lake, and the fee to bring a SUP out on the lake. This is our ONLY SUP tour that does not have a minimum age requirement because it takes place on a lake. A few of our SUPs are also large enough to accommodate an adult paddling and a child enjoying the ride. It is important that all guests know how to swim to attend this tour, and can swim for up to 30 ft with a PFD on. Guests will be wearing paddlesport specific Personal Floatation Devices, and your paddleboard is a large flotation device itself. Guides will have a throw-rope with them at all times, and will assist in any way they are needed. Your guide will instruct and demonstrate how to paddle from a kneeling position, standing position, remounting your board if you fall in, and how to convert your SUP and paddle into kayak-mode. Please let your guide know ahead of time if you want the extra items to potentially convert your SUP into kayak-mode and we will be sure to pack enough for anyone that wants them. There are bathrooms/changing rooms at the lake. Please do not hesitate to call or email us with any questions before booking this tour. We are happy to answer all of your questions and make sure you end up on the best tour that fits your group well!

Location

The tour takes place on Electra Lake approximately 20 miles (~30 minutes) North of Durango, with transportation to and from town. Lake Electra is at 8,400ft in elevation, which for many traveling from out of town is great for acclimatization compared to the high elevation trails around 10,000ft! This makes for a great adventure day earlier on in your trip before you go exploring in the big mountains nearby.

What’s Included

• Entrance fee to the lake, Mandatory SUP cleaning fee, and SUP use fee
• Lunch: Gourmet Sandwich & Chips from Durango Natural Foods, utilizing predominantly local and organic ingredients on locally made organic sourdough. Please let us know ahead of time of any food allergies and dietary restrictions. Vegan/Vegetarian/GF options are available.
• Demonstration and instruction on how to SUP and SUP-kayak
• Use of our highend SUPs with abilities to convert into a kayak-like experience
• Use of our Osprey Daylite Plus backpacks (20L volume)
• Use of our top-of-the-line Astral PFDs meant for paddle watersports
• Snacks: Guides will provide a variety of snacks for guests to pack into their daypacks if they would like.
• Transportation to and from your lodging (within 5 miles of Durango’s city center) or an established meeting location
• A medically trained and well experienced SUP guide, aware of local dangers and how to mitigate them, who is excited to share their passion for the outdoors with you; as well as their favorite places to eat in town!

What's Not Included

• Rain jacket and a variety of layers
• Appropriate footwear (sandals/water shoes recommended)
• Lodging
• Personalized Snacks
• Trip and Medical Insurance
• Water bottles/water badders (ability to carry 1 liter is required)
• Guide Gratuity

Transportation/Pick-Up Locations

Meraki guides are happy to pick you up from your place of lodging, as long as it is within 5 miles of Durango’s city center. If you are staying farther outside of town we will establish a spot to meet and transport you from there, or we can meet at the. If you are booking a “Mixed Group Tour”, please recognize your guide will be making multiple stops to pick up and drop off guests. Please be on time with your set pick up time to avoid delaying the entire tour. Guides will drop off guests in the order that makes the most sense to them.

FAQs

• Do I need to have good physical fitness to do this tour? You need to have a moderate level of physical fitness to do this tour. You need to have the cardiovascular ability and physical strength to be rather consistently paddling for 1-1.5 hours, with little breaks along the way. Most guests find the tour to be a nice challenge to slowly work their way upstream. It is also required that you know how to swim and can swim for up to 30 feet with a PFD on. Your SUP is a large flotation device, and you will be wearing a PFD, but in case you get separated from your SUP, it is required that you know how to swim. It is very important that you fill out the health profile section of the Registration Form with complete accuracy. Not doing so may put yourself, others in the group, and/or the guide at risk of serious injury or even death. Please provide all pertinent health information and let us design a tour that fits you well.

• Is there a minimum age required to do this tour? Yes. Our insurance requires all participants on river tours to be at least 8 years of age. If your little rascals are under 8 years of age and you still want to learn/enjoy time SUPing, you will need to book the Electra Lake Tour. If you are planning to bring your little ones who may need more time or paddle a little slower than your average adult, please book a private tour and your guide will be happy to move at the pace of your family’s needs. If you are not booking a private tour we ask that all guests be able to paddle upstream at a moderate pace for approximately 1-1.5 hours. Please reach out to us if you have any questions or concerns about the appropriateness of bringing your child. Any guest under the age of 18 needs to be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian.

• How does tipping work with these tours? Guides put a lot of work into preparing your tour, running it safely, and doing their best to make your smile large and send you home with great memories; and then clean and store gear. Gratuity is not expected, but it is greatly appreciated. If you thought your guide did a great job keeping you safe, teaching you about the area and accommodating your needs, gratuities usually range between 15-20% of the tour price.

What to bring

• Rain Jacket (even if the weather calls for pure sunshine, that isn’t always accurate and it can change quickly here)
• A swimsuit or clothing you don’t mind swimming in, if you fall off your board
• A variety of clothing layers to adjust to speed of movement and varying weather conditions that will likely occur. Athletic clothing is preferred.
• A hat to protect from the intense Colorado sun
• Sunglasses
• Long sleeve sunshirt (not required, but definitely recommended for this environment)
• Sunscreen
• Your all-time favorite snacks
• 1-2 liters of water (We will have a large water jug in the vehicle to top up water bottles at the trailhead.)
• Appropriate footwear: We find that most clients prefer to wear a sandal or some form of a water shoe when SUPing