Eleven hours and 620 miles after a 5 AM start, arrive at the El Vado (Cooper's) Ranch. Office is closed but workshop still open so check-in to cabin #10. WPA rustic and $100. No complaints, especially with each passing thunderstorm. The dam, which cannot be seen from the ranch, is less than a mile upstream. Between downpours, take a stroll upstream as far as possible. Experienced perhaps 15-20 swinging bridges over the years, but this is the only one too scary to cross. It is possible to launch from a small, private campground just upstream from the ranch. In fact, even though the launch is directly above an interesting rapid, two small rafts did just that the next morning