Grand Canyon Rafting
Ridgefield Press

Just Floating Away From It All

Leaving civilization behind, rafters float down
the Green River between massive red rock formations.
By Amanda Fricke

GREEN RIVER, UTAH - Imagine leaving civilization behind on a trip where ambition is forgotten and life is lived for pleasure in the midst of a pristine wilderness. Imagine an adventure trip where the only standing structure you would see is a deserted cabin and modern comforts would be exchanged for bliss and scenery.

Such a trip does exist on the rivers of the West where miles and miles of land expand into vast wilderness.

Signing on with Western River Expeditions, we opted for the "family" four-day trip down the Green River, which was billed the least strenuous and forbidding of the tours. Paddling was optional.

Day one-Read the catalog

The journey began in Moab, Utah, where we arrived promptly at the rafting company shop at 7:30 a.m. We began to have summer camp flashbacks as fellow rafters piled out of their vehicles. Curious looks were exchanged as we sized up the 24 people with whom we would spend the next four days.

The group varied, with rafters hailing from all over the country including Ohio, Albany, N.Y, New York City, Los Angeles and Arizona. Ages ranged from nine to 70. Their occupations included neurobiologist, teacher, astronaut, Navy pilot and high school track coach. We certainly were traveling with an eclectic group. The trip being geared toward families, there were several father-son groups and one grandparent, mother and grandson group.

An athletic-looking rafting guide approached us as we sat on a bench outside waiting.

"You guys going to Desolation Canyon?" he asked.

We both shook our heads no.

We decided to confirm this and found out that was our first stop on the trip. Oops, almost forgot to get on the bus. One reason to read the pamphlet thoroughly.

We took a bus to a small airfield where we boarded a seven-seat airplane. "This is total back-country flying. We will put you in the middle of nowhere," the pilot said gleefully.

We landed on a mesa where, had the pilot navigated a few inches off on the landing, we would have crashed into a cliff. I have a major fear of flying, so this was not the highlight of the trip.

We began with a 45-minute hike through jagged crevices and steep terrain. (Riding down in the bus is optional.) Our destination: Desolation Canyon.

As we rounded a corner, we had our first look at the Green River-a river not well-known but considered one of the best in the west, located on the Utah-Colorado border. Our trip would cover 85 miles of the river.

Massive red rock formations stood out against a cobalt blue sky in a landscape reminiscent of prehistoric times. The river was a murky, greenish-gray color with a layer of green scrub brush bordering it.

We boarded the five rafts, with about six people per raft, and we were told to rotate guides and fellow passengers every day.

We boarded with guide Laurie Legocki, 24, a graduate student.

"So, what time do we get back to Moab on Wednesday?" I asked.

"You mean Tuesday," she responded.

Oops, one more reason to read the pamphlet. Guess we had an extra day in Moab.
But drifting lazily down the river, poor trip planning really didn't matter that much. Nothing really did.

Late in the afternoon, big dollops of rain began to fall for about 10 minutes. The sky was divided almost in a straight line with one side being clear blue with puffy clouds and the other side gray with lightning. Luckily, we rowed away around a bend towards the blue sky. It was the only rain during the trip. As for the rest of the weather, temperatures rose to 90 degrees during the day and dropped to 45 degrees at night.

As our first day on the river ended, we pulled into a shaded camp site for the night and were each given one cup, one plate and one set of silverware. A brief demonstration of how to assemble the two-person tents and cots was given, and we were instructed to keep our sleeping bags closed until bedtime to keep the "critters" out. Western River Expeditions provided all the necessary equipment.

Tent and cot construction proved a bit challenging the first night. Luckily, friendly fellow rafter assisted.

Spending the night in basically untouched wilderness in our tent proved to be quite cozy. There was nothing but the sound of crickets, owls hooting, water lapping, and a snorer. Yes, we had successfully pitched our tent next to possibly the loudest snorer in America.


Day 2-Floating down a river

We woke up with absolutely nothing to do but drift down a river.

The guides yelled "coffee" to rouse us, after which we were greeted with a hearty spread of pancakes and sausage prepared by the guides. After breakfast, we boarded the rafts and fully entered Desolation Canyon.

"The canyon is very tortuous, the river very rapid, and many lateral canyons enter on either side. Crags and tower shaped peaks are seen everywhere. We are minded to call this the Canyon of Desolation," wrote John Wesley Powell, an Army major, who traveled the Green River in 1869 and mapped it.

The first part of the day was in still water where we lounged in the sun on the raft, lifting our heads occasionally to check out the scenery or make a comment.

Usually on vacations, it can take a few days to fully unwind, but by the second day, I was feeling very, very relaxed.

The river is Class III, which according to our guide for the day Jordon Child, 21, also a student during the school year, means the river is "not very hard, but a good, straightforward ride with rapids that are really fun."

Late morning-we left our watches behind and our concept of time was shaped by the temperature and positioning of the sun-we stopped for a short, steep hike.

Our destination was "Moonshine Cabin," where legend has it Ben Morris, a local moonshiner in the early 1900s lived in a tiny crevice in the canyon and supplied moonshine to outlaws who roamed the area during prohibition.

Yes, we were in the area known as "Robbers Roost" where Butch Cassidy, the Sundance Kid and other members of the "Wild Bunch" hid out.

We also hiked to a cave where we saw paintings from the Fremont, a group of hunters and gatherers who inhabited the area from 650 to 1250 A.D., whose work had been preserved on the rocky wall.

Lunch was a tasty spread of sandwich fixings topped off with cookies and chips. So much for shedding a few pounds on an outdoorsy trip.

In between rafting and hiking, we took many swims in the river-definitely invigorating at 60 or so degrees, but welcome in the sizzling heat. Wearing our lifejackets, we pointed our toes downstream and cruised in the current.

That afternoon, we hit our first big rapids, and we were exhilarated by the rushing water as our raft splashed and dove along the rapid waves. Having heard names such as "Rattlesnake," "Fret Water Falls," and Surprise Rapid," we thought the rapids might have been more intimidating, but they proved to be fun for the whole family. None of the rafts flipped, and the only swimming on the entire trip was by choice.

Our camp site that evening was in a grove of trees. By the end of the day, we were starting to miss things such as showers-the little things in life-so we ventured to a rushing creek for a little evening hygiene.

In all honesty, nothing feels better than sticking your head into a crisp creek after a long day in the sultry sun.

Day 3-Natural born kayakers

We got the best night's sleep we've had in a long, long time. We fell asleep to the sound of rushing water and didn't stir once until "coffee" rang throughout the camp site.

After a hearty breakfast of hashbrowns and eggs, we began our third day "running the river," boater talk which we felt pretty cool using.

We opted to try our hand at a two-person inflatable kayak. We were not required to have any prior experience or wear helmets. Basically, we were thrown paddles and told to hit the rapids head on and never sideways or we would flip. It felt very adventurous.

Bouncing in between waves in the rapids, our kayak jolted along-and we loved it. The rapids looked intimidating upon approach, but once in them, it felt like a really fun roller coaster ride-and we managed not to flip.

Back on our raft, we approached calmer water. As we floated through the stillness, a distant neighing was heard echoing throughout the canyon. A wild horse was spotted roaming along a jutting rock wall. Passengers scrambled to snap photographs to capture this animal in its natural state, untouched and untrained by a human hand.

The afternoon was spent alternating between rapids and still water as we drifted through a landscape that seemed to have stopped in time.

In the afternoon was spent alternating between rapids and still water as we drifted through a landscape that seemed to have stopped in time.

In the afternoon, we left Desolation Canyon and entered Gray Canyon. Whereas Desolation Canyon had been somewhat barren, Gray Canyon was more lush-and held geological evidence of the reason behind the dinosaur extinction.

Our guide for the day, Tyler Livingstone, 23, also a college student, explained: "A meteor about 180 miles wide and 80 miles deep hit the earth so hard, the rock on the ocean floor melted down into glass beads that shot into the atmosphere. These beads fell all over the world and melted rocks. The temperature rose to 550 degrees and caused a huge fire, which created an ash cloud over the earth. The sun was only let through about one tenth of what can be seen on a starry night so there was no photosynthesis. Marine life did okay but not life above ground," he said. "Geologists can link this together by a rock that has a layer of glass beads, and ash in the Gray Canyon. It is considered a geologist's smoking gun for explaining dinosaur extinction, and no one can refute this."

Viewing the endless miles of land, it was easy to imagine dinosaurs walking among the huge rocks and nibbling on the trees bordering the river.

On the last night of camping, we pulled into a sandy beach with a meadow behind it. We pitched our tent-which we had no problems with by the third night-snugly between two bushes. Feeling a bit grimy, we splurged and soaped up with biodegradable soap in the river. By this time, we were definitely dreaming of a shower.

For our last dinner, we dined on shrimp cocktail and grilled chicken. Previous dinners had been steak and swordfish-Western River Expeditions doesn't kid around with the food situation. We were sworn to secrecy on what dessert is given to the group on the last night, but as a hint-it is soft, sweet, cold and delicious and the last thing you would expect when all the food was packed four days ago.

Day 4-Ahhhh, shower

Sitting on a log brushing my teeth in the morning, I realized I had no idea what was going on in the world. There could have been a major international conflict, and I was still just floating down a river.

The rafting trip was coming to an end. We spent the last morning again rotating between still water and rapids, soaking in the sun as we drifted closer and closer to the road where we would make our imminent return to civilization.

I asked our rafting guide Jenny Lund, 24, the trip head, why she comes back every year.

"It helps me prioritize my life and think about what is really important," she said. "And it helps people appreciate the great wilderness we have."

Looking around the incredible landscape, I realized we had traveled to an area of the country that was absolutely amazing-an area that everyone should travel to for an appreciation of the diverse landscape of the United States.

"By the end of the trip, everyone is happier and more relaxed," said
Jenny. "This is what I enjoy most about the river. It helps you slow down and appreciate life."

Lying in bed that night after a very satisfying hot shower, I fell asleep to the pleasant feeling of rocking on the raft, and I realized that though I had missed the finer things in life such as real sheets, I truly missed the river. Though the trip advertised sporty fun, it had also offered serenity, calm and some good life evaluation.

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