Green River Rafting : It Takes a ViIlage

It takes, well, at least a small village. A Park Service lottery led to a July 1 launch permit, to float the excellent Gates of Lodore section of the Green River, through Dinosaur National Monument in NE Utah and Colorado.

  

And to do it right, you have to bring a mountain of gear, some old and some new friends, a pack of kids, some river veterans, some rookies, some fun Moms, a couple of boatmen, and a trip elder: Grandma Elaine, in our case. The Queen of the Green. So we did. Nineteen people, 5 rafts, 3 kayaks, one canoe. Four days on the river, and a fleeting chance to glimpse a bit of North America as it was 500 years ago.

Step By Step to the Promised Land

All the stages of the private river trip repeat themselves anew each voyage: the Joy of the Permit notice, early recruiting, building excitement and a crew list, logistics glitches and trip planning, an email frenzy the week before, and finally, break from your house and get out of town. The Pre-Trip, a journey of its own and scene of some hilarious road trip encounters and memorable excesses in former years, calmer now but still full of the limitless potentiality and sense of coming fun. Rushed final shopping ensues. I like to put on a cowboy shirt at this stage, and make my spirit big.

The Put-in Scene: a most trying and tricky stage, take a calming breath, don't rush it, as the Tribe pours in road weary and partially insane from the accumulated stress of getting away for this trip. Confusion and anxiety peak at this stage. Everyone tries to help, cross-purposes occur, Park Rangers are lurking on the ramp, piles of gear everywhere, shaking hands with new folks pulling up, sometimes it is difficult. Try to remember ten thousand things as you rig your gear and boat, ask who moved your cheese, and don't step too hard on anyones mojo. Here is where I felt my back go out, a stab of pain at the belt-line, as I lifted 2 cases of soda out of the mini-van while rushing to load a raft. Always relearning the same lessons, we are. Breathe, stretch, have  beer at hand but not too much too soon. Gradually, the mountain of gear becomes a fleet of boats. The river whispers, boat squeak in the eddy, the canyon is almost within reach.

Finally, The Launch.

Comments

[drinking water filter]

man this is heaven .