Days 1-5
The Gates of Lodore on the Green River
Days 6-11
Desolation Canyon on the Green River
Days 12-16
Labyrinth Canyon on the Green River
Days 16-22
Stillwater Canyon on the Green River and Cataract Canyon on the Colorado River
Day 1: Starting The AdventureWe meet at the Microtel Inn and Suites in Naples, Utah, early the morning of departure. You will be shuttled to the launch site and head downstream to huge stone gates, 1,000 feet high that appear to have split the mountains in two - The Gates of Lodore. Your guides will give you a river orientation and safety briefing before departing on your journey into the canyon between the towering red cliffs of the Gates of Lodore. The trip begins with a gentle float, changing to small rapids above Winnie's Grotto. We'll stop there for a brief hike into the alcove. The rapids are more frequent after Winnie's.
Guides prepare a tasty buffet lunch along the riverbank. After lunch we will travel deeper into the canyon. After lunch we load back into the rafts and enjoy several small rapids where we continue to practice our skills before our first major rapid: Disaster Falls. Disaster Falls received its ominous name from the first John Wesley Powell Expedition in 1869. It was here where they lost their first boat, the No Name on No Name Island! Each evening we establish camp on the riverbank. While you explore and relax, the guides set up chairs, and the kitchen, where they prepare fresh, delicious abundant meals. The clean air amplifies a vibrant blue sky, creating a perfect environment for hiking and unparalleled photographic opportunities. Note: Meals are served from a set daily menu, but you are welcome to request, in advance, special dishes or tell us if there are particular things you would prefer not to have. Potential Hiking Opportunities: Pot Creek Canyon, Winnie's Grotto, Disaster Falls Day 2 and 3: Wake to the smell of coffee brewing. After a hearty breakfast, we'll pack up the rafts and push off shore. The rapids are almost constant now, interspersed with fewer calm stretches. The rapids increase in size and excitement as the river winds deeper into the Uintah Mountains. This morning as you float down the river, catch a glimpse of an inscription left by some of the first river runners as you float towards Harp Falls rapid. Just before lunch we will stop and scout Triplet Falls, our first big rapid of the day! After lunch we pull over for a short hike near the next big rapid Hell's Half Mile before rafting through the churning whitewater. This rapid was named by one of the most well known river expeditions led by Major John Wesley Powell. His expedition's goal was to explore the Colorado River and it's biggest tributary, the Green River, in wooden boats specially built for the adventure. These explorers floated through the Gates of Lodore and named many of the side canyons and rapids on the Green River. After destroying their kitchen boat in a rapid, Major Powell dubbed it "Disaster Falls." Powell's expeditions also named such infamous rapids as "Hells Half Mile" and "Triplet Falls." We'll pull off and set up camp early in the afternoon. Next to camp is a wonderful waterfall hike up the canyon with great views of the river. Potential Hiking Opportunities: Triplet Falls, Hells Half Mile and Rippling Brook Day 4:This morning you will eat a hearty breakfast with plenty coffee, tea and hot chocolate; as well as fresh juices, and fresh fruit. This morning the calmer water will give us time to really enjoy the scenery. It does not take long to get to Steamboat Rock, which the boats will eventually travel nearly all the way around. Next we will arrive at Echo Park where the Yampa joins the Green River. Raft around Steamboat Rock and then around another bend into Whirlpool Canyon and the rapids begin again. Pass by the amazing Mitten park fault, named after Pat Lynch's mule Mitten. Soon we will enter our next canyon: Whirlpool Canyon. Guests may be able to see Seastacks, which afford geologic evidence of vast seas that covered the area eons ago. Later we will see an inscription made in 1838 by French fur trapper Dennis Julien, and equipment left by dam surveyors who had big plans to build a dam in Echo Park. Just below Jones Hole, we'll stop and explore the area, hike a bit and try to catch a glimpse of one of the largest herds of bighorn sheep in the area. We'll find a shady place for lunch and explore some more before heading back to the river. Raft another mile or so farther down river to camp, where there's a nice sandy beach. Guides will prepare dinner, while you relax on the beach. Potential Hiking Opportunities: Echo Park, Jones Hole Day 5:After breakfast, we'll be rafting through some fun rapids. Start this morning's river travel with the fun, splashy Greasy Pliers rapids. The canyon then opens up into the Island Park area. Enjoy viewing amazing petroglyphs of a very large bison. Raft through Rainbow Park and enjoy swimming in the river before the river slices through Split Mountain. The river opens up into a big basin area, before it slices through the mountains again. There is a dramatic cut through Split Mountain and the river gradient dramatically increases from 1 to 20 feet per mile. Run Moonshine and S.O.B., and a number of other fun rapids. At the end of this great trip you will have conquered 44 miles of river. We will pull over at the Split Mountain Boat Ramp where your bus will be waiting to drive you back to Vernal. The drive is about 45 minutes. We will have lodging in Naples at the Microtel Inn on this night Potential Hiking Opportunities: Island Park, Rainbow Park Day 6We meet early at the Vernal Airport for a short scenic flight to a mesa above the Green River. You will be met by one of your guides who will load your gear into a vehicle and take it to the boats. We will then get a chance to hike down the mesa overlooking the river. Today is primarily flat water with a few riffles here and there. We have many river miles to cover to reach the whitewater, so depending upon water levels we may motor during the day. Regardless, today is a fun day of swimming and learning about the human and natural history of the canyon. We will pass Sumner's Amphitheater, named by John Wesley Powell in 1869. We will also see an abandoned iron-prowed skiff, whose history remains a mystery. This evening, our guides will show your family easy camp techniques and how to enjoying the great outdoors comfortably. The guides will also prepare a delicious kid friendly dinner in a charming riverside beach camp. Note: Meals are served from a set daily menu, but you are welcome to request, in advance, special dishes or tell us if there are particular things you would prefer not to have. Potential Hiking Opportunities: Sandwash, Jacks Creek Days 7-8:After a hearty Breakfast of French toast and sausages or Pancakes and Bacon we pack up and start the whitewater! We will practice our inflatable kayak skills in fun, smaller rapids. We'll stop at Flat Canyon to see 1,000-year-old Fremont Native American petroglyphs. We will lunch on a sandy beach and build sandcastles. The afternoon will be spent improving your kayaking skills as we run up to 15 rapids today. Towards the end of the day we will run big whitewater rapids such as Steer Ridge and Surprise. Be sure to watch for wildlife. This part of the canyon has many animals including deer, elk, and beaver. We will pull over to camp by late afternoon. While dinner is being prepared there will be time for nature programs, building sandcastles and playing along the riverbank. The "Kids Guide" takes children on structured, educational and fun outings where everyone can interact with nature, and each other. Parents can join in the excursions or take this time to enjoy a leisure walk, relaxing next to the river, or the camaraderie of other guests. Potential Hiking Opportunities: Flat Canyon Day 9:For the second morning in a row you'll wake to fresh brewed coffee and hot cocoa. Shortly after leaving camp we coming to one of the many highlights of the trip; Rock Creek. The group will play in the swimming hole at Rock Creek and explore the Rock Creek Ranch where Butch Cassidy and his Wild Bunch hung out. This is also the deepest part of the canyon (deeper than the Grand Canyon!). The cliff walls rise above 5,000 feet. Today is another fun day of whitewater. Some of the rapids we will challenge today are Snap Canyon, Belknap Falls, Chandler Falls, and Cow Swim. Our Family-Only guides have special family and educational training. They've developed great outdoor educational and environmentally sensitive activities and games. These activities and games incorporate camping, history, geology, wildlife, plant life, and of course FUN. Potential Hiking Opportunities: Rock Creek Ranch, Chandler Falls, Three Canyon, Belknap Day 10:Today you get to perfect your new kayaking skills with the two biggest rapids-Wire Fence and Three Fords. We will see the McPherson Ranch, another hideout of Butch Cassidy and his Wild Bunch. Today the trip will leave Desolation Canyon and enter Gray Canyon. Gray Canyon has less rapids but bigger ones. It is also famous for housing many dinosaur bones. Traditionally, the last night of the river trip is "dress-up" night. Anything goes if you would like to participate. It is up to your imagination! This is a great way to celebrate the trip and near completion of your Green River adventure. The guides might set up a skit for the kids or a river Olympics. Potential Hiking Opportunities: Wire Fence, Range Creek, Rabbit Valley Day 11:Today is more of everyone's favorite activities: swimming, playing in the rapids, & having water fights. We will pass the Coal Creek Dam site . We will pass Nefertiti Rock name by the 1869 John Wesley Powell Expedition. Just before lunch we might stop at another panel of Native American Writing at the Price River. The trip ends just below Swasey's Rapid and across from spectacular Gunnison Butte. Then we'll drive into the town of Green River, Utah, were we will have lodging for the night. We will take some time this evening to visit the John Wesley Powell Museum and have some dinner at Ray's Tavern. Potential Hiking Opportunities: Coal Creek, Rattlesnake Canyon, Price River
Day 12The expedition begins early in the morning at the motel in Green River, Utah. We will drive to the launch site, and after a safety talk and some basic kayak instruction we launch. We will float through an open valley and begin a descent of about a foot and a half every mile. There are no rapids on this portion of the river, only a few riffles just below the town of Green River. Today we will have the opportunity to explore Crystal Geyser~ a cold water geyser whose eruptions are fueled by pressurized carbon-dioxide gas. The first eruption recorded was in 1936 when Glenn Ruby was drilling for gas and hit the pressurized pocket that activates the geyser. Years of accumulation of minerals brought up by the eruptions have left a beautiful copper colored formation around the geyser. By late afternoon we'll pull into a secluded campsite where we will enjoy exploring while our guides prepare a delicious dinner. Note: Meals are served from a set daily menu, but you are welcome to request, in advance, special dishes or tell us if there are particular things you would prefer not to have. Potential Hiking Opportunities: Crystal Geyser After a hearty Breakfast of French toast and sausages or Pancakes and Bacon we pack up and start the paddling! The river progresses slowly through white, yellow, brown and red canyon walls with hairpin switchbacks accented by towering buttes and mesas rising 1,500 feet above the river. Labyrinth Canyon's walls are cut with long side canyons, where guests of all skill levels can explore and ponder ancient Indian writings and trapper's inscriptions. Our guides are naturalists with great depths of knowledge about the history, geology, wildlife, and legends of the canyon. They know the 'secret' places that only exploration and experience reveals, and they share it all, connecting you to this incredible country. We will pass the San Rafael River today along with several working ranches. In the afternoon we will come to Trin-Alcove, named for the three canyons coming into the Green River. Be sure to watch for wildlife. This part of the canyon has many animals including deer, elk, and beaver. We will pull over to camp by late afternoon. Potential Hiking Opportunities: Trin Alcove, Anvil Bottom For the second morning in a row you'll wake to fresh brewed coffee and hot cocoa. The scenery begins to change as the river leaves the open desert and cuts its way into the rising plateaus of Utah's Canyon Country. This is Labyrinth Canyon, named by John Wesley Powell when he was here on his historic expedition in 1869. The canyon becomes deeper as Sandstone walls of the Wingate Formation rise hundreds of feet on both sides. Orange and reddish brown cliffs drip with a darker brown and blue-black known as "desert varnish." Formations of tan Navajo Sandstone, purplish-red Kayenta towers, and brown Wingate cliffs, continuously unfold above. We will stop and look hike several of the wonderful side canyons in Labyrinth Canon. We will also pass the river register where early river runners left their signatures. The sandy beaches in Labyrinth provide for wonderful camping. Our guides are amazing river chefs who do all of the work of preparing the highest quality, healthy meals made with fresh ingredients. We serve a variety of fruits and vegetables from our garden and buy locally whenever possible. Our meats and cheeses are purchased from our local meat shop that focuses on the highest quality ingredients. We can accommodate a variety of diets from Kosher to vegetarian and everything in between. Potential Hiking Opportunities: Ten Mile Canyon, Hey Joe Mine, Keg Spring Canyon After another wonderful morning, we will pack up our kayaks and head downstream. We will hike "Bowknot Bend" where the river makes a seven and a half mile loop back onto itself. We will hike up to the saddle which provides an incredible view of the desert. There will be ample time each day for hiking and exploring the canyon's rich history and geology. The Fremont Culture were a semi-nomadic people who inhabited these canyons (500-1175 A.D.). They left petroglyphs on the rock walls that can be spotted today. You will also see the inscriptions left by the crew of the Launch Marguerite, a stern-wheeler river boat which traveled on the Green and Colorado Rivers between the towns of Green River and Moab during the early 1900's. Denis Julien was a trapper and fur trader who left inscriptions on the rocks in a number of places. All of his inscriptions are dated 1836. How Julien got into the canyons is still a mystery. It is not known if he came by boat or if he walked in from the rim. Potential Hiking Opportunities: D. Julien Inscription, River Register, Hey Joe Mine site On these days we will see more and more evidence of the uranium mining that once took place in these canyons. Tailing piles and abandoned mining equipment can be seen from the river below. We will also stop at another 1836 Denis Julien inscription. Denis Julien was a trapper and fur trader who left inscriptions on the rocks in a number of places. All of his inscriptions are dated 1836. How Julien got into the canyons is still a mystery. It is not known if he came by boat or if he walked in from the rim. We will switch from our touring kayaks to oarboats for the rest of our journey. We will launch and float through Stillwater Canyon. Within a short time we enter the spectacular landscape of Canyonlands National Park. The next couple of days provide opportunities for extraordinary exploration. On these days you may get a chance to hike to several great features including Turks head, Anderson Bottom Narrows, Ruins at Fort Bottom, Jasper Canyon Ruins, or Hike up Water Canyon. . The scenery begins to change as the river leaves the open desert and cuts its way into the rising plateaus of Utah's Canyon Country. The canyon becomes deeper as Sandstone walls of the Wingate Formation rise hundreds of feet on both sides. Orange and reddish brown cliffs drip with a darker brown and blue-black known as "desert varnish." Formations of tan Navajo Sandstone, purplish-red Kayenta towers, and brown Wingate cliffs, continuously unfold above. The Fremont Indians were a seminomadic people who inhabited these canyons (500-1175 A.D.). They left petroglyphs on the rock walls that can be spotted today. By the end of the 8th day, you will sense the anticipation of the group rising as the rapids near. Potential Hiking Opportunities: Turks head, Jasper Canyon, Water Canyon, Shot Canyon Hell Roaring Canyon, Bowknot Bend Breakfast is served in your canyon dining room. Breakfast offerings will vary throughout your rafting expedition. Hot coffee, tea and chocolate are always available, as are juices, and fresh fruit. After breakfast, clients will board the boats and we will head down river. Enjoy another healthy and delicious Lunch, served as you visit a large sandy beach alongside the river. Today we may get a chance for a "Layover Day". This allows us to hike to the top of the famous Dolls House in the Heart of Canyonlands National Park. This is a very challenging hike with over 1500 feet of vertical gain as you hike from Colorado River to rim of Canyonlands National Park. Once up top some of the attractions include spectacular views of the La Sal Mountains, Canyonlands and the Colorado River. You will also get a chance to see hidden Native American ruins and petroglyphs. Potential Hiking Opportunities: Dolls House This afternoon we will reach the Confluence of the Green and Colorado Rivers. We now enter the true heart of Canyonlands National Park as we near the Confluence. If it has rained recently, the mixing of the rivers will be defined in brilliant swirls of red and green. After the Confluence, we will experience the first of the Cataract Canyon rapids, numbers 1 through 10. By now the river has doubled in size and force. The rapids are not huge, but will suffice in getting everyone good and wet before we pull off for the night. We may take a side hike to the top of the Dolls House. We will pull off river for an afternoon of hiking, swimming and yard games such as horseshoes or bocce. The crew will set up the camp as guests relax. Dinner will be served with the sound of whitewater in the background and blue skies overhead. Guides will tell stories of early explorers and of more recent experiences in the rapids that you will face the next day. Tonight we will experience a night of peaceful camping and quiet anticipation. Fall asleep to the quiet sounds of river music: quiet splashing accompanied by the high tones of crickets and the low tones of nearby owls. Potential Hiking Opportunities: The Dolls House This morning's fare is complimented by the sound of rushing water and the anticipation of a great day of running the famous
rapids of Cataract Canyon. We will load everything back onto the boats and prepare ourselves for the exciting day at hand. This morning we will run some of the biggest whitewater in the Western United States (on trips during May and June, later season trips ~July and August~ have smaller rapids). Rapids whose names are almost as intimidating as the whitewater itself: Big Drop 2, North Seas and Capsize. Everyone will be thoroughly soaked as we take a break at midday for lunch and to catch our breath. Stop for Lunch and for some "Land Time". While the guides prepare lunch, guests are welcome to explore the canyon a bit or watch as others run the big rapids they have just been through. Once we have finished with lunch, we get back on the boats and head into the big whitewater. This afternoon we will navigate through more intimidating rapids, including Big Drop 3, Satan's Gut and Little Niagara. There may be stops along the way as the guide scouts the rapids to find the best route through the churning whitewater. We will pull off the river. After we recreate our riverside oasis, guests are welcome to kick back, relax and relive the day's adventures over and over again as the evening deepens and a bright canopy of stars replaces the blue sky. Traditionally, this last night is a "Dress Up" night. Anything goes, from formal wear to clown outfits with floppy hats. Guests are not required to participate, but are welcome to use their imagination and help celebrate an amazing trip. Your final day of rafting begins with hot coffee, tea or hot chocolate followed by a delicious breakfast, prepared by your guides. This morning we will pass through the final rapids. We may have some opportunities for hiking in some of the canyons previously lost to Lake Powell's waters, but accessible now that the waters in the lake have dropped. Clearwater Canyon and Dark Canyon are guide favorites. We'll climb back aboard the boats and follow the Colorado River as it pushes its way into the calm waters of Lake Powell. Here we'll be in the deepest part of the canyon, surrounded by nearly 2,000 foot cliffs. We'll see the Dirty Devil River and Piano Leg Arch. We will motor off of the lake and pull off near what used to be the Hite Marina on Lake Powell. You will be escorted to the landing strip for your return flight to Moab. As you take this scenic flight, watch for the Henry Mountains, the White Rim, the Abajo Mountains, the La Sal Mountains and nearly the entire Colorado Plateau. You will bet met at the Moab airport and transferred back to Moab and the Sheri Griffith Expeditions office where your journey ends. Potential Hiking Opportunities: Clearwater Canyon, Bowdie Canyon, Dark Canyon
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