by emma
12. February 2015 08:03
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Winter Westwater
During the last weekend of January, Sheri Griffith Expeditions owner Jose Tejada and his son Obe took a trip through Westwater Canyon. Our Operations Manager, Brenda Milligan also took some time to go rafting in Westwater Canyon that weekend.We asked Obe to give us his thoughts on the weekend:
 We arrived at the Westwater ranger station around 10:30 in the morning. It was raining. In fact, it had been raining all night and most of the day before. There was no trace of the sunny, high 50 degree weather that was present when my dad and I hatched this plan. “You can’t boat every month if you don’t start in January” My father had said. He hadn’t been on the water yet this year. Sure I had been on a San Juan River trip two weeks earlier but this was Westwater. Here the waves would be unavoidable. To be cast out of my brother’s 14 foot NRS boat was a real possibility. It is easy to stay dry on the San Juan River, but this was not the “Juan”. The date was January 30, his last chance to get on the river this month.
For those who have never experienced winter rafting, the gear you bring can make or break an excursion of this sort. It was on a cold April trip down the Gates of Lodore, while wearing a wet suit, that I decided my winter wardrobe needed some upgrades. The neoprene that makes up these suits is designed to trap water next to the skin so your body can warm it. This is great if you are submerged in the water. Also not bad if air/water temperatures are higher than the 40F/35F temps we had when we put in. I went on this trip with a dry top and splash bottoms. My dad wore splash gear: the same type that Sheri Griffith Expeditions routinely gives to their customers in the spring and fall.
And so we pushed off into the frigid water with the rain in our faces both silently wondering if this was going to be one of those trips more fun to tell about than to experience. There was no turning back now. Not that it ever really crossed either of our minds. You don’t go white water rafting in the winter expecting to be perfectly comfortable, and it could have been much worse.
A quarter mile downstream we spotted a Red Headed Sapsucker (Woodpecker), my first. An hour or so later, we saw our first bald eagle of the trip at the miners’ cabin. It flew within 20 feet of my Dad’s boat. These I have seen many times because some of them live in Moab year round. I never get tired of seeing these amazing birds. Just before Little Delores rapid we saw a small heard of mule deer does. This was a very good trip for wildlife.
We had planned on meeting up with Brenda’s group, who had spent the night in the canyon (doing some river clean up), run the rapids together then push them out with our motor. They thought we might have canceled due to the bad weather and we missed each other by about half an hour. At Lower Cougar Bar, which had three feet of ice on it, we did our final tie down. It was also here that the rain stopped and we could see a small sliver of blue sky to the north!
Our runs through the inner gorge of Westwater Canyon were great! My dad didn’t even get his sorrel boots wet. With all of the water on the black Granitic Schist canyon walls, it made the canyon seem like it had been polished. Sometimes it is hard to pay attention to my runs because of all the scenery that there is to take in. Every time I am here I marvel at the contrast of the red Windgate Sandstone on the black Granitic Schist. This is truly a special place.
After Westwater Canyon, the water fall at Star Canyon was spectacular. I tried to take pictures of it but I could not do it justice. This is where we spotted Brenda’s group. So we quickly hung the motor and caught up to them. It sounded like they had had a great trip as well. One of their crew had hauled out two huge beams from the canyon. I love to see people hauling out trash like this. It shows the dedication the river community has to keeping this amazing place clean!
The sun came out for the ride out. The temperature must have come up into the fifties. What a wonderful trip. There was great wildlife, great scenery, great friends, a great time with my dad, and now the weather had just gotten gorgeous! Hard to believe it was January 30th. We will see what February brings.
Sheri Griffith Expeditions
2231 S Hwy 191
Moab, UT
84532
www.griffithexp.com
800.332.2439
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by emma
20. November 2014 10:00
2015 Rafting Discount
Until the end of November you can get 2014 rates for next years dates!! With payment of your deposit you can save up to $145/per person on the 2015 trip of your dreams. We have been creating unforgettable river vacations since 1971. This is your chance to save!
Don’t see the date you want? Have questions about what canyon or river will best suit the vacation you are looking for? Charter trips and other dates are available. Call our office and talk to Kristl our vacation specialist who will find the perfect trip you!!
Pay in full and receive an additional 5% off the total of your trip.
Call us today!
800-332-2439
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by emma
13. April 2014 09:24
Happy 85th birthday to Arches National Park. On this day in 1929 Arches became a National monument. Do you know when it became a park?
by emma
5. March 2014 11:17
2014 Moab Skinny Tire Event!!!
Eleven years ago Mark Griffith started the Skinny Tire Event to help deal with his grief from losing his older brother to cancer. The first year the event only had a handful of riders mostly friends and family but raised $1,200. The event started to gain steam, and from there on out growing bigger every year. Now over 6,000 riders have participated and have donated over $2 million dollars to a variety of charities supporting cancer research and survivorship.
The comradery between cyclists, nature and donating to a very worthy cause make this event unforgettable year after year. Cancer touches so many people negatively its nice to turn some into a positive.
“It's about seeing an obstacle and knowing you can get through it. It's feeling the reward on the downside of the climb — the last day of treatment — every day you choose to live versus succumb. The scenery inspires... helps one think, experience, rejuvenate & regenerate.”- Skinny Tire Festival cyclist
Since Skinny Tire’s inception, Sheri Griffith Expeditions has always been a strong supporter, donating equipment and volunteering time. In recent years, this event has become very personal to us as our own co-owner Arlo Tejada has been battling cancer for that past three years. We know and have seen how this event has personally helped cancer survivors; people fighting cancer and people who have lost loved ones.
This year the Skinny Tire event is just $1,100 short of reaching their goal with only a few days left to donate to the cause. If you are interested in donating or joining in this weekend please click on the link for more info: Moab Skinny Tire Event
by emma
5. February 2014 11:20
SNOTEL Reports Looking Good for the 2014 White Water Season!!!
SNOTEL is an automated system of snowpack sensors operated by the Natural Resources Conservation Service. This system is one tool used to estimate what kind of the river runoff we can expect. SNOTEL sites report the current snowpack/moisture content expressed as a percentage of the average of the last five years for that date.
Unfortunately, the California Mountains have experienced a low snowpack so far this winter. Due to this lack of moisture and continuing drought conditions, the state of California has declared a state of drought emergency. It seems that their state will be relying heavily on its allotment of the Colorado River for water needs in 2014. This most likely means that they will allow more water to be released from the Glen Canyon and Hoover dams to help ease the lack of water.
The Colorado Plateau supplies the majority of the water in the Colorado and Green Rivers. The Gates of Lodore and Desolation Canyon on the Green River receive their water from the headwaters in the Wind River Range of southwestern Wyoming. The runoff from these mountains is stored in and released from the Flaming Gorge Reservoir. The Yampa River is a free flowing tributary joining the Green River in Dinosaur National Monument. The 2014 SNOTEL sites currently show that the Colorado River Basin is at 106% of average and the drainage for the Yampa River is at 107% of average, with the wettest months of winter still to come. Actual river runoff can change depending on total snowfall as well as how fast the runoff occurs. At this point we are very excited about the 2014 rafting season!
If you have any questions concerning flows of any of the rivers we run, please feel free to contact us at info@griffithexp.com or call toll free 1-800-332-2439 (Please ask for Jose or Brenda). We love to talk about the river and share our 43 years of experience to help make your river vacation a great one!!
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Tags: cataract canyon rafting, Colorado River Rafting, Gates of Lodore, Green River family trips, Group River Trips, luxury trips, Rafting Trips in Utah, river rafting, Sheri Griffith River Expeditions, Westwater Canyon Rafting, Yampa River
by emma
26. December 2013 09:54
American Outdoor Association Convention
American Outdoor Association Convention (AOA)
“Growing, protecting and supporting America’s outfitting buisnesses”- AOA mission statement
www.americaoutdoors.org
AOA is a great tool to grow an outdoor outfitters business to become bigger and greater in their field with experts from their field. Camaraderie with friends yet competitors is a great way to excel in giving the best and greatest experience in our industry.
With that said, Sheri Griffith River Expeditions spent a week at the AOA Conference taking in so much information and making connections to grow and expand what we can do for our guest and their experience.
At the AOA trade show Arlo and Emma looked at the new and upcoming equipment from boats, life jackets, and all the new trinkets!! Proud to say we are ahead of the curve in providing top-of-the-line equipment. There was also great information on the new Google algorithms and many other marketing tools.
Though the Internet is very important, we still feel providing great trips and great customer service will carrier us higher! !
Written by Emma Tejada:
by emma
23. December 2013 06:35
Is this a vacation you want in 2014?
Our river rafting trips are about so much more than just great whitewater. But sometimes you need to just enjoy the rapids. From the splashy “riffles” to the HEART pounding waves.
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Tags: canyonlands national park, cataract canyon rafting, cataract canyon videos, Colorado River Rafting, Family River Trips, Green River family trips, Rafting Trips in Utah, utah river rafting, Sheri Griffith River Expeditions, Westwater Canyon Rafting, whitewater rafting
Canyonlands National Park | catraract canyon rafting | Colorado River Rafting | Green River Rafting | Westwater Canyon Rafting
by emma
28. November 2013 11:01
A Time To Be Thankful!
Being thankful for what you have and find joy in the simple things in life.
Written by Emma Tejada:
On this day Thanksgiving, I’d like to shine some light on the things in life we as a family owed company are thankful for.
The past three years have not been easy to say the least for us, with, my brother and co-owner, Arlo battling cancer. To read more of his story click here.
With that said, our family is so very thankful for our wonderful staff, guides and the SGRE family that have stepped up and helped in so many ways during this trying period.
We are thankful to live in one of the most beautiful places in the world; with bright starry skies, beautiful sunsets and sunrises to calm any person’s soul. We are thankful to be able to do what we love with the people we love!!
We are thankful to YOU! For the opportunity to share the love for the river with each and every one of our guests!!
Emma Tejada is the newest member of the Sheri Griffith River Expeditions team though is not new to the company. As Jose Tejada youngest daughter, Emma grew up going on the river trips starting at the age of 3. She worked a variety of jobs at SGRE since middle school including in the commissary, warehouse, boat swampper and answered phones. She comes back to Moab from 10 years living in Colorado Springs to be Arlo marketing assistant.
Happy Thanksgiving from SGRE!!!
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by emma
12. November 2013 09:04
Arches Turns 42 Years Old!
Arches National Park was opened in 1971 on November 12th. This is the National Park's 42nd birthday. It was originally created as a National Monument in April of 1929. Arches National Park is roughly 76,359 acres of beautiful rock formations such as Balancing Rock and Delicate Arch featured above.
by emma
15. October 2013 09:35
New Gates of Lodore date for 2014
The Gates of Lodore on the Green River is one of the most popular trips Sheri Griffith River Expeditions runs. We have just added July 7th date to our 2014 Calendar. This means we have launches on June 8, 14, 19 and July 31.
This trip combines all the elements of a classic whitewater river trip: great hikes, exciting whitewater, beautiful beaches and colorful history. Take a journey into a spectacular wilderness.
Because we have so few trips through Gates of Lodore almost all our dates sellout quickly. Book your trip now!