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Tall Canyon Walls

by GriffithAdmin 10. June 2014 13:53

Classic Camp Site

This majestic camping spot in Canyonlands National Park is next to a 2000 foot cliff in Cataract Canyon.

Page Lamberts Writers Trip

by Kristl 20. May 2014 08:50
Sheri Griffith River Expeditions Header-Newsletter

“A River of One’s Own: A Heroine’s
Journey into the World of Story“

 Cataract Canyon on the Colorado River
This week features Page Lambert’s River Writing Journeys for Women as our highlighted women’s rafting adventure. A Colorado River trip, this six-day Cataract Canyon Adventure includes a spectacular scenic flight over Canyonlands National Park back to Moab. The theme for this year’s creative adventure, A River of One’s Own: A Heroine’s Journey into the World of Story, was inspired by Page’s special guest, renowned playwright and actress Ellen McLaughlin.
 
Nature Inspires Creativity! Deep within the boundaries of Canyonlands National Park, Cataract Canyon offers a perfect balance between serene floating, incredible optional hiking, and fast-moving rapids. 300 million years of rock history, abstract sculpted sandstone spires, and ancient Anasazi petroglyphs and granaries grace Cataract Canyon. Creative discussions will take place at the river's edge and continue throughout the day, ending with readings under the stars.  

Featured in Oprah’s O magazine! Sheri Griffith Expeditions has been outfitting Page Lambert’s River Writing Journeys for Women for 17 years. In 2006, Oprah’s O magazine featured these trips as “One of the top six, great all-girl getaways of the year.” Personal writing time is woven into the moments between floating down the Colorado River, optional hiking, relaxing on shore, and “circling up” with Page, Ellen, the other river women, and SGE’s fabulous women guides.  

5 Day Cataract Canyon Booking PageStorytelling on the River! Who told you your first story? For most of us, it was a woman. “We pass the great stories down from generation to generation,” Ellen tells us. “Mother to mother to mother. And so many of our stories are about journeys—heroes and heroines who leave the confines of the familiar and, in the spirit of curiosity and adventure, light out into the unknown. There we encounter not only the magnificence of the world, but our very souls.”  

Women Only River Trips PageJoin the Heroine’s Adventure! Sunday night’s orientation at SGE is followed by dinner with Page, Ellen, and the other women guests. The trip launches Monday morning, August 11th. You’ll float down the Colorado River, past the confluence of the Green River, through beautiful Cataract Canyon, culminating with a breathtaking scenic flight from Lake Powell back to Moab. SGE provides everything—rafts, tents, sleeping bags, fresh healthy meals, etc. The fabulous women guides do all the cooking and rowing!  

Praise from Previous Guests of Page’s River Writing Journeys! This is a fantastic trip! I have experienced Page’s women-only trips twice now and they are terrific. The Sheri Griffith company is excellent, the guides were super and both times the trip brought together amazing women. Rafting, hiking, camping, great food... a fabulous trip start to finish!"  

Do you have to be a writer? No previous writing experience is necessary for this adventure. Page will provide journals as well as written material for you to take home, and the river and the canyon will provide all the inspiration you need!

Cataract Canyon: Now with NEW rapids!

by Brenda Milligan 9. December 2013 10:00

Cataract Canyon...Now with New Rapids!
Cataract Canyon rafting

September’s record breaking rains and the shrinking of Lake Powell have combined to form some new rapids in Cataract Canyon. For about 10 years, Lake Powell has been at record lows. These low lake levels have allowed the Mighty Colorado River to reclaim some of its former rapids. This has given us the chance to run 5 “new” rapids including the very fun and almost mile long rapid of Water Hole.

Our operations manager, Brenda, was able to squeeze in a Cataract Canyon trip before the government shutdown during the last week of September, and she reported lots of new debris flows from the recent rains.


Cataract Canyon Booking PageOne of these mudslides created a brand new rapid! Here is Brenda’s description of the new unnamed rapid: “A brand new rockslide has come from the right-side of the canyon to narrow the channel below Water Hole Canyon. At the low water level I ran it at it is was not huge maybe a class 3. The start of the rapid has a classic “V” into some fun splashy waves. If you break through the “V” to the left there is a runnable hole. The hole is little smaller than the Little Delores hole on Westwater Canyon. This should be a really fun rapid at higher flows.

YEAH new RAPIDS!"

Parks Week: Canyonlands National Park

by Brenda Milligan 11. November 2013 08:53

Canyonlands National Park!

Canyonlands National Park

Canyonlands National Park Information

Canyonlands National Park covers a vast area of rock wilderness in southeast Utah, centered on the confluence of the Green and Colorado rivers. Over millions of years, the rivers and their small tributaries have carved the flat sandstone rock layers into many amazing forms with a wide range of colors. The 530 square miles of the park contain countless canyons, arches, spires, buttes, mesas and a myriad of other spectacular rock formations.

For more information on Canyonlands National Park: www.griffithexp.com/canyonlands-national-park

To book a trip in Canyonlands National Park:

Canyonlands National Park Booking Page

Top Reviews All Year Long!

by GriffithAdmin 28. October 2013 11:18

All 5 Stars for Trip Advisor Reviews this year!

TripAdvisor

“SGE is a great example of “you get what you pay for”; yes, they are a little pricier than some others, but their trips are well planned, their staff is professional and helpful, the experience can’t be truly described. You will not be disappointed.”

Charles Simpson, Cataract Canyon 2013, Southlake, TX

Click to veiw more reviews:

October Activities at Sheri Griffith Expeditions

by Kristl 9. October 2013 06:44

Rich Practicing his Drive

Short days, colder nights and even some snow on the mountains...must be October in Moab.  We've been busy cleaning, repairing and putting away the rafting equipment here at Sheri Griffith Expeditions, but we have found some time to get out and play, too.  We still have beautiful weather for spending time on the water, in the canyons and on the golf course. 

Brenda took some time to explore Cataract Canyon, launching on the evening of September 30th so that she could beat the "shutdown".  She explored some side canyons and was excited to show us the pictures of the arrowhead she found (and left) there.

Kristl took her family and friends for a "Ducky Day" on the Daily Stretch of the Colorado River and had lots of fun playing in the sand and building sand castles with her kids.

Arlo took some time to kayak on the Colorado River for a day away from the computer and brochure planning.

Jose has taken some great hikes to area petroglyphs, and is planning some more fun excursions with his family.

Marshall and Nicole took their family on a Labyrinth Canyon excursion.

Rich took his family down Cataract Canyon.

Aaron hiked into Cataract Canyon and then rafted down from the Confluence.

Izzy is planning a Cataract Canyon or Labyrinth Canyon trip for next week.

Max and Tabitha have spent time in Pennsylvania with Tabitha's family, and are planning a trip to Costa Rica in November.

Stephanie is traveling abroad, visiting Italy, Sri Lanka and other destinations.

Christian and Rich

One activity that Brenda, Rich, Sara Jane and Christian are going to participate in this weekend is the Moab Regional Hospital Charity Golf Tournament.  The proceeds from the tournament benefit the hospital's Digital Mamography Services. Brenda's team may not be the best on the course, but they'll probably have the most fun!

Cataract Canyon...Now with NEW RAPIDS!

by Sheri Griffith River Expeditions 7. October 2013 09:25

Cataract Canyon...Now with NEW RAPIDS!

 

Family Rafting Trips on the Colorado River

September’s record breaking rains and the shrinking of Lake Powell have combined to form some new rapids in Cataract Canyon. For about 10 years, Lake Powell has been at record lows. These low lake levels have allowed the Mighty Colorado River to reclaim some of its former rapids. This has given us the chance to run 5 “new” rapids including the very fun and almost mile long rapid of Water Hole.

Our Operations Manager, Brenda, was able to squeeze in a trip last week before the government shut down. She reported lots of new debris flows from the recent rains.

One of these mudslides created a brand new rapid! Here is Brenda’s description of the new unnamed rapid: “A brand new rockslide has come from the right-side of the canyon to narrow the channel below Water Hole Canyon. At the low water level I ran it at it is was not huge maybe a class 3. The start of the rapid has a classic “V” into some fun splashy waves. If you break through the “V” to the left there is a runnable hole. The hole is little smaller than the Little Delores hole on Westwater Canyon. This should be a really fun rapid at higher flows. YEAH new Rapids!”
Westwater Canyon Rafting on the Colorado River

 


History of Cataract Canyon

by Sheri Griffith River Expeditions 15. March 2013 08:17

Cataract Canyon History

Cataract Canyon lies in the heart of Canyonlands National Park 65 miles down the Colorado River from Moab, Utah and 110 miles down the Green River from the town of Green River, Utah. These two powerful rivers meet at the Confluence and combine to make some of the most commanding and famous rapids in North America. Cataract Canyon's rapids caused more damage and created more fear in early river runners than those of the Grand Canyon. Cataract's rapids are only part of the amazing story about this section of the Colorado River. Cataract and Canyonlands also has amazing human, and natural history, along with classical river running stories and adventures.

A few of the early River Runners:

  • Nathanial Galloway does the first solo trip through Cataract Canyon in 1894

  • Emery and Ellsworth Kolb traveled from Green River, Wyoming to the Sea of Cortez in 1911 on the Green and Colorado Rivers

  • Julius Stone Expedition runs cataract in 1909

  • "Buzz" Holmstrom makes a solo run of the Green and Colorado Rivers in 1937

  • Norman Nevills runs the first commercial River trip through Cataract Canyon in 1938

Congress established Canyonlands National Park in 1964 after a long history of "potential" development in Cataract Canyon. Before 1921 the Colorado River was know as the Grand River. Congress changed the name under pressure from the state of Colorado in the Colorado Compact, which also designated water rights to the sates that border the Colorado River. The Rio Grande Railroad tried to build a railroad from Denver to LA following the Colorado River in 1889. In the early 1900's steamboats carried mining supplies, fruits, and cattle between Green River and Moab using the Colorado and Green Rivers. There was also an attempted dam site at the Confluence in the early 1900's. The amount of sediment at this location made it nearly impossible to build.

Read More about Cataract Canyon History.