Desolation Canyon River Trip, 7/17 - 7/21, 2009

Being a father, an outdoor recreation enthusiast, and a staff member at the Utah Office of Tourism, I try to share my love of the outdoors with my boys as frequently as possible. My most recent adventure/expedition involved floating over 90 miles down the Green River from a few miles south of Ouray to Green River, UT. Before leaving, I read numerous descriptions of this float as an ideal family river trip, which did a bit to assuage my fears of the area's incredible remoteness. I also read numerous warnings pertaining to how small issues and little injuries in this area can present very big problems. As a private rafter, the preparations for this trip are very important and quite time consuming. An extensive first aid kit, enough food, clothing, water, bug spray, and sunscreen to last a minimum of five days, tents, bear spray (yes, this area is also bear country and they are commonly seen here), blankets, rain gear, raft repair kit, ropes and throw bags for river mishaps, flashlights, silverware, bowls, treats for the kids, planning for your vehicle to be shuttled from the put-in to the take out, and countless other little things are all necessary. With kids, the preparations are a bit overwhelming. I joked with one of the people in our group how I can now understand the appeal of paying one of Utah's rafting companies for a guided, all-inclusive trip. In retrospect, the effort was more than worth it.

The Desolation Canyon float begins at Sand Wash several miles south of Ouray, UT. The area between Sand Wash and the start of Desolation Canyon is flat water, so day one is a constant, slow going paddle. The water was surprisingly warm, yet just cool enough to be refreshing against the temperatures, which were soaring around 100 degrees. The kids and I had a lot of fun just playing in the water throughout the day and floating alongside the raft. We ended the day at the head of Desolation Canyon.













After packing the next morning, we began our adventure through "Deso." The rapids begin shortly after entering the canyon and continue throughout the day. In fact, there's another rapid every mile or so, sometimes less, all the way through the canyon. Most of the rapids are class II, just bouncy and splashy enough to make the kids laugh and get a little wet, and mild enough for "this parent" to stay worry-free. The canyon itself offers grand and soaring scenery. At every bend, one is humbled and awed by the beauty found here. The center of the canyon is extremely deep, rising nearly 5,000 vertical feet from the river to the top of the Tavaputs Plateau at 10,000 feet. Along the way, I pointed out several groups of Rocky Mountain Big Horn Sheep to the kids and other parents in our group.

The second night on the river was a welcome relief from the mosquitos. They become almost non-existent after entering Desolation Canyon. I am assuming they aren't able to breed as well in the swifter river water. I was awakened late that night by an almost musical thunderstorm. The canyon's walls seem to amplify the cracking thunder magnificently.... and then the rain trickling down our tent's rainfly .... and the sound of the crashing rapids on the river ..... It was all very soothing, but I did ocassionally apprehend the coming day's bigger rapids and hoped I wouldn't regret bringing along my little people.

Our third day was another beautiful, sunny day and somewhat freshened by the previous night's rain storm. As we floated downstream, the rapids did increase in size somewhat and the kids loved it. During flat stretches, my youngest was asking, "Why is this part boring, Daddy? I want more rapids." I thought to myself, "That's my boy." We continually reviewed our river map in order to know when it would be time to get the kids off the boat for the biggest rapids in the canyon. There are just three of them I didn't feel comfortable having them aboard for. They are easily walkable on the river bank, so we took turns walking the kids to the rapid's ends to be picked up by the adults finishing their runs through. Without the kids aboard, not having that worry, the Joe Hutch Canyon and Three Fords rapids are a blast. We were hootin' and hollerin', and laughin', and having a good ol' time.














As day three came to a close, we entered Gray Canyon, which we would finish on day four. Most people spend at least five or six days to complete the run because there are so many hikes to petroglyphs, pictographs, and other points of interest, which I will return for. With the high temps, it didn't seem like those hikes would have made the munchkins too happy. The landscape changes quite a bit in a Gray Canyon. It becomes much more "southwestern" in appearance. The surroundings are dominated by tall mesas, buttes, much less vegetation and noticeably different color, though equally impressive in grandeur.

Since we were ahead of schedule, we found ourselves repeating rapids. We stopped after a few of the rapids and "portaged" or carried our "duckie" or inflatable kayak back and tried different routes through (just to prolong the excitement).

We camped our final night at Swasey's Beach, which is where we paid to have our car parked for us. We talked about how we couldn't believe it was already over. It didn't seem like four days and nights had passed so quickly. My kids both asked me. "When we are going to come back, Daddy?"