Moab

After floating the "A" section on the 21st, I had to highball down to Moab for a weekend retreat that I was helping to facilitate for the Young Democrats of Utah. They asked SUWA to help with the campsite logistics, set up a service project, and brief them about our work on behalf of public land wilderness. They agreed to bring food and cook. Everything was fantastic, except for the Folgers instant coffee. But we'll forgive them.


It was an interesting weekend. We camped at a beautiful site above Hell Roaring Canyon, at the edge of the Labyrinth Canyon proposed wilderness. The Young Dems received a crash course in both the beauty of the wilderness, and the fickle nature of it's weather patterns.

Saturday morning was beautiful. We spent a few hours reclaiming illegal off-road vehicle tracks off the Spring Canyon road.


In the afternoon, we attempted to hike down into Hell Roaring to check out a Barrier Style rock art panel, but our route proved a bit ambitious for some of crew members, including a couple of the dogs. So we brumbled around the rim (well...I brumbled, the others were mostly just hiking) and made our way back to camp in time for the rain to begin. That evening, the heavens opened up and spewed several inches of rain overnight. A certain SUWA staffer (who shall remain nameless to protect his ego) was flash-flooded out of his tent after pitching a little close to a wash. He was overheard mumbling "I gambled and lost." But the next morning, we were treated to an incredible double rainbow.

Sunday, we cleaned up our campsite and drove into Moab to drop off the groover and some garbage, grabbed a bite to eat, and headed to the put-in on the Moab Daily. So the dory was introduced to the Colorado River. It was a gracious meeting, and there was plenty of water ( 5000cfs +/-). It felt great to be boating on a muddy, red river again.