Early in the summer, as Troy and I were beginning to wonder if it might be possible to plan a getaway for our family, it occurred to me that we might be able to sneak in a visit to the northwest to visit my brother and my old next-door neighbor, The Other Troy. I gave both of them a call and got a rather lukewarm response to us coming up there, just because of pandemic restrictions. We wouldn't be able to stay with either of them or really have much to do. In the process of having those conversations, however, The Other Troy (aka T.O.T.) mentioned that he and his family were thinking of planning a vacation in the great outdoors and might we consider joining them on an excursion? We felt like a trip to an isolated place in nature was safer than hanging out in a big city in one or another of our homes. The Other Troy proposed a couple of ideas, one of which was a canoe trip down the Green River in Southern Utah.
Now...I really wanted our family to spend time with their family. Not only do I adore T.O.T. and his wife, but it seems like every time our kids have been brought together they instantly get along very well. It seemed like it might bring a bright light to an otherwise bleak summer. Buuuutttttt - I also wasn't too sure the thing I wanted to do most was go to a very hot place in the very hottest time of the year and sit out in the sun on a boat for days and days. I had some concerns. Like being way too hot. However, my desire to travel with these friends turned out to be more powerful than my concerns and both of our families agreed to commit to the trip.
Just planning and preparing for this trip actually took up a good deal of time during June and early July. We had never done anything like this before. The deal was that we would drive to Moab, Utah and bring a canoe and a lot of food and not very many clothes but a lot of sunscreen and big hats. We would rent four other canoes and kits to connect them into two pairs. We would be spending five days and four nights paddling down the river, camping on the sandy banks along the way. We needed quite a bit of stuff to help us be prepared for the trip. This led to some very fun shopping. Mostly for a cooler worthy of such a trip. Troy has been scoping out coolers for quite some time and we finally made a choice and picked out a seriously awesome cooler. Long live The Kong. He treated us right on that trip! (Much to T.O.T.'s chagrin. He also bought a new cooler and had hoped that we would be Arctic twins instead of Arctic/Kong competitors.)
So we spent quite a bit of time planning food and making supply lists. We picked out hats and new light-weight sleeping bags and made our best guesses as to what we would need. We had a very anxious evening a few nights before we left. One of our big tasks was to see if we could get our canoe to Moab on the top of our mighty van. Our beloved cruiser Inigo was (and still is, sniff sniff) out of commission and getting worked on, so we had to figure out a way to strap a canoe onto a minivan. What would we have done if it hadn't fit? No idea! I just don't know. All I can say is that I'm so happy that our van carried the canoe like a champ. It fit perfectly. The minivan wins again!
So on Sunday the 26th we spent much of the day carefully packing our assembled goods, loading up the van, trying to find a way for everything to fit, which it did beautifully. That is, it fit beautifully after we removed a giant seat from the middle of the van. We had to be at the canoe rental shop early in the morning - around 8am I think. We considered driving to Moab on Sunday and getting a hotel room for the night but the kids all said they felt like they would sleep better in the car than they would in a hotel room and would prefer to get up at 3am and sleep on the way down. So that's what we did. We set our alarms, said a last goodbye to the chickens and went off to bed. The drive was complicated slightly by the fact that we could not get the canoe straps to stop buzzing in the wind - we stopped a couple of times to try to fix the issue and finally gave up and just tried to ignore it.
We arrived in Moab and pulled into the parking lot of Tex's, and were excited to see the Durhams pull in not long after. It was quite a shuffle getting all of our stuff out of our cars and into their trucks, getting all of us into our river duds, which were basically just our swimming suits, and sending everyone to a last visit to the toilet. We all said a fond farewell to that porcelain throne which we knew we'd really be missing. Never fear, part of our pre-trip preparation was getting a lesson in groover-use from our trusty guide. We all listened intently and at least for myself with a little dread as we watched the demonstration of how this silver box with screws holding a lid in place and a potty seat buckled to the side was going to work. Oh how I did not want to use it.
We had originally talked about having everyone rotate around on the canoes but we quickly discovered that those guys were a little hard to paddle and steer and each set-up needed a dad and a mom. We pretty much stuck to family groups. The one wild card was that there was one single canoe - ours - that only two people could sit in. We ended up having the two oldest kids, Chase and Lucy, take over that canoe for most of the time. Romney and Charlotte got turns in it too. I was a little nervous that it would be awkward for the kids to be immediately tossed together but happily every time our boat was near theirs they were just chatting happily away. I think they really enjoyed their time together.
So it would be not only impossible but really boring as well to just document this trip moment by moment, so instead I think I'll just list the highlights.
Highlight #1: Sleeping Outside
Ok the first night out wasn't that great. That's because it started pouring rain just as we were setting up our campsite. That's when we realized that we maybe had under-packed. Our family had no jackets whatsoever or really any changes of clothing. We did have a tarp that we set up but had trouble keeping it up because of the wind. During this rainstorm Troy and Romney actually crawled under our canoe, partly to stay dry and partly to keep it from blowing over. They said they had fun lying under there and getting a from-the-knees-down picture of our very sad group, all huddled together. We laughed a lot actually because there was just nothing we could do. The sun went down, it was cold, we were wet, we couldn't set up tents or make food, we just sat there getting wet and waiting for it to be over. What else could we do? Finally it let up and we started getting ready for bed. I burst out laughing again when I heard TD (I quickly learned to just address both the dads by their full names) muttering in the dark, "and there is just so much sand!" Not funny in the slightest from here but when you've spent a miserable couple of hours with someone and you're laughing instead of being mad that little mumble made me laugh really really hard.
Well after that first night the sleeping out was absolutely wonderful. Not only were the views amazing, but the nights were clear. We were so far away from anything at all that the skies were absolutely cluttered with bright stars. There was always a chorus of serenading insects, which seemed to sing in harmonizing trios. The girls and I slept in an airy tent and the boys slept out on the sand. We were a little chillier than I expected but we were so tired after each day that falling asleep was a joy and really we slept quite well. I loved the nights.
Highlight #2: Stopping to Swim
I was afraid that the trip would not even be fun because of how hot we were going to be. And don't get me wrong - it was indeed very very hot. We made great use of a LOT of sunscreen and floppy hats (except Chase's, which got ejected off of his head by his untamable mane of hair about 30 seconds after we got in the river) and I was especially grateful for the advice we got from friends to bring large pieces of fabric to dunk in the river and spread over our shoulders and legs. As I type this, in late October, a cold front has hit our valley and I'm freezing. I'm struggling to recall the feeling of cold wet cloth on me as a good thing. But I know it did. Also we took many breaks each day - we would find a sandy bank, pull the canoes over, and just sit and soak in the cold water. It was heaven! We'd spend an hour or so paddling around, running up the river and then floating down, having snacks kept chilly in our awesome cooler, and just talking and talking.
Highlight #3: Listening to the Durhams Sing
The Green River does not flow especially quickly. In fact, the section we were on was called Stillwater...and it was. In order for us to travel the 50 or so miles we needed to in the five days we were on the river we had to do quite a bit of paddling to keep us on course. It took no small effort and I'm a little surprised that I didn't come away with new giant muscles. Maybe that's because I wasn't that good at it. I may have steered myself into a low-hanging bush along the bank a time or two. But eventually I got the hang of it and it was actually pretty fun to just fall into a rhythm and paddle away. And that rhythm lent itself very well to singing along as you paddled. I sang a lot but really kind of drove my family nuts because the songs I know all the words to are camp songs and can get a little annoying. I tried to limit those but couldn't completely stop myself. The Durham team, however, consisted of four really great singers who knew all the words to an amazing number of songs. And they could harmonize! It was such a pleasure to paddle down the beautiful canyon and listen to their voices echoing up the walls of stone. I would sometimes try to sing along with them but did a poor job. I guess T.O.T. and I did a pretty good back-and-forth rendition of There's a Hole in My Bucket Dear Liza but it wasn't quite the audible treat that their other songs were.
Highlight #4: The Canyon Walls and Their Many Echos
Speaking of the soaring walls of stone, those walls deserve a highlight paragraph of their own. The views on this riverway are absolutely stunning. I don't have many words to describe them adequately so instead I'll just add extra pictures. And I think the whole gang will always remember Lucy and her obsession with finding the canyon walls with the best echo. Echo!! Echo! Echo....echo..... She's a heckuva clapper, that Lucy. She clapped at just about every wall that looked the least bit promising. Cute Lucy.
Highlight #5: The Evolving Groover Seclusion System (aka the GSS)
You wouldn't think that the portable toilet box would be something I would want to list as a highlight but Troy and T.O.T. did such an amazing job of figuring out how to set up a comfortably secluded and sheltered spot for the silver box of death that it has to be included. I mean, the first moment T.O.T. suggested this trip idea the first thought that came to mind was that I really didn't want to deal with an outdoor pooping situation with my old next-door-neighbor. Maybe I could resist using it for the entire week? Well, that's just not healthy. Or possible. I had to face the music and use the groover. The first day was the worst - we were totally inexperienced in the ways of groover-sheltering. The second day was the day of the bugs - we learned that hiding the groover among the low hanging willow branches was definitely not the good idea that it seemed. By the third day we had taken to trying to fashion a little tent or wall of towels around it and that was pretty good. But the final day, man did those guys have it all figured out with a full-on tarp/tent making it a much less nerve-wracking and shame-inducing experience. Hurrah for the GSS team! Next time we go we will know exactly what to do. Pictured below was an early attempt at a seclusion system. This was not the final GSS, which I sadly did not capture on camera.
Highlight #6: The Kid-Pack
Here's the thing about this family. I don't know what it is, but all three of our kids just love all three of their kids, and the feeling seems to be mutual. Whenever we have gotten together with the Durhams, which actually has not been that often, all six kids immediately circle up and begin talking and laughing. I wondered what the dynamic might be for a five day trip and magically it was that exact same thing. For the whole time. Whenever we stopped to swim or eat a meal or camp for the night the kids would get in their circle. They told stories and jokes and all floated down the river together. Magical, I tell you. I mean, I really thought that it was a serious possibility that some of the kids just wouldn't jive or that one kid would always feel left out or get touchy about something. It didn't happen one single time. The only complaint I have was that the Durham kids told my kids a scary campfire-type story which my kids later told me and scared the daylights out of me. It's got quite the jump scare. You can always tell when the story is being told because there will be a very quiet, tense group of kids, listening to a story, then suddenly they all scream. It happened on the river, then Romney proceeded to tell the story to like four more groups of people after we got back. I feel like I might be rambling now. I'll get back to the river tale.
Highlight #7: The Food Was Not a Fail
The moms decided together that it might be easier if I were in charge of the food. With the Durhams coming in all the way from Seattle it didn't seem to make much sense for them to shop there or do any food prep and then haul it all the way down to Moab, Utah. Troy and I talked to some friends of ours who had done many trips like this down the Green River and they had great advice about food. They said it worked really well to prepare dinners in advance and then freeze them in large baggies. That way they help keep the cooler cold for longer and there is almost no food prep at dinner time. This advice was absolutely golden except that I was very nervous to be feeding everyone. I'm such a people pleaser and was horrified at the thought of having way too much food or way too little or food people didn't like. We tried to have a mix of tasty junk food for a treat but also healthy stuff. It was a little embarrassing that we were the providers of the pop tarts and they brought all the wheat bread. But really I think it turned out great. The dinners were quite successful and it really did help that all we had to do was heat up the food. No chopping or looking for ingredients or being worried about raw meat and stuff. I made chicken shawarma, shepherd's pie with mashed potatoes, taco meat and pulled pork. All of these foods were enjoyed wrapped in some type of flat bread. Not a lot of variety but hey it fed the gang. The Durham's did bring food as well but I really tried to have plenty for lunches and breakfasts and everything. That was stressful. I was so pleased when people liked the food and those Durham kids are the most polite and gracious and grateful ever.
Also Kathleen brought a diet coke which she saved until the 2nd to last day and she and I shared it. Truly kindred spirits.
I guess we didn't take pictures at meal times.
Highlight #8: The Boat Ride Home
Our last night on the river was delightful - we were such old hacks at river camping by this point that we had our routines down. It was great. Getting to the camping spot was less pleasurable. We sure were tired by that Thursday afternoon and the directions for finding a camping spot were not super clear. But once we found a spot at the very lowest spot, just above cataract canyon we were all set. What a beautiful spot. In order to get back to civilization we would be picked up by a 46 foot boat with twin 400 horsepower jet drive turbo diesel engines and driven up the Colorado river, with which we had converged mid-day on Thursday. Much to our chagrin we weren't aware that we had to have everything ready in a very specific spot first thing in the morning and I think we miffed off the boat drivers a bit the next morning when we weren't totally ready. But we moved quickly and tried to be as helpful as we could. I think they forgave us by the end. And then we dragged our exhausted sunburnt selves onto the boat and sat and watched the lovely scenery go by for a couple of hours.
Getting back to Moab was not a highlight. It was a record-setting hot day - a high of 109. And getting from the boat back to our cars took a long time - waiting for our van by the river, driving for another long while. We were pretty wiped out and were already missing the magical river. Getting the gear all back into our own vans and getting ready to go... totally sucked. Troy burned his hands trying to load the canoe on to the top of Jarvis and everyone was melting and tired and hungry. We survived though and started the journey home. But first of course we stopped at the Moab diner to load up on massive ice creams to sustain us until dinner. I got a rootbeer freeze and it was fantastic.
Highlight #9: Price and Its Exciting Array of Dining Options
I'm including a photo of my sweet Romney who was hiding behind a hat, sunglasses and a pillow because she had tears dripping down her face. We all felt the same way. That week had been one of the best of our lives. Not only were we missing the beautiful river, we were so not ready to say goodbye to the Durhams. Happily they weren't quite ready either and we decided to stop for food on the way home. As we were going to be driving through Price, which is a pretty good-sized town, I figured we could find a decent spot to eat there. I may have misled us a bit - for starters, our dinner stop ending up taking almost two hours what with getting a group of 10 seated and waiting quite a while for food. It was such a funny little restaurant - the waitress had her kids there running around and asking questions while taking our orders. We were not prepared for the portion sizes - everyone who ordered french fries got a literal bread-loaf pan size block of fries. It was hilariously too much food, but we appreciated it quite a lot.
So...basically that was one of the best weeks of our lives. We all agree we would totally do it again, but only if our compatriots agree to join us.
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