Photography Index>Utah's Desolation Canyon

Aerial shots from the plane
Green River shots
(Contact me if you'd like the link to view the people pics)

Organized by Denver-based friends, Cindy & Doug Donohoe, my Desolation Canyon river rafting vacation was spent with an amiable group of eight new friends plus five gracious river guides ("boatmun") from Sheri Griffith Expeditions.

We began with a 30-minute small plane flight to the drop-in spot; finished with a 45-minute bus ride back to Moab's airport. The vistas were beautiful everywhere with snow capped mountains and canyon walls in our sight; a golden eagle, blue herons, rams, lizards & snakes; desert fauna; ancient Native American petroglyphs and structures; 19th century bootlegger cabin and left-behind goods/tools. And, of course, high-river conditions (I'd be lying if I said I could remember the cubic square feet of water per second. I do recall an analogy of 28,000 basketballs passing under a rope per second, so maybe 25K-30K CSF).

We chose a luxury package comprising individual tents with cots AND night-stands set-up and broken-down by our guides, dining linens (yes, LINEN), and delicious thoughtfully presented meals prepared by chef/river boatmun Sarah-Jane (ask for her by name if you decide to book a trip).

A relatively small group of 14 total, there was certainly potential for a single personality to skew our fun. But that wasn't the case. Guests and guides got along swimmingly, literally in one case. Our guides were multi-talented, vibrant, hard-working souls led by trip leader ("TL") Nicole. They fairly balanced safety-first with allowing individuals to experience the thrill of rapids in blow-up kayaks ("duckies"). That is what we expected. But we got so much more: knowledge, humor, and hospitality.

From pre-dawn 'til the sky was strewn with stars, our guides strove to ensure our comfort and satisfaction. Plus throw in a good humored line or two, they won us over. Not that we were a difficult group of guests, but imagine their work schedule, then ask yourself if you'd be able to maintain a pleasant demeanor:

Wake just before dawn
Empty the piss bucket and tidy-up two groovers (make-shift toilet) areas
Make coffee, boil water for tea & hot coco, cut-up fruit for b'fast hors d'oeuvres, set-up guests' wake-up morning station, dress and set b'fast table
Cook and serve b'fast
Break-down and pack tents (cots, bedding, towels, night-stands, nightlights, flashlights, guest bags)
Serve breakfast, waiting until guests are satiated before you eat
Clean cooking utensils, pots & pans, plates & flatware
Pack boats while keeping guests entertained with stories, poems
Inflate or deflate kayak duckies based on guests' desire to boat or kayak
Load up guests, ensure all have water, sunscreen, life vests
Paddle for 1-3 hours often against the wind which makes it even more difficult to fight currents and position for rapids while keeping an eye on amateurs in kayak duckies while providing snacks and water
Prepare lunch, unpack boats, set-up lunch buffet, then break down the whole thing and pack the boats back up again
Inflate or deflate kayak duckies based on guests' desire to boat or kayak
Load up guests, ensure all have water, sunscreen, life vests
Lead a hike, answer umpteen questions about geology, wildlife, fauna
Paddle for another 1-3 hours often against the wind which makes it even more difficult to fight currents and position for rapids while keeping an eye on amateurs in kayak duckies while providing snacks and water
Unload boats, set-up two groovers (make-shift toilet) areas, set-up tents (cots, bedding, towels, night-stands, nightlights, flashlights, guest bags)
Provide guest amusement -- drinks, games, hikes
Have daily team meeting
Prepare supper, set-up dining area
Serve supper, waiting until guests are satiated before you eat
Clean cooking utensils, pots & pans, plates and flatware
Entertain guests with music/songs, games, stories until they retire
Collapse into sleep around 10pm on the boats or on sleeping pads, both with no more cover than a tarp ("burrito roll") or the stars
Start again

Observing our guides, an office worker like myself can -- actually, did -- get caught up in the romantic notion of throwing it in to make a major lifestyle change. But I don't know if I have it in me to be a hospitality provider; Lord knows I don't have any specialized boating skills, and I don't (yet) play guitar or drums. So when I ask myself, could I do all that with a positive demeanor? Maybe ... when I was in my 20s.

I just hope my gratuity appropriately expressed my gratitude.

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