We waited until late in the season to avoid the summer tempratures and got winter temperatures instead. Early winter according to all locals. Sunday morning we left home and by Tuesday afternoon we arrived in Moab, Utah at the Tag-a-Long outfitters. We discussed our plan to use our two inflateable kayaks and a supply raft with the person there who said that they don't usually advise kayaks so we rented a canoe. The next morning after a breakfast at McDonalds we presented ourselves, packed the shuttle vehicle and took off for the town of Green River where we packed the canoe and one kayak. We set off after talking with the State ranger and getting flow (not speed) info from the hydrologist that came by.

The river is considered 'runnable' from flow rates of 1000 to 10,000 cubic feet per minute. We were loading up when the hydrologist came by to take his daily reading, and it was flowing at 1,250. Very irritating is that the flow meter probably measures the speed of the water and converts that to flow rate. The guy estimated about 2 miles per hour, somewhat slower than we'd have liked to go 120 miles in 10 days.

We set out from the town of Green River at about 11:24 AM after the Tag-a-Long folks shuttled us from Moab. After a good deal of reflection, I had rented a solid shell canoe from them because we were unsure how controllable the cargo raft would be - turns out that is one of the few things which would not have been a problem.

So, we set off, me with most of the cargo (food & water the heaviest part, as the river water is very alkaline). Right away we had to decide on a route through the "riffles" we had heard about being in the first 10 miles, a had to choose which of three channels to take as two islands are directly downstream from the launch ramp. Although we had trained with Larry for navigating white water the slow moving water displayed very little effects of movement over the bottom, and all of the channels looked similar for the ½ mile or so we could see from our low viewing point. Well, the centre channel we decided on finally shoaled up and we were both stuck on the gravel bottom, and even my getting out and dragging the boats failed to get us thru, so I dragged them upstream until they floated again, then we paddled upstream and around the island to the right-hand channel, which did carry us thru, although still very shallow, there was one faster, deeper area.

A short paddle, and yet another island. Same problem, although this time we were able to push thru with our paddles. In between islands the channel was pretty uniform but most of the time we were able to feel the bottom with our paddles as we paddled. In these areas the bottom felt very soft. The water was slow enough that only a few things under water showed themselves by the characteristic bulge of water deflected up over them so we did bump an occasional log or rock, but no problem. (The water looked like coffee with cream so nothing could be actually seen.) We lose track of all, but there were many places where it got shallow over gravel bars, some of which we got over by real river craft: reading the water and picking the best route. The problem with that was that the fast spots - there were typically 3 or 4 - were not easy to distinguish, and while looking we usually went aground on the pebbles which invariably formed the bars. Some we pushed thru, some I had to get out. Then of course the rain started. Then the lightening, so we decided to wait that out ashore. Not many landing places presented themselves, we tried several, but were unable to get ashore because of the VERY soft mud, even when the bow of the canoe was thrust up between large rocks. At one point I started to step over the side with the bow between two rocks, and my right leg went to mid thigh in mud with no sign of bottom. Fortunately the canoe was well wedged so I was able to get back out. Had the canoe not supported me that could have been bad.

Well, the rain came and went but the lightning did go away, so we pushed on. We came to a broad gravel bar with 4 fast spots - the best looking two were 1 right by the bank - usually a bad spot because logs and trees (called 'strainers') can trap the boats, and #4 the farthest down stream. Naturally, while we tried to determine which to use, we went aground. We were a lot more stuck than usual because this bar was across the entire river, not just one side of an island, so all of the little water there was was pushing. So, out I went, wandering around in the river in the rain, and determined that channel #1 was the only game in town. We were slightly downstream of the entry to this channel, and I finally decided to get half in the canoe, and kick like a scooter to get the canoe into the proper position. Worked great, but Sandie couldn't do that in the more flexible inflatable kayak. So off I went, having to leave her behind - not a cool thing!

I pulled out on a small island just below this riffle and was lucky to find a big boulder to tie the canoe to, then I set off upstream with my paddle as a walking stick to help Sandie. She had been pushing off the bottom all the while, though, and came on down. She pulled out on the little island, too, which had enough gravel that one could walk, as long as one stepped on gravel every time. Smooth areas were varying degrees of gooey. This island was a non-starter as to camping, just inches high. So we reloaded a lot of our heavier cargo, mostly water, into the kayak and Sandie took front seat in the canoe, which made it a bit overloaded - not enough to be a real problem except we tended to respond differently to tipping and some times got the port side down to about 4 inches above the water. Not as much as we would have liked!

Not much further there was a broad shelf of what looked like the typical rounded red Utah sandstone angling into the river on the east bank - but there were also a lot of exposures of that soft clay 'Morrison Formation' which is as slick as ice when wet. Of COURSE, while we were trying to determine what to do, there was a little island of jagged white rocks coming up, so we went across the river to an outcrop of similar white rock and drove the canoe ashore just upstream of it. Sandie was able to step out directly onto rock so we declared it to be camp. We had no idea where we were, and the GPS was no help because the older Geological services map didn't have enough coordinates for the kind of accuracy we needed. We got the tent up before the rain got worse, and Sandie got inside (the mud was so sticky that shoes had to be left outside) and set things up while I unloaded and secured the boats. The rain continued - so we put the porta-pottie right outside the tent facing in. You are supposed to place it right on shore - good luck: we never found a place that would have worked.

Sitting in the tent eating, during a lull in the rain, I heard an engine - looking out, there on the opposite bank came a mini van - not even 4 wheel drive! A guy got out and wandered around on the red rock, thus answering the question of walking on it. He seemed to studiously avoid looking at us. Respecting our privacy, I guess. When the rain started again, with sleet, he drove away and soon we heard another vehicle on our side of the river, but this sounded like a 4 wheel drive, and it was having a time of it! I ran out to see where he was - where some road might be to figure where we were, but I couldn't force my way thru the brush, and he faded away as the dusk faded to a soggy evening.

Go to Part 2