6 October 2017, Friday Goose Island Camp, Behind the Rocks/Hidden Valley Just south of Moab there is a trailhead to Hidden Valley. This area is known as Behind the Rocks because you must climb up and over the red cliffs surrounding town to get there. From highway 191 you would never know there is a trail that leads over these rocks, much less that the trail leads to a beautiful
5 October 2017, Thursday Goose Island Camp, Dead Horse Point State Park This morning we return to Red Rock Bakery and Cafe, albeit a bit later than yesterday’s visit. We breakfast on pastries and coffee and order sandwiches for today’s hike. We’ve decided real sandwiches are a pleasant break from jerky, pretzels, Kind bars and brownies. After breakfast we return to camp for a more relaxed morning. O gets to
4 October 2017, Wednesday Goose Island Campground, Devil’s Garden It is dark and the stars are bright at 5:45 am. O and I are soon dressed. We arrive at Eklektica at 6:30. Unfortunately, they don’t open until 7. Instead, we drive down Main Street to Red Rock Bakery and Cafe where we have pastries and coffee and order a sandwich to go for lunch. We arrive at the entrance to
3 October 2017, Tuesday Goose Island Camp, Delicate Arch We slept in Vincent last night. At 7 am I emerge from the van and check the campsite across the road. It is already empty. I quickly move our two chairs into the drive to indicate that the site is claimed, clip the receipt from our payment envelope to the post and deposit the envelope in the receptacle at the campground
2 October 2017, Monday Today begins cool and rainy. Breakfast is quick and easy: bran muffins purchased yesterday at the market and warmed today in the campground microwave, along with campground coffee. Wglwof is packed up by 8 and we are done with breakfast and on the road by 9, driving along route 128 looking for Forest Service campgrounds. We pull into Goose Island Campground, the first one we come
1 October 2017, Sunday We wake this morning just after 7 am. Strange to get up without our 3 guides yelling in unison, “COFFEE!!!!” O and I collect piles of laundry and piles of muddy gear for cleaning today. At 8 am I call Jim who suggests that he and Gretchen pick us up for breakfast so we do not have to drive Vincent into town. They show up shortly
30 September 2017, Saturday Green River, day 5 Back to Moab It is our last day on the river and together as a group. We wake to a bit of blue sky overhead and dark clouds to the west. The sun on the red cliffs with the dark sky behind creates a beautiful effect. Our last breakfast is blueberry pancakes, eggs and bacon. As we finish breakfast we hear thunder
29 September 2017, Friday The night is clear and cool. When we wake this morning everything is more wet from dew than from the previous night’s rain. Scrambled eggs, potatoes and sausage are our breakfast. Once again we are all packed and on the river before 10. We stop a few miles into today’s paddle to hike up a steep ridge to a saddle. From the top we can see
28 September 2017, Thursday Green River, day 3 It continues sprinkling gently through the night. By morning about ½ inch of rain has fallen. Our guides are up early preparing our breakfast. Today it is scrambled eggs and ham and cheese on English muffin. As we are eating, the rain stops and the sky begins to clear. A rainbow arches over the canyon walls. I guess we will be paddling
27 September 2017, Wednesday Breakfast is burritos with scrambled eggs, refried beans, hash browns, cheese and salsa. Coffee is good and plentiful. It is a bit cloudy this morning with rain threatening. We are packed and on the water by 10 am. We paddle past the confluence with the San Rafael River and stop twice along the way to hike to petroglyph sites. One of the young geologists on the