where will you be in this city
I will wait for your call
a little bit in need of a drink
I think
until then, out of tune music is my friend
river destination has shown a new and unknown world
desolate and grey
sand washed white water
turned a light shade of brown
the ebb and flow of mountain waters
eroding flesh in corrupted waters
land managers selling souls to oil men
but beauty like never before
canyon walls reaching higher than sight can perceive
a hike to beat you heart, rock holds stand loosely
a cactus to keep you aware
but not to hold
ask Alan
and a view from the top
magnificent
canyons and desert stretching as far as the eye can see
under a sun beating down
half filled canoes crashing standing waves
bow first into holes where afts smash down
cracked skid plate
oh well
tighten the thigh strap and do it again
this was a daily vision
sun and sand, dirt and dead animals
such loose and sparse vegetation
wild horses and a wandering coyote
free range cattle and hundreds of scale backed lizards
etchings on the canyon walls left by natives nearly 1500 years ago
lends mystery to a landscape like mars
and a wild bunch once roamed
switching horses in the canyons shelter to aid a bandits escape
and still
in all this heat within a storied world
snow rests atop the canyon mountains
giving praise to seasons end and yet flowers bloom
to this place I must return
....
In the nothing above I hope for translation
a brief glimpse without a picture
no image to aid the description
how to recreate what it is that we've done
I do not know
I will tell stories in the months to come
to many friends and paddlers alike
and in my voice I hope to give justice
to this other worldy beauty
nine friends
peers in a program like no other
planned for months to embark
the River was The Green
through Desolation Canyon
and into the Grey
two vehicles and one trailer
host to six days gear
four kayaks
two canoes
and those nine
we left with smiles on our faces
music playing the background
and hopes for the future deeply inset
so for two and half days we drove
stopping for food and snack
the occasional frisbee to keep up the tempo
we drove through our forests and into there prairies
from hills to the flats and then a slow rise
elevation felt and seen all around
rockies in the distance seemingly profound
we arrived in a small town
coke on one side and pepsi on the other
and our outfitter in the middle
River Run Transport
from here our plans soon came into reality
no longer were we imagining our packed raft
but reassessing what we brought packed
barrels into bags
food into coolers
water in jugs
and a container for our waste
we learned long ago and will continue to let grow
a desire for our trips and those to come
of our trace
we will leave none
mere footprints in sand.
with our raft far in the lead
we drove to sandwash
our put-in
this was the beginning of the beauty to come
through the desert, past oil and rigs
slowly our descent was obvious
as canyon walls rose
something we have never seen before
this was clearer now than ever
we were in for a trip we would never forget
