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A rafting trip can be a perfect solution for a family trip. It met and exceeded my expectations as we watched our grandchildren rise above (and conquer) adversity, inconveniences: being filthy, wasps, cactus, coping with the outdoor "groover" (toilet). They learned new skills, developed new interests and had many unusual experiences: erecting tents and camping in the wilderness, kayaking,...View image... running rapids, ...View image...seeing petroglyphs, map reading, hiking, catching fish, seeing snakes, to name a few.
They learned to pull together - loading and unloading rafts, sharing toothpaste, playing games and finding things to amuse themselves. Yes, they had: no I-Pods, Television, cell phones, Ps2, gameboys, internet, computer games...nothing to do but talk to each other and amuse themselves. What a novel situation! And, most surprisingly, they never complained! I'm sure they hated every minute when the going got tough (and hated me for bringing them) but no one ever whined..."I want to go home." It might have been a different story with parents along.
Continue reading "Facts To Consider Before You Raft" »
My grandchildren are pros at breaking camp...and Zach is master of the "cots", both putting together and taking apart. Breakfast is delicious French Toast with berries and whipped cream on top. The last "fire line"...View image...attemtpint to get on the raft without getting your feet sucked down into the mud and we were off.
Jenna and Sarah finally got up their courage to try kayaking on a flat stretch of the river and loved it! Jenna even took a few rapids with Mike and was hysterical with joy. I will never forget her face, alight with happiness, after a successful rapid run. A great moment accomplishment!
And then, Sarah took her turn and loved it...while Nicky and Lexi took a kayak by themselves and shot the last rapid.
Sarah
Jenna
Continue reading "Last Day Rafting on the Green River, Utah" »
Breakfast was a big hit today: eggs cooked to order, bacon, hash browns, bagels. Thank goodness everyone likes the food.
The day's routine starts...View image...break down camp, "fire line" to load everything on the rafts, sunscreen, repellent and we are on the River.
Continue reading "Into Gray Canyon, Day 3" »
Our guides were always coming up with a game to amuse the kids on long stretches of flat water...Malarkey, Tri-Bond (three words that had something in common), Octopus 8, 2 Truths and a Lie (another verbal game), plus Josh brought cards. ...View image... And there was lots of time to soak in the stark but beautiful scenery. ...View image
There was a bug that Sarah called "jumping spiders" (she hates bugs) that were constantly jumping around in the bottom of our raft. The correct name is a "water skipper", a bug that can walk on water. This river journey is loaded with gnats, deer flies (horse flies/sand flies), and mosquitoes. "ex-Marine" has won our family award for the most bites all over his body. Again, I think the spraying just encourages them!
There were a lot more rapids today and the two kayaks were inflated. Mike spent most of the day in the kayak taking turns with Lexi, Nicky and Zach. Kayaking is a major hit with them all. ...View image... It's fun getting wet in the kayaks, from the rapids, having water fights and swimming.
Lexi kayaking with Nancy (Amber's sister)
Continue reading "Desolation Canyon, The Second Day" »
Nick, our diabetic 11 yr. old grandson, did not have a good night. His numbers went very high from the spaghetti (lots of carbs) and he had some spill-over. If you are familiar with Type I Juvenile Diabetes, you'll understand. A terrible disease affecting too many people.
After a few short hours of sleep (for me), it was time to organize six kids, help them pack up, distribute meds, brush teeth and break camp. (My face has already aged 10 years in two days.) It was quite cold during the night and some of the sleeping bags have definitely lost their "fluff." Heard a lot of, "Grandma, I was very cold last night." (So was I!) Lobster thighs from the intense sun yesterday...beet red. Breakfast: two kinds of pancakes (blueberry and plain), sausage, Coffee, Hot Chocolate and always lemonade and water. As soon as the crew called, "breakfast" or "dinner," our kids were always first in line to eat. Starving and ate like champs!
breakfast
Continue reading "Second Day on the Green River" »
And then...it started to rain...and get cold...and everyone was wet and shaking...miserable....and awful!! We huddled together for body warmth, used life jackets to cover our legs. All I could think of is..."Swell, I brought six kids who are standing here shaking like leaves...they'll never talk to me again." To their everlasting credit, not one said a word (their lips were probably frozen rigid) and when we finally hit the beach to make camp, our guides informed us that everyone had to erect their own tents and help unload everything from the rafts (you make a "fire line"). This was all news to me. ...View image...
The crew helped this night only and made it very clear that we would have to do our own setting up the next two nights.
We stood in a hypothemic circle...doing the "hokey pokey"...anything to get some blood moving...and erected our tents in a tight circle. To compound the misery, there must have been thousands of mosquitoes everywhere, and all the spraying I did just seemed to egg them on. Tomorrow, we'll make sure that warmer clothes plus rain gear goes into our red daytime bags. Just in case this wonderful incident happens again.
Continue reading "End of First Day on the Green River" »
Before we actually get into our five rafts, Matt (head guide) has a few instructions and explanations. (More will follow later.)
- Life jackets have to be worn by ages 12 and under on this particular stretch of the river. Everyone will have to put them on at a certain point.
- If you have to urinate, you indicate (with a smile) that you need a "smile" break and jump into the river as soon as the guide finds a good spot to drift.
- Each person would get a large zip-lock bag with a dinner, plate, fork and spoon it it (no knife as promised) along with a souvenir cup at camp tonight. This is used for every meal and after washing it off, it is to be packed in your big blue bag for use at the next meal. There was a routine for cleaning: four buckets were placed in a row and everyone was responsible for washing their own. First, you scraped all the food particles into the garbage bag; then clean in Bucket #1's cold soapy water; clean in Bucket #2's hot soapy water; rinse in Bucket #3's hot water; and rinse again in Bucket #4's bleach/water mixture. Wave your plates in the air to dry, put back in your plastic bag and PACK! (Josh managed to come home with his plate in his bag during all the rush of packing after the trip.) ...View image...
fast briefing
Continue reading "River Explanations and Launch, First Day" »
Up at 5:15 am, and it took at lot of shaking to get those kids up! Early breakfast, dragging all the bags for two blocks to the Moab Adventure Center. ...View image... Two big buses already there for our ride to the small (very small) airport. On the ride, we see the famous "Three Penguins" formation alongside the road.
There are at least six or seven small planes. Plane assignments are shouted out by Dino, the owner, and he directs each group to their plane. We have Mike and six kids on one, "ex-Marine" and myself on a 4-seater. Sarah (one of our 11 yr.olds) is shaking like a leaf from fear.
We take-off for a 40-minute flight, flying over the Green River all the way, extremely smooth and scenic. ..View image... Landed on a dirt runway on top of a Mesa (a flat plateau). The plane landed, one after another, moved off the "runway" and waited for the next plane to land. ...View image..
this will get your adrenalin going
Continue reading "Rafting on The Green River" »
We have reservations at the extremely nice Canyonlands Inn. Lauri Stocks is the General Manager and she went out of her way to accommodate us including serving us breakfast the next day at 5:30 am! (Breakfast doesn't start until 7:00 am.) Lauri got our rooms cleaned fast and got us into the rooms right away. The rooms are very large, hot tub, swimming pool, great situation, two blocks from Moab Adventure Center which is where we depart from tomorrow, and right on Main Street.
It was raining hard which meant digging out the cheap ponchos that I was positive no one would need during this trip. Ponchos on, it's time for Subway sandwiches. Something they all like and will eat!
front: Zach, Jenna, Sarah, Josh, Lexi, Nick..back: Mike, "ex-Marine"
Continue reading "In Moab, Utah" »
Salt Lake City was just the first stop on our Family Rafting Trip. I flew in with my OKC grandchildren, after making a big "boo-boo" ...arriving at the airport and discovering that United had changed the flight departure half an hour earlier! Of course, we missed that flight and arrived in Salt Lake City hours later than planned! (That makes TWO unnecessary mistakes on my part!)
Lesson #1 - Always double-check with your airline to make sure there are no schedule changes. Bad me!!
Then, we had booked at the Comfort Inn and Suites SLC North. There are two Comfort Inns that are both considered "SLC Airport" Comfort Inns. It took a while to sort out exactly which one we were staying at (thank goodness, I had my cell phone) and get the shuttle to ours in Woods Cross, UT, further from the airport than the other one....
Lesson #2 - Unfortunately, I've done this before. With so many Days Inn, Best Western's, Comfort Inns, double-check exactly which one you are staying at. (It would be nice if I remembered this and didn't keep repeating the same mistake.)
Continue reading "Arriving in Salt Lake City" »
After waffling back and forth, I chose Western River Expeditions 4-Day Green River Rafting Trip. There were two main determining factors:
- The date of the trip: July 9 which fit everyone's schedule but another grandson who we have to leave behind (sorry, Jordan); and
- What Western River included: the cots and sleeping bags. Almost all the operators provide tents but some charge extra for the sleeping bags, and the costs were mounting up. I also thought that a first camping experience would be nice on cots rather than sleeping on the ground.
Other considerations: the Green River is warmer than the Colorado River; the Grand Canyon trip was too long, difficult and expensive; there is a short, easy hike to outlaw hideouts that sounds like fun; Western carries 2-person inflatable kayaks; and the rapids are considered Class II-III - Moderate.
Continue reading "Planning The Rafting Trip" »
"ex-Marine" (husband, Steve) loves to tell the story how when he was in the Corps, he had to swim two miles in the Pacific, wearing "Full Fatigues and a Mae West", two Marines holding on to a rope together...yadda yadda. Explain to me why he is now resistant to any trip that involves water - other than cooling off in a swimming pool?
But, I've persisted and he's finally run out of excuses. I am planning a Whitewater Rafting trip with ....six (6) grandchildren along for the time of our lives....I hope. There will be three 14-year olds (Josh, Lexi and Zach), three 11-year olds (Nicky, Sarah and Jenna), and one extra parent (Mike). Unfortunately, Nicky (our 11 year-old grandson) was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes at the age of 5, and his Dad is coming along on this trip to deal with the 24/7 issues that come along with this terrible disease.
Continue reading "Whitewater Rafting in Utah" »
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