Rafting the Colorado River by WILL
You get lots of snacks on the river.
By WILL
When we were at Sorrel River Ranch in Moab, Utah, we went on a rafting trip on the Colorado River.
We were on a raft with our guide, Taylor. When we were on the Colorado, the water was three times higher than usual because of all the snow melt from the mountains. The water level was thirty seven thousand cubic feet of water a second.
Taylor picked us up and we put everything we were bringing into dry bags. We then went to the launching station to launch the raft. We were told that the most dangerous part of the river was the launch ramp because you could get hit with another vehicle trying to launch a raft.
We watched as Taylor launched the raft. Once everything was set, we put our life jackets on and got in the raft. The raft was basically an inflatable rowboat.
Paddling on a river with a strong current is harder than I expected.
We also had an inflatable kayak that Callie and I started out in. It was very fast, maybe ten mph at times, but when Callie got tired of it and wanted to get back in the row boat, I pulled up alongside the main boat and Callie boarded it.
Then, Doyle came on and we did it for another half hour before we got tired. When we were ready to board the main boat, we had to wait for a calmer section of the water.
Ten minutes later, we were on the big boat and my dad was shoving off in the little boat. After about thirty minutes, we found a beach and decided to have lunch there. As we got out of the boat, I asked if we would hit any rapids today. Taylor said we would have a small rapid, right before the campsite.
For lunch we had ham and cheese, veggies, and fruit. Then we hit the water again. Once we were under way, my dad and mom in the little boat, and Callie, Doyle, Tailor and I in the big boat, the Yucca.
An hour or two later, we heard something like a truck driving on a rocky dirt road. I said, "that must be the rapids." As we turned a corner, we saw a long expanse of small white capping waves that were the rapids. As we got nearer, I saw a beach. "Is that our campsite?" I asked Taylor. She replied by saying "yes".
As we hit the rapids, she started rowing the boat toward the shore even before we were a couple hundred feet from it. She did this so that we would be going towards shore and the current would be carrying down stream so we made a diagonal line toward the campsite.
While mom and dad were paddling the little kayak, Taylor gave Callie some rowing lessons.
Doyle and I are doing a link post, where I did the beginning and he does the end. To see the end of the rafting trip, check Doyle's page.
