Green River Raft trip post 9, Desolation Canyon & Gray canyon (9 days, 9/24-10/2, ~3500 cfs)

A short float to the takeout.

a familiar scene

helmets on for the last few riffles and rapids

Gently oaring on flat water.

and it was over. we spent more time packing and unpacking that we did on the river this day

R: can you figure out what massive manipulation I did to this photo? hint: compare to the photo above it

erosion pattern on Gunnison Butte overlooking the takeout at Swaseys

Green River Raft trip post 8, Desolation Canyon & Gray canyon (9 days, 9/24-10/2, ~3500 cfs)

A full day of sights made longer by a dearth of good campsites at the end.

T

a very nice petroglyph panel on a boulder

but it looked like it had fallen over (note the sheep mid-left)

closeup

another boulder

lovely but it's getting late

quite a few rapids and riffles gave us nice speed for the day

the Price River was running. it's green color only slowly mixed with the pink from the Green River

in the end, we camped on a sandbar. because of the possibility of large increased in the Green River's height, a sandbar is not our preferred area. but, the weather was moving out and...

gorgeous clouds

Green River Raft trip post 7, Desolation Canyon & Gray canyon (9 days, 9/24-10/2, ~3500 cfs)

Lay-over day at Range Creek.

the Boba in action on the day hike up Range Creek

Fremont style pit house. current thinking is that it's not that they couldn't have made monumental buildings like Chaco, they just didn't want to

it's kind of the anti- group shot. I think The Who did a record cover like this once

little garter snake

kicking back at camp

Green River Raft trip post 6, Desolation Canyon & Gray canyon (9 days, 9/24-10/2, ~3500 cfs)

What's that you say? Rain? Is it optional?

Apparently not.

Who-boy was our tent wet and sandy; packing it away. Still, it was beautiful seeing the mists, clouds and cliffs playing with each other. Plus it was gorgeous light when the storm broke.

the usual suspects

rain rain rain

the Helinox umbrella came to our rescue once again!

R caught the action up close

oh yeah

This area is near the McPherson Ranch and Ouray Lodge, a defunct attempt to make a resort. It's a gorgeous place. I don't begrudge the Ute's for wanting to do one here. I bet the long long long and remote (and probably rugged) drive in is what killed it.

I didn't do anything to this photo that Ansel Adams wouldn't have (bwahahahaha!)

that's what I'm talking about

camp

Green River Raft trip post 5, Desolation Canyon & Gray canyon (9 days, 9/24-10/2, ~3500 cfs)

A bright start.

R, O & N

O

T2 & J

beaver

beaver food

little hike up Rock Creek but not enough time to make it to the petroglyphs (~2.5 mi up canyon)

I was there!

clouds had moved in. looked like rain...

large cat prints in the sand (about 3 1/2"), a mountain lion had been at our campsite just a few hours before. it definitely made us more watchful – regularly scanning the bushes and making sure the little ones were playing in that tree right in the middle of camp. 

petroglyphs inside a tight spot under a huge boulder

in another tight area on the left side of the boulder