A little different Colorado River Trip
- Firefly49
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A little different Colorado River Trip
Colorado River NW of Moab, Utah. Fun paddling, awesome scenery, great camping, fantastic weather.......
Last edited by Firefly49 on Mon Jun 25, 2012 12:01 am, edited 1 time in total.
- larry long shadows
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Re: A little different Colorado River Trip
WOW looks like a blast great pictures......how cold was the water
Re: A little different Colorado River Trip
Wow, tell me more. How many days were you on the river, class of water, what did you paddle, put in, take out, distance of total trip.
Beautiful pics. Love river camping. Making a trip to Colorado and NM later this summer for some river running and camping. Always looking for some place new.
Earl
Beautiful pics. Love river camping. Making a trip to Colorado and NM later this summer for some river running and camping. Always looking for some place new.
Earl
- Boomy
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Re: A little different Colorado River Trip
You're killing me!!! I so want to go back! Two years ago we took a day and a half of a family trip to Colorado and went over there. Ended up renting a Jeep (left mine at home ) and hit a couple of trails. Took my 5yr old daughter whitewater rafting in Durango a couple days before and wanted to do it in Moab too, but It didn't work out. Since then I've been gearing up for my next chance, so we can take Jeep, mountain bikes and kayaks. BUUUT last September we had a new addition to the family so the clock kinda got reset for a while Such is life......
Congrats and stay hydrated
Congrats and stay hydrated
- Aggroman
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Re: A little different Colorado River Trip
Great pics!
- Gutter Girl
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Re: A little different Colorado River Trip
Pardon me while I wipe the drool off my face! Great pictures - both of you.
I can just see the wheels in Earl's head turning!
GG
I can just see the wheels in Earl's head turning!
GG
- Boomy
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Re: A little different Colorado River Trip
BTW that second pic is now my wallpaper at work
- Firefly49
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Re: A little different Colorado River Trip
Thanks for the PM's and interest in the trip, lol. One said we need someone with an RV, a trailer to haul yaks and do a TKF run out there for a week and I guarantee I'd go back!!
This was part of a very special "Grandma, daughter and 13-yr old grandson" adventure vacation and it was absolutely a blast! We flew to Denver and rented a shiney red jeep to drive to Moab through central Colorado stopping at Glenwood Springs, driving through Colorado Monument Nat'l Park near Grand Junction (gorgeous!!!) and then near Vail, Dillion and Breckenridge on the way back. Wish I'd had more time to spend in that area.
We scheduled most of the activites through http://www.moabadventurecenter.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; and although we would have liked to include some of the really fun whitewater rafting, time did not allow. We settled on a two-day overnighter on the Colordao River with class I-II rapids. I'd confiscated an inflatable kayak and had great fun other than it didn't track worth a darn when you had a newbie up front, lol..... so the second day I talked one of the guides into letting me have at it on the oarboat carrying supplies. Pretty cool if one doesn't mind paddling backwards most of the time. Personally, I like to see where I'm going .....especially if there's some rapids and rocks!!!!! and rowing one of those big heavy things takes a lot more muscle:lol:
My grandson and I did some horseback riding one day and I'd arranged for a custom ride around the Fisher Tower area. Much better than going in a 20+ group with horses nose-to-tail; plus having a great guide giving her undivided attention and providing us with her knowledge and history of the area (Amazing all the movies that were, and are still being made in that area!!). While doing this, my daughter had rented a mountain bike and explored the Onion Creek area which we all had to go back later to explore further with the jeep and do some creek-jumping.
Dead Horse Point over towards Canyonlands was another gorgeous drive with an interested and sad history (have I used the word gorgeous too much yet???). Wild horses had been driven up to the top and then corralled on the point of this mesa by fencing off the narrow neck leading to it using logs and brush. They were then able to cut out and select the mustangs as needed. Apparently, they inadvertantly left without letting the rest of the herd loose. The horses eventually died of thirst….overlooking the beautiful, cold water of the Colorado River.
Oo-o-o-o! and then came the Hummer Safari!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We drove through an area called "Hell's Revenge". Scaled one of Moab's famous redrock fins on the way and wove in and out of rock canyons, and climbed steep sandstone hills. Awesome adventure.
The highlight of the trip was canyoneering and repelling 90’ into a canyon and 125’ vertical drop off an arch… most of it freefall. Grandson decided this old lady ROCKS!!!!!!! I have to admit I had trepidation of having to back over the edge without being able to see solid ground on the bottom (and wondering how on earth I got trapped into saying I’d DO this ); but once I gingerly made it down about 20’ and felt secure about braking it was a blast ………..and I was ready for the next one.
Fisher Tower / Onion Creek area
This was part of a very special "Grandma, daughter and 13-yr old grandson" adventure vacation and it was absolutely a blast! We flew to Denver and rented a shiney red jeep to drive to Moab through central Colorado stopping at Glenwood Springs, driving through Colorado Monument Nat'l Park near Grand Junction (gorgeous!!!) and then near Vail, Dillion and Breckenridge on the way back. Wish I'd had more time to spend in that area.
We scheduled most of the activites through http://www.moabadventurecenter.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; and although we would have liked to include some of the really fun whitewater rafting, time did not allow. We settled on a two-day overnighter on the Colordao River with class I-II rapids. I'd confiscated an inflatable kayak and had great fun other than it didn't track worth a darn when you had a newbie up front, lol..... so the second day I talked one of the guides into letting me have at it on the oarboat carrying supplies. Pretty cool if one doesn't mind paddling backwards most of the time. Personally, I like to see where I'm going .....especially if there's some rapids and rocks!!!!! and rowing one of those big heavy things takes a lot more muscle:lol:
My grandson and I did some horseback riding one day and I'd arranged for a custom ride around the Fisher Tower area. Much better than going in a 20+ group with horses nose-to-tail; plus having a great guide giving her undivided attention and providing us with her knowledge and history of the area (Amazing all the movies that were, and are still being made in that area!!). While doing this, my daughter had rented a mountain bike and explored the Onion Creek area which we all had to go back later to explore further with the jeep and do some creek-jumping.
Dead Horse Point over towards Canyonlands was another gorgeous drive with an interested and sad history (have I used the word gorgeous too much yet???). Wild horses had been driven up to the top and then corralled on the point of this mesa by fencing off the narrow neck leading to it using logs and brush. They were then able to cut out and select the mustangs as needed. Apparently, they inadvertantly left without letting the rest of the herd loose. The horses eventually died of thirst….overlooking the beautiful, cold water of the Colorado River.
Oo-o-o-o! and then came the Hummer Safari!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We drove through an area called "Hell's Revenge". Scaled one of Moab's famous redrock fins on the way and wove in and out of rock canyons, and climbed steep sandstone hills. Awesome adventure.
The highlight of the trip was canyoneering and repelling 90’ into a canyon and 125’ vertical drop off an arch… most of it freefall. Grandson decided this old lady ROCKS!!!!!!! I have to admit I had trepidation of having to back over the edge without being able to see solid ground on the bottom (and wondering how on earth I got trapped into saying I’d DO this ); but once I gingerly made it down about 20’ and felt secure about braking it was a blast ………..and I was ready for the next one.
Fisher Tower / Onion Creek area
Last edited by Firefly49 on Mon Jun 25, 2012 4:57 pm, edited 1 time in total.
- Firefly49
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Re: A little different Colorado River Trip
Hell's Revenge
- Firefly49
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Re: A little different Colorado River Trip
Canyoneering
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Re: A little different Colorado River Trip
Glad you and the grandkids had a great adventure.
Re: A little different Colorado River Trip
Something none of you will forget!!!
- Boomy
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Re: A little different Colorado River Trip
That was the same group that I rented my Jeep from. Would have liked to have spent a week there. Heck my wife was even eyeballing the city wondering how much they might pay teachers there. Hey we can all dream right?
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Re: A little different Colorado River Trip
Dreaming is great, it is the waking up to reality that sucks.Boomy wrote:That was the same group that I rented my Jeep from. Would have liked to have spent a week there. Heck my wife was even eyeballing the city wondering how much they might pay teachers there. Hey we can all dream right?
- Firefly49
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Re: A little different Colorado River Trip
So true, Milret, lol
I actually gave serious thought to trying to change my plane reservation so I could just let the kid's go on back home without me so I could rent another jeep and stay another week or two. Originally I had planned to drive and spend 3 weeks or so around Utah, Idaho and Colo. That's what I SHOULD have done and simply let them fly out on their own to meet up with me on her week off from work.....sigh. Next year, come hell or high water, it's ferry-hopping to Alaska if I have to do it myself. Travel companions are hard to come by
I actually gave serious thought to trying to change my plane reservation so I could just let the kid's go on back home without me so I could rent another jeep and stay another week or two. Originally I had planned to drive and spend 3 weeks or so around Utah, Idaho and Colo. That's what I SHOULD have done and simply let them fly out on their own to meet up with me on her week off from work.....sigh. Next year, come hell or high water, it's ferry-hopping to Alaska if I have to do it myself. Travel companions are hard to come by
Re: A little different Colorado River Trip
What beautiful land in that region! My wife was asking if we were to take a real vacation, where I'd like to go. I am showing her this!! Great pics and report.
Re: A little different Colorado River Trip
Thanks for the post, Firefly, sounds like a really neat trip! Beautiful scenery!
I'd have been a bit of a wimp when it comes to rapids, or dropping off a cliff .
I'd have been a bit of a wimp when it comes to rapids, or dropping off a cliff .
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Re: A little different Colorado River Trip
That is one thing that I can say about Firefly, she knows how to drop off a cliff.rodloos wrote:Thanks for the post, Firefly, sounds like a really neat trip! Beautiful scenery!
I'd have been a bit of a wimp when it comes to rapids, or dropping off a cliff .
Re: A little different Colorado River Trip
Great pics and report FF, thanks for sharing!
- Firefly49
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Re: A little different Colorado River Trip
milret wrote:That is one thing that I can say about Firefly, she knows how to drop off a cliff.rodloos wrote:Thanks for the post, Firefly, sounds like a really neat trip! Beautiful scenery!
I'd have been a bit of a wimp when it comes to rapids, or dropping off a cliff .
Shhhhhhhhhhush, Milret. They don't need to know about the broken leg in the Gila Mtns. It wasn't MY fault!!!!!!!!!
Re: A little different Colorado River Trip
You really think the broken leg is a secret?
- Firefly49
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Re: A little different Colorado River Trip
Not anymore. Now if I could just find that pic of the chopper airlifting me out I'm sure there'd be more remarks coming................Hirsch wrote:You really think the broken leg is a secret?