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Three Great Hikes in Northeastern Utah

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Great Hikes in Northeastern Utah

The Flume Trail – Located a half hour outside of downtown Vernal, the Dry Fork Canyon Flume Trail is an incredible hiking opportunity worth the drive. The flume trail is open to hiking, mountain biking and horses. In the winter this is a popular cross country ski route or snowshoeing area. This multi-user trail follows Dry Fork Creek and the Red Cloud Loop Road. It is beginner, intermediate in fitness so it is a perfect hiking trail for anyone wanting to get out in nature. Dry Fork canyon is spectacular with some gorgeous scenery. In the spring and early summer, you will be able to follow the creek as it flows with winter run off. Eventually the runoff gets low enough that Dry Fork’s water seeps into the ground and does not flow along the creek’s streambed. Along the trail you will be interspersed with aspen and pine trees with the opportunity to see mule deer, if your lucky a moose and tons of sweet bird life. The canyon itself is a narrow, steep walled canyon with some incredible sandstone cliffs.

Flume Trail (Dry Canyon)

Little Hole Trail – We love taking a one-day raft trip along Utah’s world-famous Green River below Flaming Gorge Dam, but did you know there is an excellent hiking trail that follows the river? The first 7 miles of the Green River or Section A as it is most commonly known has a well-maintained hiking trail. This trail is most commonly used by fly fisherman looking to get into a little dry fly action from shore. You can park at either end of the trail and choose your adventure. There is parking available at the Flaming Gorge Dam River entrance or at the Little Hole Recreation Area. Take a camera, water, and snacks, it is easy to make a full day out of this hiking trail. The scenery is beautiful, plenty of wildlife to view and lots of great locations to sit back in the shade and enjoy watching the Green River flow by. There is a ton of great things to do in the Flaming Gorge area, taking a hike along the river is a must see and do if you are in the region.

Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area, Little Hole Trail

Jones Hole Creek Trail – Located about an hour and a half from downtown Vernal, Jones Hole Creek is an oasis. This trail follows Jones Creek, a perennial spring fed stream originating from the limestone formations underneath Diamond Mountain. The head of the stream is the United States Fish and Wildlife trout hatchery. Here the biologists raise Colorado Cutthroat trout, Kokanee salmon and Rainbow trout for Flaming Gorge Reservoir and other local streams and rivers. Once the creek leaves the hatchery it flows through a geological wonderland of incredible cliff formations leading to the Green River approximately 4 miles downstream from the trail head. This trail is gentle with little elevation gain or drop. It can be very hot in the summer months so plan your hike accordingly, carrying plenty of water, sunscreen, and snacks. A popular side stop is Ely Creek to butt dam falls. This little side stream to Jones Creek has a small waterfall half mile from the main trail that is a refreshing spot to cool off. Watch for Native American rock art sites (remember do not touch the art), wildlife and fish in the stream. This is a popular hike with rafting groups who are coming down the Green River Gates of Lodore or Yampa River. You may encounter other folks who have been out for 4 or 5 days on Colorado whitewater rafting adventure.

Hiking Jones Hole and Ely Creek Falls | by Kim Zuch | Gardening, Birding, and Outdoor Adventure | Medium

Looking for other great hiking options in the area? Check with Uintah County Travel and Tourism, Dinosaur National Monument, United States Forest Service or the Bureau of Land Management for trails in the region.

River Guiding In My Hometown

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Guiding in my Hometown

*Who am I?
I am a river lover! My name is Kassie Robbins, I am 38 years old. I am married and
have three young children. My two boys are ages 9 and 7, and my daughter is 4. I have
been a whitewater raft guide since I was about 20 years old. I started guiding in
southern Utah on the Colorado River and the Green River. My first experience with
seeing river guides was on the Green River Gates of Lodore at a very young age, maybe 11. We
were taking a private family river trip down that section of the Green River through the heart of Dinosaur National Monument. The Hatch
River Expeditions crew was camping at Jones Hole. I saw those boats and knew then
that I wanted to become a river guide. Coming from a family of river runners I had no
idea I would land here. I had intentions of making it into the Grand Canyon. However, I
find this place to be as serene and unique as any river I have traversed and that is why I
keep coming back.
*Why I choose to guide here?
I choose Dinosaur National Monument as a place to guide for several reasons. Not only is it one of the best places for white water rafting in Colorado or river rafting in Utah but it is my backyard. One of the biggest reasons of those being that I get to be home regularly with my kiddos. They get to see mom in
action which is really cool. I get to embrace the beauty that surrounds me year-round.
Being able to take advantage of the monument and the rivers flowing through it is such
a huge bonus to my work. Sharing my love for the area is something that is within me. I
grew up rafting these canyons from an early age. We would run through Split Mountain
(the last day of a multi-day for both the Yampa River and Gates of Lodore) camping at the takeout,
sitting around a campfire, laughing and roasting marshmallows and sleeping in a tent I
have fond memories of this place and I seriously love that I get to share it with so many
people, but especially MY little people.
*Why I love working for a locally owned company in my Hometown?
Can we all say the word connection? Relationships are built on connections. I build
relationships on my trips and some of them go on forever. I still connect with some
ladies I took down the river in my first few years of guiding. So, to say that building a
lasting relationship with the owners of Dinosaur River Expeditions is of value to me, is
an understatement. They are like family. They truly care about me, my family, the team
of guides that work for them. I have had many jobs and opportunities to work for
various employers and can honestly say that Jen and Tyler Callantine are literally some
of the best out there. They bring a level of professionalism and empathy to the
workplace. People work hard for people they respect. They have given me a gift of
being able to work part-time in between being a Mom. They understand the importance
of family! I also love the feeling of being able to give back to a small family owned and
operated company.
*What are some of the hidden gems of the area?
Being able to work in and around Vernal, UT, I have learned about many of the neat
places that exist. Some of the cool places to see are actually outside of the monument.
Being able to explore the area throughout the last 15 years and to find out I still have
more to see. It seems that if you are looking you can find a Gem just about anywhere if
you are willing to explore. Whether you like fishing, camping, hiking, sightseeing or
anything else that requires you to get outside, this place has a lot to offer an avid outdoors person. When you take the opportunity to come run a river trip with me and
the crew, we would love to share some of these places with you.

5 Great Podcasts For Outdoor Enthusiasts

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5 Great Podcasts for Outdoor Enthusiasts

Eddy Out with Natali Zollinger

Natali Zollinger does an amazing job of bringing the river community together. From rafting, kayaking, swift water safety, stand up paddle boarding, gear and more she captures stories of old-time legends and folks who love the river and community that surrounds the magic of the river. This is a great way to feel like you are having a real down to earth chat with someone on the beach at camp, paddling downstream or sitting around the campfire. Natali has worked on many of the rivers in the west including several sections of the Colorado River and our favorites the Green River Gates of Lodore and Yampa River near Vernal, Utah.  Her ability to connect with the river community comes from a deep love and appreciation for the experiences that happen while moving downstream.

 

Outside Podcast – 

This Fun and upbeat podcast is sponsored by Outdoor Magazine and PRX. There are interesting interviews and information about innovations like the sports bra. They share some historical and scientific news from Outside magazine with an intriguing vocal component. There is exciting survival stories shared about cold weather conditions, lightning strikes, and finding bodies in the desert from dehydration. This podcast series will keep you captivated episode after episode.

Dirtbag Diaries – 

Adventures of the dreamers, athletes, and wanderers are shared in this fun and spunky podcast. The stories relate to many of the challenges of the outdoors in a way that go deeper. Giving you a glimpse into ways the outdoors connect with your everyday life. The Dirtbag’s storytelling is a way for them to share real life-inspired adventures that bring people closer to the outdoors. We are all between Dirtbag adventures and scheming about how to get to the next expedition!

Outside Voices –

This podcast honors stories and gives a voice to Black, Indigenous, and People of Color, folks with disabilities, LGBTQIA+ and any others that may be changing the way the world views diversity and the outdoors. It is a great podcast to help with a culture of inclusion and equity giving the listeners an opportunity to feel the importance of shedding what we think we know and becoming more open-minded and aware of those around us while spending time in the outdoors.

She Explores –

I have spent many of my 15 years as a female whitewater raft guide in Dinosaur National Monument running the majestic Gates of Lodore and wild Yampa River as well in southern Utah on the Colorado River. These years of experience have given me much time to reflect on what keeps me coming back. Connecting my body and soul with the outdoors has given me the freedom that is desired in our ever so tied down world. The love that comes from the magic of the river continues to bring me the peace I seek in life. This podcast brings many women of diverse backgrounds, ages, and races together, all while discovering our love of nature. As a mother of 3 young children I get excited when I hear of other women living their outdoor dreams. This podcast will not disappoint the eager outdoor enthusiast who enjoys celebrating women connected to the earth.  

Enjoy these podcasts and dream of your next outdoor adventure. Whether that is a daily rafting in Utah on the Green River or mountain biking fast single track in the Vernal, Utah desert we hope you find inspiration in the great stories shared on these podcasts.   

Rafting Adventures Rock!

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5 Reasons Green River Gates of Lodore and Yampa River Rafting Adventures Rock

 

  1. QUIET

We live in a world full of noise! That noise comes from all around us, our family schedules, our jobs, societal issues good and bad, worldly news and anything else that adds to the noise in our life. I love my time on the Green and Yampa Rivers. Rafting these canyons of Dinosaur National Monument gives me a chance to sit in a quiet and serene wildness. In a world where we carry one of the noisiest things with us at all times, we get to put the cell phone down and leave the video games at home when we traverse and raft these wild river canyons in Colorado and Utah.  

These two rivers in particular have given me the special time to mediate. I particularly find myself in a rhythm on the raft listening to nature and the repetitive movement of dipping and pulling of the oars. It allows me to be completely present. Being present in this life can be hard with all the daily distractions. Giving myself this space of quiet is a beautiful and very unique experience which I treasure.

  1. UNCROWDED

Wow! This world is becoming ever so crowded, and as good and great as many of those opportunities are in the busyness, the crowds are a major turn off for me. Waiting in the grocery store line or a traffic jam is not a fun and stress-free way to spend time.  

Though we see other folks and groups along these rivers, it is not crowded like the big city. Adventures to our national parks and monuments can be varied depending on the time of year and activities you are seeking out. Springtime in the desert of Utah is a prime example of everyone getting rid of cabin fever and bounding out to see the state’s incredible national parks. The beauty of a river rafting trip through Dinosaur Monument is it is a permitted rafting section with a select number of people allowed to go each day. Alas no crowds!

When I launch on my boat into the vast canyons of The Gates of Lodore or the Yampa River Canyon I know it is going to be my boat, the people I left with and an occasional run in with some other river loving, serenity seeking folks. Avoiding crowds isn’t a problem because just by going on the river the crowds are left behind!

  1. WILD

The Green River and Yampa have some hidden gems that give me moments to experience the wild it has to offer. The very definition of the noun “wild” is a natural state or uncultivated or uninhabited region. I believe these rivers tucked in the deep canyons is the very essence of WILD. The rivers offer wildlife like Big Horn Sheep, Deer, Moose, River Otters, Beavers, Endangered and Unendangered Fish Species, and one of my personal favorites is the birds of prey like Bald and Golden Eagles. I have yet to experience a River trip down these corridors without seeing something wild.  

The Rapids are created by natural causes of rocks moving into the river through states of weathering and erosion.  This has created the exhilarating whitewater that pumps my adrenaline and gives me a feeling of accomplishment when I arrive at the bottom. The Green River has some really fascinating river history involving the infamous John Wesley Powell and other early explorers. Their perspective can really give insight to how WILD it really can be!

Another magnificent way to experience the WILD is hiking off the river to places like waterfalls such as Butt Damn Falls (Ely Creek) or Rippling Brook Falls.

Dinosaur National Monument was established in 1915 by Woodrow Wilson and only had about 80 acres encompassing the Fossil Quarry. In 1938 President Franklin D. Roosevelt enlarged the monument to over 210,000 acres mainly to include the two river corridors. Most of the Monument is actually the Rivers and the surrounding canyons. The majority of which cannot be accessed by car.  Now that’s wild AND ROCKS if I must say so myself.

  1. SCENIC

Fascinating geology means old rocks and ancient rock art both of which are two really amazing reasons to explore these places.  There are over 23 rock layers that can be seen in Dinosaur National Monument.  Many of those layers are exclusively seen by river because they are exposed in those regions.  These layers are from the Precambrian era (1,100 Million Years ago) to the Miocene Era (25-10 Million Years ago.) These layers are part of 1.2 billion years of extinct ecosystems and is one of the most complete stratigraphic displays in one place. Now that’s cool!  

The sunsets and sunrises over the canyons are exemplary.  

The ancient rock art comes from the Ancient Fremont Culture from around 700-1400 A.D.  They were nomadic people and moved around. They had specific places they would return to at different times of the year. The rock art is a bonus to those places and often gives me perspective to what my life is like and what the people of those days experienced. 

  1. UNIQUE  To give some perspective. These rivers are an unique opportunity for folks who are willing to make it a priority and put it on their bucket list of experiences. Why is it unique? For one, these rivers are on a lottery system and only a small number of people with the proper experience and gear are going to be able to traverse these river canyons every summer if they are lucky to draw one of the coveted permits for the Yampa River of Gates of Lodore Green River canyons. The other unique opportunity is the concessionaire system where people without or with experience can hire a professional outfitter to guide them on their adventure.

The chances are limited for folks to be able to make it down there without some help.  

Commercial river companies like Vernal, Utah’s Dinosaur River Expeditions have something for everyone by giving them the chance to experience the world class Wild and Scenic Rivers and their surrounding canyons with lots of kid and adult friendly activities and great food!  The company provides amazing all-inclusive bucket list vacations that will rock your world. I’m IN!

Visit Utah Film Trip

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Each raft trip we guide along the Green and Yampa Rivers are unique and special in their own way. Whether this be the great people that you meet, the animals you see, scenery, rapids or any number of things along the way each trip is truly special. One trip that stood out for me during the 2019 summer season was a film trip with Visit Utah. Visit Utah is the state of Utah’s travel and tourism marketing department. Visit Utah reached out to us to help guide and host a film trip with the sole purpose of getting high quality video and photography to market Dinosaur National Monument and river rafting along the Green River Gates of Lodore. Visit Utah is promoting lesser known areas of Utah to tourists looking to see the spectacular sights we have here. They are also looking to promote local guide and outfitters in these lesser known areas. As Vernal, Utah’s only locally owned and operated outfitter we were the chosen company. The end results of this co op after six months of editing and refining the video and photos is nothing less than stunning and world class. Visit Utah and there team did a fantastic job of capturing the essence of Dinosaur Monument and what it maybe like to take a river rafting trip along the route of the Green River. This section of the Green River through the Gates of Lodore canyon begins its journey in Colorado’s Brown Park region. With that said most commercial rafting trips begin and end their adventures in Vernal, Utah.

The trip started out as usual with a pre trip meeting at our Vernal, Utah office meeting the guests and film crew, getting them oriented as to what to expect the next four days and providing them with dry bags for day gear and camp time gear. This meeting also provided us an opportunity to learn about what the KNHO film crew would need from us to successfully accomplish their vision while traversing the river canyon. We learned a lot at this meeting and were able to prepare with adequate dry boxes and storage systems for the multitude of cameras, laptops, chargers, solar panels and assorted gear that was required to obtain the high quality footage they took.

The guests were an incredible family that were full of life and excitement wanting to experience as much of the river trip as possible. Nushin (mom) and her three children Layla, Noah and Eesa were chosen from an online audition process to be the focus family in the final film. This family was a great choice, their sense of adventure lent itself perfectly to all the possibilities found on a multi day rafting trip. Each person was excited to hike, swim, try their hand at inflatable kayaks or stand up paddle boarding. Which all lined up perfectly with the story that the producer had envisioned for the films story line. Nushin followed up after the four day trip with a great write up of her and her families experience visiting Dinosaur National Monument and going on their first big river rafting excursion.

Check out her write up here. https://www.visitutah.com/articles/utah-family-rafting-dinosaur-national-monument/

Visit Utah Film Trip
4 day family guided rafting trip through the Gates of Lodore in Dinosaur National Monument near Vernal, Utah. https://www.jeremiahwattphotography.com/

The film crew was a fun group of characters (in a good way, they all had awesome personalities) with some neat backgrounds in the film arts. Sandra Salvas was the trips producer and organized the components for the film crew. Mike Eldredge of KNHO was the films director and a camera man, Austin Balls was the second camera man and Tony Hagerdorn was the photographer. This crew like I mentioned before knew their stuff. The equipment they brought along was Hollywood quality filming gear, single lenses that cost upwards of $10,000.00, super powerful laptops to download each days footage, really cool solar powered generator from Utah’s own Goal Zero. We knew they were good, because we had the opportunity to view previous works on Utah adventures where they captured the essence of mountain biking the Bears Ear National Monument area, horse back riding in Monument Valley, snow skiing the Wasatch Mountain range. All of the film we viewed in advance was beautifully done.

As always, we the crew departed Vernal in the early dark am hours for Brown’s Park Colorado where we would start our four day journey. After a 2 hour drive we arrived at the Gates of Lodore put in where we unloaded the rig truck and trailer load of gear and began preparing the rafts for the guests and film crew to arrive. This process is not quick and can be quite laborious. It takes a lot of gear and the gear can be heavy, cumbersome to move around on a sandy beach and awkward. This part of the trip has to occur to make all the magic happen, without fully rigged rafts it is tough to take a rafting trip. When all the heavy lifting is done there is always a little downtime between having the rafts ready and when the guests arrive. This is guide time where they get to take care of themselves. Brushing teeth, putting on sunscreen, finishing coffee and breakfast the basics that keep them healthy and functioning well. Guide time becomes very valuable as the summer progresses and the wear and tear of sun, sand and water take their toll on a body.

Once the guests arrive everything goes fairly quick from loading the last bits of gear to securing life jackets and safety speech. You are off the van and on to a river adventure in a small whirlwind of time. This is where for me as a guide of 25 years, the trip took a turn and became really interesting. The interesting turn was the artistic aspect that was brought along by the film crew. As an artist and art teacher it was fascinating to work with the crew in setting up the perfect shots, finding the vantage point that really highlighted the scenery and wilderness found in Dinosaur National Monument. These guys are pro’s, their work is all over Hollywood, the internet, You Tube channels with millions of views. They knew what type of imagery they wanted and were meticulous in obtaining it. The film crew had their own boat that was able to leap frog the rafts and set up in advance to take video and photos. At times the film boat would be an hour or so ahead of us while the film crew would take hikes up above the canyon floor. Sometimes hiking 500 vertical feet or so above us to get some of the most incredible aerial views I have ever seen of Lodore Canyon. This process became rather quick and seamless as we all became a tight crew working on this film project together.

Throughout the filming process, Sandra and her crew amazed us constantly with high tech and low tech camera gear. All the while they were excellent at answering our layman questions as to what this equipment was and why they chose different cameras, lenses or apparatus for particular shots. The tools that really amazed me were all of the Go Pro sports camera accessories. I have several Go Pro cameras and dabble with taking video and photos with some success. The accessories they brought along were game changers in taking action footage. A camera mount you hold in your teeth, this one gets perfect point of view video. A camera housing that takes perfect video at the water level. This half round contraption allowed the camera to have clear focus under and above the water at the same time. All cool items that showed their use when the video was edited out and the awesome shots that they got using these cool tools.

Overall the filming trip had great weather, water levels were perfect, group dynamics were spot on and it was wonderful experience for all of us. The end results are beautiful photographs and extremely high quality video that is fun to watch. After six months of waiting patiently to see the end product we could not be more proud of the whole teams collaboration to create a wonderful artistic work. Thank you must go out to the entire Visit Utah team and Nushin and her family from the Dinosaur River Expeditions crew.

5 Great Restaurants After Your Utah Rafting Trip

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So you just came off an excursion down one of Utah’s gorgeous rivers. You’ve had camp meals for the past several days. Or maybe just a deli lunch on a day float. Maybe even just a granola bar and some trail mix. Yes, you may have been exposed to sun, wind, possibly even rain I could imagine. You’ve packed and unpacked a boat numerous times, even if it was just this morning and just this evening. Anyway you cut it, you’ve likely worked up an appetite – and not an appetite to do more work. You’re returning to civilization, and while that may be hard it certainly comes with some perks. Perks like near limitless meal options, and someone else preparing the food for you to boot. The only hard part of this equation is where to eat?

 

Dinosaur Brewhaus

If you’re coming out of Dinosaur National Monument after a 4 or 5 day trip on the Green River Gates of Lodore or Yampa River, Vernal Utah boasts several great spots to sate your hunger. One simply shouldn’t leave Vernal without trying out the Dinosaur Brewhaus. It’s simple pub fair, but has a down-home and delicious taste, with complimentary peanuts while you wait, and a variety of Utah beers on hand. They’re used to their fare share of river runners, so come in whatever condition you leave the boat ramp in! 

 

Sabaku Sushi

Say you’re enjoying the day float in Moab, or coming off the monstrous waves of Cataract canyon, Moab is well equipped to meet your gastronomic desires. The unbeatable Sabaku Sushi serves up incredible options from our river running friend and amazing chef Alex Borichevsky. Not only does he know great river running he serves up delectable fresh sushi offerings. This is a Moab favorite.

 

Vernal Brewing Company

Maybe you just finished up a classic Utah 1 day Flaming Gorge Green River trip and are looking for a little more flare to your evening meal. For more variety and atmosphere, the Vernal Brewing Company is top notch. They boast a wide selection of entrees and of course have their locally brewed beer on tap. Try the Little Hole Lager or the local favorite the 50 Caliber IPA, and other craft and domestic beers as well. The brewing operation is a sight to behold, but if you’re hoping for a tour I’d recommend cleaning up a tad before asking about a table.

 

Ray’s Tavern

Coming off of a Desolation Canyon/Grays river trip, you end up in the small town of Green River Utah. Good bang for your buck is Ray’s Tavern, a quaint little eatery that’s got its roots in the river running community. Enjoy burgers and sandwiches all the while marveling at some amazing shots of whitewater from the sports’ long and storied history.

 

Taggart’s Grill

Paddling out of Park City will likely put you on the Weber River, a calm stretch of water that runs along train tracks and highway 84. Raft, kayak, or tube this river (pick up your trash!) and enjoy the Taggart’s Grill at the take out. Taggart’s Grill offers exquisitely crafted sandwiches, soups, and pizzas. They’re in house desserts – like their carrot cake – are out of this world, and their beer selection isn’t too bad to boot. Just remember, no shirt, no shoes, no service.

 

 

Protect your Skin: Shining Light on River Guide Wisdom

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Nothing can ruin your dream vacation like a bad sunburn.  Not to mention the long-term effects associated with that kind of skin damage.  If you are going on a river trip, then you will be exposed to the elements for anywhere from a day to a couple of weeks so you should plan accordingly.  Your river guides spend all summer being bombarded by solar radiation, so if you should need advice or an example of how to deal with the elements look no further. Having guided the rivers here in Dinosaur National Monument and the local Vernal, Utah area for many years I have gained some valuable insight into sun protection when out in the elements adventuring on these amazing white water rivers.

The iconic image of a river guide may be a bronzed scantily clad emissary of the sun, and it is true that with so much exposure to the sun you will inevitably brown and get some nice tan lines, but I for one am vigilant with applying and reapplying sunscreen.  I use stronger stuff, usually SPF 30 at least.  Look for the multi spectrum coverage, preferably non-greasy and water resistant.  Since its going on my precious skin I also try to go for natural ingredients and therefor end up spending a little more for what I want, but I’m worth it. Goodhouse Keeping put together a great list of the 11 best natural sunscreens for 2019 take a look at their top choices. Besides nice sunscreen I like to use lip balm with an SPF rating as well.  I keep it close and use it a lot. 

Your vestments are your most reliable protection from the sun.  This is your armor.  I like to wear long sleeves, with a collar I can pop up to keep the sun off my neck, and to look good.  This is a business casual ensemble however, with swim shorts and sandals being the lower half.  Just remember to lotion up the bare legs and feet.  Pants made from quick drying fabrics provide a nice break from the sun, when it’s not too hot.  I have also been known to wear leggings for the same purpose.  Fashion and function.  A sarong is another great clothing option for covering the legs and it can double as a beach blanket, light sheet or a warming layer when it cools down a little bit. Our friends at North West River supply have a great collection of river guide approved clothing for sun protection. 

For the love of your face, don’t forget to take a hat.  Maybe take two or three.  You don’t want to be without a hat, and it is a real bummer to lose your only one to the river.  I like to wear a big straw hat most of the time.  Its full wide brim protects more angles covering my face and neck. Tula Hats make some great wide brimmed sun hats in many styles, they are also tough I have worn my almost daily for several summer now. Besides my Huck Finn topper I also take a baseball cap or two.  You must remember that the sun is also hitting you from below as it reflects off the water, so I might also wear a buff or bandana around my neck pulled over my ears.  Another great tool to have in your box is to have a sun hoodie.  They provide great coverage, work well with ball caps, and they look and feel good. 

Now that our skin is covered let’s not forget to shade the all-important windows.  Sunglasses are crucial to your protected persona.  The list of benefits is long.  They make you look good, they cut down on glare making it easier to see the beautiful landscape that you find yourself in, they reduce eye fatigue and the chance of headaches and they decrease your risk for future vision and eye health issues.  Did I mention they make you look good?  The best part is that you don’t necessarily have to break the bank on nice shades as you can find good polarized lenses almost anywhere.  This is also good because sunglasses are another item that you may want to plan for redundancies, lest you lose or break your first pair. 

Now if you have taken this advice you should be doing well, but there are a couple of other tricks to give you an edge in minimizing your solar exposure.  Seek shade when possible.  Lounge under a tree or prepare lunch beneath an overhung cliff.  If space allows then bring a beach umbrella or a shade canopy.  You could always hide in your tent at a layover camp but in the summer, this could be a place of stifling heat.  Instead, carry in your kit a small sheet or piece of cloth that you can cover up with and wet when it is hot this is where that sarong comes in handy.   

Your skin is precious.  It does well to protect you from threats to your health and comfort, but it needs your help.  You must do your part to take care of it and it will continue to take care of you.  You’ll be able to enjoy your dream vacation down the river without the discomfort of a sun burn and you’ll be able to enjoy the peace of mind that your long-term health will see you through many more adventures down the river and around the sun.

We look forward to seeing you on the river.  

Nature Inspires Creativity

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Rhythm of the Wild

There’s a debate among linguists and musicians as to which came first: language or music. Without a time machine, it’s a hard problem to solve. But I side with the musicians. Any given day has a rhythm. To hear the music all you need to do is step outside. It is no wonder then that some of our best creative thinking comes from being outside. Often times this creativity blossoms on rafting trip, backpacking adventure, car camping in the southern Utah desert or a neighborhood evening walk.

The day has multiple rhythms, and the year has its own as well, they’re called seasons. But the rhythm I’m talking about has a decidedly musical quality. Birds call it out in the cool morning of day. Insect cries fill the heady heat of the afternoon. Crickets serenade the evening, and owls add their cry. In some places, the calls of animals are so consistent you can set your watch to them. See what I mean by rhythm?

It makes perfect sense then that before we could communicate a complex thought we could recognize the music of our world and riff on it. Of course this is all conjecture. But what’s more than conjecture is how beneficial getting outside is to creative thinking. Our cognitive ability is boosted in manifold ways when we get outside. In the most general sense, we get away from the noise of cities – the traffic, construction, and technological trappings. Once away from these distractions our minds can relax. As we relax we can notice the patterns around us; the fractal nature of leaves, the murmur of running water, how colors change in the Fall. To take it a step further (literally) taking a hike gets our blood circulating, stimulating our minds as well as our muscles. Indeed, studies have shown the benefits of cognizance that exercise has. It’s no wonder then that skiing, riding, or walking in the backcountry clear the mind. Not only that, but having an activity allows us to focus, on the thing we’re doing specifically, which is an important distinction than the many tasks that vie for our attention at home or in the office. Shedding distractions and focusing on one thing is good brain training, and can carry over to the problem solving practices we use in our everyday lives.

Our friends at the Freeflow Institute organize incredible multi-day rafting trips where like minded writers converge and build off of each other in a magnificent outdoor setting. Freeflow Institute is just one of many organized opportunities to get outside and build upon your artistic processes. It is fun to  seek out friends or a group that shares similar interests for your outdoor creative ventures. 

Looking for a great way to journal your outdoor creative experiences the great folks at REI have shared an excellent video on making your own journal. https://www.rei.com/blog/social/diy-how-to-make-an-adventure-journal

So I encourage you to get outside. And if you can get out for a long day. Are there some trees turning colors earlier than others? Take note of what you see: what kind of plant is growing by the creek? How do you imagine it’s different than others that grow further up the bank? Get out there. See if you can hear the rhythm. 

Disconnecting

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Have you ever had that moment of panic when you can’t feel your phone in your pocket, or can’t find it in your purse? Our devices have become ubiquitous. Odds are you’re reading this on some device or other. We can check our bank statements. We can reach our loved ones from almost anywhere, not only hear their voices but see their faces; our kids off at college, or our parents living in the next state over. These things have made our lives much easier and our world much smaller. There is the ever constant news stream, which has become increasingly more difficult to parse through. There are the photos and videos from friends and influence’s. There are the work emails that can now be received from almost anywhere.

Yes, good or ill, our devices are here to stay. But, if you’re reading this, (and you have made it this far), you’ve probably found they can be a distraction, detrimental even. In fact, we’re beginning to find that as we increasingly interface with our world through a screen, we’re not practicing some crucial skills. We’re less empathetic, and less willing to try and understand things from viewpoints that differ from our own. It seems a little gloomy. How do we get back to real human interaction? How do we escape work emails, the stream of social media, and the constant news feed? We can get outside.

Though our devices may be ubiquitous, WiFi and cell phone service are not. Get far enough off the beaten path, and your place of work can’t find you to ask if you’ve finished those reports or met with the accounting department. In the backcountry the space you move through is now larger than life, even though it’s such a small slice of the world. It’s now infinitely bigger than it could have been on your favorite social media site.

The benefits of getting away from our devices and getting outside become even more apparent when we do it with our friends and family. When going into the wilderness on a backcountry river rafting trip preparedness is key. Good preparation is incumbent on good communication. Therein is where real human interaction takes place. When making a plan with one another we are practicing those crucial social skills that make us more empathetic and better able to view the world from multiple viewpoints. It seems mundane in practice, but it’s importance and benefits are widespread. Especially for the developing minds of our children. How does it work? Pretty simple actually. When we discuss a plan, whether it be as simple as a day hike or as complex as a Utah or Colorado multi day river rafting adventure, we each approach what we expect to do differently. Only once there is agreement on a plan do we enact it. And until that point is reached, the discussion of options forces us to look at the plan from the perspective of our companions. We’re practicing our social skills, failing and succeeding together in real time.

Obviously you don’t have to get into the backcountry to do these things. But getting outside happens to be a great place to facilitate these things, as it presents unique challenges, has spotty service and no wifi. So grab your friends and family, ditch those electronic devices and have that human experience in a beautiful place. A multi day river rafting adventure on the Yampa River or Green River Gates of Lodore through Dinosaur National Monument is a perfect place to disconnect from that electronic world and reconnect with your family and friends.

Leave No Trace

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When you join Dinosaur River Expeditions on a white water rafting trip whether it is on the Green River Gates of Lodore or the Yampa River through Dinosaur National Monument a common phrase you will hear from the guides is “Take only pictures, leave only footprints.” As we travel these incredible rivers we practice and teach the ethics of “Leave No Trace” camping and backcountry travel. How many people do you think visit the nations backcountry?

Big question obviously, so let’s set some parameters. We will start with Arches National Park. Arches attracts just over one million visitors a year. As you can imagine, most of that traffic is during the summer. But, perhaps Arches isn’t the epitome of backcountry travel. I’m not sure about you, but when I go into the back country I want to get away from the trappings and crowds of society. What about Yellowstone National Park? The park reported over 500,000 visitors in 2018. Again, most of that traffic is during summer months, when the weather isn’t as inclement. That is still a huge volume of people. Maybe you’re thinking, in order to leave the crowds behind, some of the park rules have to be bent. Please, for the sake of fellow backcountry travelers, and even more so for the environment, follow park rules and the guidelines put together by Leave No Trace Center For Outdoor Ethics.

Here’s why, you are not unique in thinking of leaving designated trails, taking souvenirs – say a collection of wildflowers or an artifact – and generally treating the park as a no-holds-barred playground. If the thousands of visitors to our backcountry recreation areas were to do that, they would be nowhere near the pristine and idyllic places they are. For those that are skeptical of this diagnosis, here’s an example of when rules aren’t followed.

March 19th 2019. 50,000 self stick wielding tourists descended on a California town: population 60,000. Tourists and social media influences, in their desperate attempts to get the best pictures with the poppies, ended up trampling swaths of them. They climbed steep canyon walls never meant to be climbed, sending boulders and debris down upon the crowds below. Specifically for blooms like these, this is not an isolated incident. It’s a part of the social media curse, which is a double edged sword, and a topic for another time.

Let’s bring this subject closer to home. What about our arid landscape, where it can seem scarcely anything grows? Though it may seem counter-intuitive, staying on designated trails is more important than ever. Because the desert is sparse with vegetation, we are more prone to soil erosion. Furthermore, many areas of the desert harbor cryptobiotic soil, a delicate, black, slow growing cyanobacteria that is crucial to the ecosystem and helps prevent soil erosion. If stepped on, it is destroyed and won’t grow back in full for generations. So, as you can imagine, if Disneyland sized crowds were to walk wherever they want, the effects could be devastating for the local environment.

To help give us some guidelines for wilderness and backcountry travel the Leave No Trace organization has provided 7 principles to aid people in their pursuit of outdoor recreation and protecting our nation’s resources. https://lnt.org/why/7-principles/

The 7 principles are – Plan Ahead and Prepare; Travel and Camp on Durable Surfaces; Dispose of Waste Properly; Leave What You Find; Minimize Campfire Impacts; Respect Wildlife and Be Considerate of Others. As we travel on the wilderness rivers of Utah and Colorado such as the Green River Gates of Lodore and the Yampa River we follow and truly believe in these practices. We want these wild places to be preserved for generations to come.

To beat a dead horse, park rules and regulations are put in place for a reason. Sure, your apple core and orange slices will eventually biodegrade. But in areas as heavily trafficked as some of our parks, these items will form midden heaps if not disposed of properly. And in addition to being unsightly, this trash attracts wildlife that then come to see you and I as slow moving snacks. So be considerate, to the employees of parks, fellow backcountry travelers, and the environment. Know before you go, and keep the places as pristine as the way you found them. We look forward to crossing paths on an incredible backcountry adventure with you one day.

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