Moab July 4th Weekend

Friends and Family,

Here is a slide show of our pix

What a terrific collection of adventures we had over a long 4th of July weekend in Moab, Utah.
We flew out of RDU on June 30th to Dallas and then on to Grand Junction, Colorado to rent a car and drive the 114 miles to Moab where Jeffrey is working as an river raft guide intern for Splore. Splore is a non-profit organization that organizes outdoor adventures for disabled people. Our plan was to join Jeff on a 2 night overnight camping and rafting adventure on the Colorado River. Jeff was working when we arrived and had not yet returned from a rafting trip with some young boys. We decided to go for a hike and after checking in at the Apache Motel ( where John Wayne stayed ... really!) we went to the information center and got some hiking guides. It was HOT but dry! :-) at 100 degrees with 17% relative humidity so off we went to hike the 2.4 mile Negro Bill Trail that led to Morning Glory Arch. We were warned of the plentiful poison ivy under the arch and also warned to carry plenty of water. We were prepared because I had purchased 3 liter Camelbacks, headlamps and river shoes for this trip. I gave them to Myron for Father's Day as a hint to what adventures I had in store for us.
Since we started late in the day at 2:30 we didn't quite make it to the end before it was time to turn around. The 2 hour time change and the heat gave us a hint that it was time to turn around, meet up with Jeff and head out to dinner. We had a great dinner at Jeffrey Steak House ( funny) and then hit the sack. Jeff had to get up early to start preparing for the 2 day camp out on the river which we were joining him on. He expected 37 people, many of whom were disabled, volunteers and the river guides themselves. He had to plan meals, prepare coolers, rig rafts and load the trucks with the rafts in readiness to drive the 25 miles to the put-in / camp area . Our plan was to head to the Dewey Bridge put in at around 5pm. With that plan, Myron and I had the day to explore so we decided to hike the Arches National Park and especially hike out to Delicate Arch. We must have hiked for 6 hours over the course of the day and viewed spectacular arches up close and personal, drank 3 liters a piece of water, and were enthralled with the silence.
Once we returned to the Apache for a quick shower and backpack packing, we headed up to Splore and drove with Jeff to the put in. Jeff drove the handicapped bus and we followed the trucks with the rafts.
Once we got to the put in, the difficult and time consuming work began of setting up camp, inflating rafts, unloading supplies and preparing dinner! We met many of these adventurous less than abled people and were impressed with their positive outlooks and adventurous spirits. It was a most touching adventure. At dusk the mosquitoes arrived with a vengeance and despite DEET, Myron was a choice meal for them. We quickly put up our tent which Jeff provided for us and laid down our thin pads and sleeping bags. With our headlamps on we headed to the river for a quick teeth brushing and hand washing and then returned to our tent for the opportunity to view the stars without becoming a meal for the mosquitoes.
We awoke in the morning, a little stiff , and headed to the river for a wash up. We broke down and packed our tent and enjoyed a bagel/cream cheese, fruit and great camp coffee for breakfast. We chatted with the people and helped the guides set up the boats. Jared, one of the disabled, was a 20 year old quadriplegic from South Africa who with his mother, was in Salt Lake City for 6 months getting rehabilitation. He was a competitive dirt bike racer in South Africa and was on the national and international circuit when he had an accident and broke his neck.South Africa lacks the rehab facilities and advancement that we have here in the States and he and his Mum came to take advantage of the USA medical system. They heard about SPLORE and he was thrilled to have this adventure. He was to be on our raft. Jeff was on the oars in our raft and a specially rigged chair was strapped down in the raft to hold Jared. I was simply in awe of how hard Jeff worked and how wonderful he was with all the people. I am very proud of him! The members of this trip included a deaf woman, some people with cerebral palsy and some boys with autism. It was a real joy to see how well adjusted and adventurous they all were. The day trip on the river ended with camping at a beach and enjoying keeping cool in the river. I even hiked with Jeff and some others up river a ways and then floated down with the current with our life jackets on and our feet up ready hoping not to swept downstream of our camp!!! It was fun but a little anxiety producing. Jeff cooked up dinner in a Dutch oven on a campstove to feed 37 people! It was great too: chicken, onions and potatoes with a huge salad.
After another night in our tent we awoke to a fabulous breakfast of banana chocolate chip pancakes, sausage and fresh cantaloupe. I kept wondering how this little set up kitchen could feed so many people so very well.
One thing I have to discuss however, is the Groover! Mind you we were in a campsite along the river in BLM (Bureau of Land Management) land. No facilities exist and what you bring in with you must also leave with you. That of course includes ...waste! The Groover is basically an ammo box with a toilet seat on it. Before putting on the toilet seat, the Groover used to put grooves in your butt when you had to use it and hence the name Groover. Anyway, we had to use the Groover for defecation but we could pee in the river. We took deep breaths and did what we had to do along with the other 35 other people in our group. That's all I am going to say about that.
Once again we headed down the river with Jeff at the oars of our boat and Jared in his special seat. We were going to go through Class 3 rapids on this leg of the trip and it was exciting for all of us. Jeff was an excellent oarsman and Myron held on at the back of the raft and Sandy ( Jared's Mom) and I sat next to Jared in the front. We had some great rides.
At the end of the day, we had tons to do to get all the gear back on the trucks and head back into town. Myron and I helped a bunch and once we got back gave Jeff a big hug and said we were going back to the Apache for a much needed shower. I had planned on Canyoneering the next morning and would pick Jeff up at 7:30 am for another adventure on his day off. Myron and I took long hot showers, went out to eat a very nice restaurant and fell asleep at 8:30 between clean crisp sheets on a nice soft mattress.
At 6:00am we got up and got ready for our canyoneering adventure. We were going with Jeff and a guide to slot canyons to climb and rappel down. It was a first for us but Jeff had done it before. We had 3 guides and another family of 4 with us. We hiked over Slickrock Mountain bike trail to the canyon which would bring us to Morning Glory Arch . The first rappel was 105 feet down! It was fantastic. Hanging from the rope and in control of your descent was a thrill. I enjoyed it immensely . Myron did a good job getting down but scraped his arm on an overhanging rock. We walked through the slotted canyon to another descent. This one was quite different because it was very exposed and after a few feet rappeling with feet against the vertical face, you were hanging free due to the long overhang. At that point you are dangling under a magnificent arch! What a wild rappel down that was! Once on the ground again, we had a 2.4 mile hike out of the canyon. I had run out of water in my Camelback and it was as hot as blazes. Myron and I finished the rest of his Camelback just before the end of the hike. There were streams to wade in and lots of climbs and descents. The water was a pleasure and we would scoop it up in our hats to douse ourselves with it. The evaporation was almost instantaneous. The family we were with took lots of photos because my camera broke. They will send us a link to their pictures so stay tuned for the the pix from the rappel.
The remainder of this last day in Moab was enjoying a good lunch, hanging by the pool, and then having a last dinner with Jeff and his friend Scott.
It was an amazing adventure.
I look forward to canyoneering and rafting again.

Love
Anna and Myron