“I am happy out here. Messy hair, dirty feet & wild water on my skin. Out here with the wild things; this is where I belong.” – Brooke Hampton

As with most things I do nowadays, this trip was planned only a few days before it took place. A facebook post from a friend led to a party, which got us a solid group and then we were on the way to our adventure! (Thanks for bringing it all together Jesse & Justine!)

We ended up with a group of 18 people and 3 dogs to take on the San Rafael Swell, also known as the Little Grand Canyon. Even with this being my third summer in Moab, Utah, I still find myself unaware of many of its treasures, near and far. This one happened to be a bit more far than near, at a 2-hour drive. But when you are surrounded by star-crossed souls, what is a few hours in the scheme of it all? Enjoyable, if anything.

Wikipedia describes the San Rafael as such,

“The San Rafael Swell is a large geologic feature located in south-central Utah about 30 miles (48 km) west of Green River, Utah. The San Rafael Swell, approximately 75 by 40 miles (121 by 64 km), consists of a giant dome-shaped anticline of sandstone, shale, and limestone that was pushed up during the Paleocene Laramide Orogeny 60-40 million years ago. Since that time, infrequent but powerful flash floods have eroded the sedimentary rocks into numerous valleys, canyons, gorges, mesas and buttes. The swell is part of the Colorado Plateu physiographic region.”

Even with reading that, I was definitely not prepared for the sites that awaited.

Good to know about the San Rafael River:

• The San Rafael River, aka the Little Grand Canyon, flows through the enchanting gorge she has carved for approximately 18 miles.
• The put in is Fuller Bottom and the take out point is the San Rafael Bridge. 
• There are many ways to enjoy this area, whether you want to hike, travel via horseback or float it. While floating may be the easiest way, it is only available during a small window each year, during the peak of the spring run-off.
• When floating the river, you need at least 100 CFS (cubic feet per second)  minimum, though 150+ CFS is more recommended. 500+ CFS means you are in for an easy, breezy day on the river! (When we floated it was right around 450 CFS). 
• The river is rated Class 1+, so it is suitable for beginners. (In my case, it was suitable to bring Ocoee!)

We arrived at the campsite around mid-afternoon on Thursday. We had decided to camp at the take out to make our lives a bit easier the next day. As we explored the surrounding area, I was surprised to see the river we would be running. It looked no bigger than the creeks that I had grown up with in Ohio! Though much muddier; and I had no question as to the strength of her flow. But I was used to the wide stretches of the Colorado, and the San Rafael was no wider than twelve feet!

Seeing her flowing by our camps got many of us excited, and we even considered running her that night AND the next day! Looking back, I am very glad that we held off until the morning, as it would have been a late start and a very late end if we had run her that evening. And a cold one at that!

Instead, we dispersed into the evening. Some went on hikes in the desert, exploring the monumental and unearthly terrain that catches your eye and steals your heart.

Others, including myself, stayed behind at the campsites and socialized in the warmth of the company. Some even had the warmth of a fire.

The evening faded into the night, tossing the light upon the sandstone mesas and providing a light show that brings one to question how people could ever attempt to recreate such an experience through artificial means. There is no way of capturing the authenticity of such a moment; naturally sculpted by the cosmos and Earth, coming together to show such a mystical sight, as if to prove the beauty that is in the natural world alone.

The next morning we all awoke at a decent hour, eager to test the waters.

Climbing into the box truck or the van, as we could all not fit into one (comfortably, at least), we made our trek towards the put in, a good hour drive.
We had one stop on the way up, to gaze at the Buckhorn Wash Panel of petroglyphs drawn many moons ago. It is something special to see the artwork of humans who have long since been gone.

Though one in our crowd did bring up the thought- what if these were simply someone’s the doodles? Perhaps even a child’s? And we look at them in such wonderment. How funny a thought!

After some debating on the directions, we made it to the put in. Where music was played, yoga was posed, gear found its rightful place and soon enough, we were launching into our day on the river.

It was quite humorous seeing our “little” band drifting downstream. There were inflatable kayaks, whitewater kayaks, creek boats, and SUP (stand up paddle) boards all present on the water. And with her being rather small in width, bumper boats was definitely a thing.

I had decided to bring Ocoee on this adventure. She has experienced the SUP board previously on ponds and lakes, but never on a river, and it was easily evident she felt the difference. This stretch is rated with class I&II rapids, so I felt safe enough to break her into the river life. Small enough to introduce her and know that I could still hold my own on the board.

And so we embarked, on an 18-mile stretch of pure beauty.

It was a peaceful & serene day, as we drifted through the canyon walls. It was easy to see why she is referred to as the Little Grand Canyon; with the monumental walls surrounding you, as you follow the flow of her curves she has carved out through time, finding her way through the land, sculpting it as she wishes.

The family that forms in the desert is special in its own right, but that which forms on the river holds its own place as well. Each appreciates the natural wonder and beauty surrounding us, making us realize the fairytale we truly live in. Listening to the sounds of the water lapping against the shoreline, gently rushing over a limb. The wind whistling through the bushes and trees. The sun playing on the rocks and water. If you pay attention, there is so much to see, hear, feel- EXPERIENCE! How could you not be mesmerized by nature?

We took our time with the float. I know we began around 11:30 a.m., but all I can say for the take out time was it was before sunset. What did the number matter on such a day? Everyone had a safe and good experience, which was more important. And I began the process of learning how to SUP with my pup!

A big thank you to all who came on the trip and made it what it was.

*Love & Light*