Time Spent

Text by Greg
Photos by Greg and Trina



We try to spend the currency of our lives on the luxury of time. Time to wander where water flows through desert. Time to encounter small creatures as they emerge from hidden lives and into view. Time to witness the lives of plants as they sprout and grow and bloom and die. Time to feel air and sunshine and shadow surround us. To be caught in the scent of flowers and decay, sage and musk, dust and water. To step into places where we can turn from the humanity and noise that absorbs much of the rest of our lives. Into "empty" places that we need in order to feel filled. Time spent. And to us, well spent.













Prickly pear cactus blossoms in yellow:


In gold:


In fuchsia:


Brand new tadpoles:










And, of course, time spent napping in the shade under trees...


...and then looking up to see Danger from Above.

Three Legged Adventure

Text by Greg
Photos by Greg and Trina

The concept is simple. We have failed twice.

Begin near the river on the main canyon. Leg one: Hike the rim of a deep side canyon toward its source. Leg two: Drop into the side canyon and hike/scramble down to the main canyon. Leg three: Float the river back to our starting point.

On our first attempt, we failed to account for both the depth of the side canyon and the verticality of the walls that defined it. We weren't able to find a way down into the narrow passage of the canyon.

On this, our second attempt, armed with our previous experience and additional research, we… er… well… We failed to account for both the depth of the side canyon and the verticality of the walls that defined it and we weren't able to find a way down into the narrow passage of the canyon.

Dang.

On the first occasion we were able to follow a less dramatic route down to the river where we floated a short way back to our starting point. On this occasion we were able to follow a less dramatic route down to the river. But instead of floating down to our starting point, we turned the other way. We walked and thrashed our way through willows and tamarisk. Sketched our way over loose talus. Picked our way past high cliffs and through boulder fields as we headed upriver. After enduring the drama of scratched shins, we -- at last -- made it to the lower end of the side canyon we'd been trying to reach.

We dropped our rafts near the bottom and scrambled up the canyon. It was everything we'd hoped for. Narrow. Deep. Convoluted. Interesting. Each twisting turn of the sandstone drew us onward. Wondering. What is around the next corner? Wondering. Could we keep going further. Higher. Until the cut of the canyon grew shallow. Until at last we would be able to stride out and onto the rim. To where we had hoped to find our way in?

Or would we come to an impassable pour-off? A dry waterfall and a cliff too steep and high to climb. No way up. No way around. Dead end. Turn around. Go back.

We didn't have time to find out. Only so much daylight remained. We did turn around. We did go back. Back to the rafts we'd left near the river. Into the river. One splashy rapid we ran without dogs. Then floating onward down the river canyon to where we'd begun our day. Content, maybe, to leave the mystery for another day.

Ride into Summer

Spring is rapidly blazing into summer. Mornings and evenings are the best time to ride. Mornings often elude me, but evenings seem to work. And, thankfully evenings look pretty good in photos, too. Or so I think... Enjoy! Then go ride!

High Water, Low

By Greg

Springtime. Snowmelt. Fast, cold rivers and creeks. Er… Sometimes.

A dry winter left no hopeful expectations for a big water season. But late snow in the mountains and a late melting season have re-arranged the expectations. Rivers are flowing, though maybe not with the enthusiasm required by expert boater.

Luckily, we aren't (yet?) expert boaters. And this season's slower slide into low-ish peak flows have suited us well. Witness:

Escalante Creek, Colorado. Noted for putting the X into X-treme for a certain class of kayaker when it has enough water for a week or so during a good year. Mike and I managed to slip into the canyon when flows were low-yet-packraft-able. We chose our section carefully to avoid the dangerous chutes and waterfalls. And we got to sample the scenery while happily bumping and scraping down the creek. Documented in this video that Mike put together:


Link here.

Next up was Slaughterhouse, a frightfully named sections of mountain river near Aspen. Cold snowmelt water. Mike, Allan and I ran it while the flow was low and suitable to our skills. Lots of boulder dodging, eddy-hopping and line-finding. A high need to pay attention at all times, lest a hidden underwater boulder send one for a tumble. We had some good, alert fun in the splashy water and only one of us took an unplanned swim. Good fun and a great way to spend the day. I hope all of you are getting out and enjoying the season!









Portaging the waterfall:


Perhaps another time?








Lost in the moment.