New Mexico and Utah

I am not sure where to even begin but since last post we spent a night on the San Juan River in New Mexico where we cooked our local brats over the fire and then refreshed ourselves in the morning with a good ole head dunking in the river (chilly!).  Ashlin collected rocks into a sack so she could throw them in the river but between the time she collected them and our walk down to the river she had grown attached to the said bag of rocks and decided to keep them.  She also decided she was going to climb the tree at our campsite but in order to do that she insisted on having gloves on and a rope tied around her, very serious climber she is!  We then drove 4 hours to Moab, Utah in order to make our 8am pick up time the next morning for our canoe trip.  We found a great spot on the Colorado River that offered some shade and then started what ended up being a 3 day UNO competition.  Ashlin and Derek hiked up some rocks and Ashlin made a friend she named Henry (just a little lizard).  We used the leftover brat and cooked up some peppers and onions to make some yummy burritos.  I am trying to add in notes about food as people always ask what we eat.  I am going to let Derek take over and talk about our 3 day canoe trip down the Colorado. Peace :) Miss ya'll!!

Howdy!
Nice to be catching some shade and moving into the cool mountains after these past five days in the desert.  Our trip down the Colorado was spectacular but it was a test.  We had three straight days with 100 degree highs which is not so unusual for Georgia, but we don't make a habit of spending the days exerting ourselves in the sunny spots outside.  Anyway, we paddled 17 gorgeous miles the first day and set up camp in one of the hundreds of side canyons along the river.  It was rare feeling to get to hike around in a spot accessable only from the river.  The 2 mile canyon was guarded by 800 foot sheer cliffs on every side so the place seemed like our own little world (or oven).  The second day I got up at sunrise to take some pictures and we set off early because the sun hit our camp at around 7:15.  We stopped along the river and hiked to some ruins and paintings left by the "Native-Indians" as Ash calls them.  Native Americans are her new fascination now.  We had to push to paddle 24 miles as campsites were few and far between due to the high water covering the sandbars.  Oh, I forgot to mention the wind.  Dear god, the wind.  It was so strong that the current was flowing 6 miles and hour but we were moving 2.  Our canoe kept getting blown around by 30 MPH gusts so keeping the boat just pointed downstream took everything we had.  After 8 hours on the water we thought we found a shady-spot and we pulled to shore where we discovered the naked bathers that had already claimed the camp.  Everyone was surprised to say the least, especially since they were the first canoers we had seen.  We kept paddling and finally came to rest about 8 miles shy of the confluence.  After another night of camping on the river without another sole in sight we woke early again and paddled hard for the confluence.  We got picked up just shy of the Green River and taken back to Moab where we devoured some nachos and sat in the AC for a while.

This year we've decided how far we can go without hitting a hotel.  The KOA thing is not so good for camping, but great for the shower/laundry/Internet/take-out food thing.  Anyway, that's the route we're going to try this year and we're owning it.  KOAs instead of city-camping.  Represent!

So we are now getting in the car and driving from Green River, Utah to Great Basin NP in Nevada where is should be about fifty degrees cooler at night and forty cooler in the day.  We actually will be hiking through snow tomorrow . . . we'll keep you posted!

Peace. D-