River Trip on Monday!

It's a Ruby-Horsethief trip on the Colorado River downstream from Grand Junction. We'll leave from the Fruita area and float to the Westwater launch. This will be about 30 miles. The water is calm almost all the way, save a possible class II in the Black Rocks area.

Wow, it's almost as much work to get a Ruby-Horsethief trip together as a Grand Canyon trip! I'm not doing the food, but I'm carrying all the stoves and cooking gear. It's a trip for Anrahyah's middle school students, and we have so many that we'll need to occupy two fairly adjacent camps. We can do this in the Cottonwood area, and again at Black Rocks. Part of the work was rearranging my large metal box to accomodate a different set of equipment. We'll only set up one kitchen, but other things must be duplicated.

I really hope it's a good trip and that these kids grow up understanding something about rivers and river trips, and why rivers are worth defending from the destroyers.

Ironically, it turns out that Anrahyah herself cannot go. Other teachers on the trip will be Charlie and Thomas, so we'll be fine as far as adult supervision. But Anrahyah will be missed. I will miss not having her with me on my raft, which will be the supply boat for the group. By my going, I'm making it possible for Anrahyah to do the things she needs to do. That's important, though less fun.

At least I hope I can fill this function! I have a 14' raft and I'm kinda wishing I'd bought the 18' boat that was advertised online this winter. THAT would have been a supply boat! But we may find a way to squeak by using mine.