Seems nothing is close to Dinosaur National Monument, which straddles northwestern Colorado and southeastern Utah. The Monument has a lovely landscape that is well worth exploring, making a trip worth the effort.
It was a two-day drive from my home in northern Idaho, through western Montana before heading south in Butte, back into Idaho before getting to Utah. After passing through the rapidly growing metropolis of Salt Lake City, I headed to the town of Vernal in the northwestern corner of Utah. Here I was to meet my OARS guides and fellow travelers for an evening debriefing, before heading out to raft the Green River in Dinosaur National Monument the following day.
(Map of the Green River, courtesy Wikimedia and Kmusser)
The Green River
The Green River is 730 miles (1,170 km) long. It originates in the Wind River Mountains of Wyoming, then flows south into Flaming Gorge Reservoir. The river passes through canyons in Dinosaur National Monument, where it joins with the Yampa River. After it leaves Dinosaur National Monument, the Green River heads further south and enters scenic Desolation Canyon before flowing into the mighty Colorado River, to which it is the chief tributary.
The section of Green River we would be exploring over the next four days began where it enters Dinosaur National Monument in Colorado, and ended after Split Mountain, near the river’s exit from Dinosaur NM in Utah. Traveling on rivers is really the only way to see the remote regions in this part of the Monument.
(One of the OARS equipment buildings in Vernal, Utah)
Our trip began with a several hour bus ride from the OARs headquarters in Vernal early in the morning, through Utah and into Colorado, the desert scenery typical of the region…..
We made a pit-stop in the small and anything but thriving town of Maybelle, where the only business seeming to do well was its (pot) dispensary….
Our journey continued and we finally spotted the Green River in the distance.
(Distant view of the Green River in northwestern Colorado)
By mid-morning we were at the raft launching point, just outside the picturesque Gates of Lodore. It took some time for our guides to properly distribute and secure all the gear we would need on the rafts, during which we received a safety orientation and overview of our trip.
(Guides preparing the rafts, the Gates of Lodore in the background)
The flow of the Green River is determined by how much water is released from Flaming Gorge Reservoir. Our trip was in June and the water level in the Green River was relatively low, but conducive to some nice Class III water — fun but not really dangerous. The advantage to dam control is that the rafting season is long, limited by the cold weather in the fall and not so much by precipitation or the melt of snowfall.
There was an interesting old log cabin near our departure point, site of an old camp.
Famed geologist and explorer, John Wesley Powell, lead an expedition into the section of the Green River we were about to explore more than 150 years before us. His observations and mapping of this river, as well as of the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon, are legendary and many of the names of the rapids and features we were to encounter were bestowed by Mr. Powell. I was always amazed at the spirit of adventure Major Powell had, facing the unknown and challenging rapids with but a single arm.
When all was ready, we were off….
A quick look upriver….
Before diverting our attention to what lies ahead. A nice easy float takes us into the opening of Lodore Canyon, through the Gates of Lodore….
(The Gates of Lodore)The red rock of the canyon walls is beautiful and geologically very old, and the walls of the canyon as we enter are steep.
Spotted a few cacti in bloom, but never got close enough for a detailed photo of them….
The days is warm and the ride so far has been smooth. We are about to encounter our first rapids….
Those were fun Class II’s and easily handled by our guides.
As I look downriver, I know there is a lot of adventure awaiting us ahead in the coming days….
(Next Green River post: Lodore Canyon)
(Final Green River post: After the Yampa)
