Day 1 - I took my time driving over the Rocky Mountains out to Fruita (Colorado). I met Cliff in the evening and we bought some final food supplies for the trip. The visitor center allowed for free overnight parking, so I curled up with a sleeping bag in the back seat of my little Elantra.
Day 2 - We put in at James M Robb State Park then drifted down the Colorado River for about 5 miles. It was quite peaceful and there were only a few very minor rapids. We pulled ashore to hike Rattlesnake Canyon, then continued about another 3 miles to our campsite (Cottonwood 3). Dinner consisted of quesadillas.
Day 3 - Breakfast was French toast! It was only 2 miles to the next campsite (Salt Creek 2). Cliff had caught some kind of bug from a previous rafting trip so ended up napping. I hiked up the nearest canyon for a while. Footprints in the dried mud revealed plenty of local wildlife. Dinner was an amazing Japanese curry! Who knew the trip would be equal enjoyable parts floating, hiking and food!
Day 4 - Bighorrn sheep raced along the cliffs (it was mating season) as we floated 5 miles to our next campsite (Mee 2). We went for a steep hike up to the ampitheater of the closest canyon, then I spent another couple hours hiking Mee Canyon. I encountered numerous spectacular rock formations as well as a large herd of bighorns. Dinner was potato soup from scratch!
Day 5 - After another delicious breakfast, we did the 12-mile float to the takeout spot at Westwater (Utah). We passed more beautiful cliffs and incredible volcanic rocks. It took a while to unload the boat, shuttle back to our starting point, and load things back into the cars. I then made the 4-hour drive home.
