CANOE TRIP

On Memorial Day, after a few years of twarted plans, Zack and Steve finally got to canoe the San Raphael River. The 20 mile stretch passes through what's called Utah's "Little Grand Canyon". With the exception of late May and early June, there usually isn't enough water flow to avoid a lot of walking.
By 9am My mom and I dropped off my guys at Fuller Bottom, then drove to the take-out at the Swinging Bridge and dropped off Steve's truck. It had rained the previous couple days but the muddy roads were still in relatively good shape.
Before long on the river, the sun came out and things warmed up nicely. The canyon narrowed and the river sometimes passed right up against the cliff walls. The steady current kept them moving along with ease. Along the river banks, the lush, green vegetation stood in stark contrast to the dry, red desert surrounding. Birds and beaver made their presence known as they drifted along.
About noon they stopped at a grove of cottonwood trees and had lunch. Steve scouted around and was impressed by the many color varieties of the prickly-pear cacti in the area.
Surprisingly, they only saw one other group of boaters (camping along the river) and only 2 hikers the whole time.
After 5 hours on the water, they made it to the bridge and loaded up the canoe again. It had been a while since Zack and Steve had spent the day together and they both really enjoyed joking and singing together as they cruised through the beautiful gorge.