It's a 20-hour drive, straight through, from Calgary to the town of Green River. My family set off, the last of our group, planning to arrive at Green River State Park (and our launch point) in plenty of time to arrange a shuttle.

A word of advice -- never say "we're making really good time", or smoke will pour from your axle as the bearings weld themselves onto metal. You'll be forced to call a tow truck at 2 a.m., camp in a dealership parking lot until first light and pay a costly sum of American dollars.

Arriving 12 hours later than anticipated, we arranged an early evening (3-hour return trip) shuttle. All vehicles were driven down paved, gravel and extremely steep and winding dirt roads to our final river pullout at Mineral Bottom, about halfway between the town of Green River and the confluence of the Green and Colorado Rivers.

Below this point river-runners enter Canyonlands National Park -- where permits are required and canine companions aren't allowed.

Up early, last chance showers taken, lone shuttle vehicle parked in the State Park parking lot ($4/day) and keys deftly stashed under a nearby building, "in case something happens!" The trip began at river mile 120 (Belknap's Canyonlands River Guide) at the crack of 10 a.m., with probably more gear and bodies than pioneer Major John Wesley Powell's 1869 expedition.

As the sun climbed, the temperature rose accordingly. We were soon slathering 30 SPF on northern noses and soaking up 25-30oC temperatures with small sighs of bliss. A light afternoon wind kept the temperature pleasant as we drifted downstream, stopping at McCarty Bottom to see ragged remnants of the Watterson's 1970's homestead beneath a cliff of petroglyphs.

With 18 river miles (30 km) under our belts, we choose a small island with a large upstream sandbar to spend the night. Coolers yielded gourmet feasts of Salad Rolls with Peanut Sauce, Thai Chicken, Vegetable Curry... and smokies and rice. A note to the wise -- bring plenty of extra food if your group plans to pair up two culinary-challenged canoeists for a cooking team.

By 9:30 a.m. the following morning kids were fed, camp packed, lifejackets donned, dogs settled, baby loaded in his "hammock" and the entourage was off. Petrified sand dunes, abandoned water wheels on Ruby Ranch, countless Great Blue Herons, a pair of Canada Geese and one lone Ibis were leisurely viewed as we drifted along in no great hurry. Homemade beef jerky and peanut chews helped fuel flagging energy levels as afternoon wind chopped calm waters into small whitecaps. By now even Labyrinth Canyon's sheer red rock walls, streaked with desert varnish, couldn't raise interest.

Trin Alcove provided a short respite and hike to a shallow pool. Cactus bloomed, songbirds twittered and lizards skittered across warm sandstone as we hiked barefoot through the cool stream. Having travelled only 12 miles (19 km), we weren't planning on spending the night in the three canyon harbour, but as the wind continued to whip loose sand, we were convinced to stay put. Hauling boats up a mid-calf mud bath to a safe port, I kept telling myself that mudpacks can be therapeutic.

The next day dawned with steady winds of 60-70 km/h and gusts in excess of 100 km/h. Lulled into a false sense of security during a brief period of relative calm, we loaded gear and set off. One canoe ferried across to the calmer side, two canoes, three, four... and then the winds picked up again. The fifth canoe couldn't make the ferry, hit a rock and began to take on water. The sixth canoe also struggled and headed off downstream followed closely by the kayak.
Luckily no was hurt, no gear was lost, the swamped canoe was refloated and repacked and five hours later... when the wind died and our collective courage was regained...we were able to make up for lost time. As to which boat will swamp, just don't joke about the increasing weight of the porta-potties or "the only thing that's not tied in!"

We paddled the same distance as the day before in less than 3 hours, arriving at River Register (named for the wall of graffiti marked by past river-runners) in time for dinner a la headlamp.
Our cozy group split here the next morning, with two canoes heading off to conquer the remaining 25 miles (40 km) in a day. The rest took an extra 24 hours to casually explore the 4WD track up Spring Canyon, enjoy a Bowknot Bend sunset and a morning hike up to Post Office Register.

It was with a sigh of regret we reached the pullout at Mineral Bottom... already planning to do the trip again next year.

Parting words (from those who left the river early) -- borrowing a shovel and trenching won't help you find vehicle keys left under buildings near packrat tunnels. Moab (400 km return trip) has a locksmith.

If you go: Best months for canoeing the Green River (and avoiding insects and extreme heat) are April/May and September/October. For Bureau of Land Management (BLM) information about the Green River, phone the Price Field Office (435)636-3600 or visit their website at www.blm.gov/utah/price/labyrinth.htm.

Get the Guides
Belknap's Revised Waterproof Canyonlands River Guide (Westwater Books, 6th Ed., ISBN: 0-916370-11-9) is a thin mapbook laced with geological and human history of the Green and Colorado Rivers in Utah. These excellent maps are remarkably accurate (only one island not shown) and show relevant roadways, trails and historic points of interest.

River Guide to Canyonlands National Park & Vicinity (Kelsey Publishing, 1st Ed., ISBN: 944510-07-8) provides detailed descriptions of early river explorers, settlers and miners -- putting people and events behind the names on the map. In fine type, the pages of this guide are also packed with information on hikes, petroglyphs, ancient ruins, and historical finds.

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