Dolores River - Slickrock to Gateway

Day Two

Early breakfast, cinnamon rolls, yogurt, granola and lots of fresh coffee. While washing dishes it felt like someone dropped their cinnamon roll in the soapy water, so I pulled it out, only to find a drowned mouse. Needless to say the whole camp realized it when I stated screaming like a banshee. To make matters worse, after a decent burial, while finishing the rinse cycle, another little dead bugger was discovered. ICKY! We take some time to hike up to the alien pertoglyphs. they look a bit agumented but the original parts that are left were pretty interesting. What made them draw those figures?

Wanted to launch at ten but got on the river at eleven thirty. Corrine paddles the first ten miles in the duckie, I paddle the next nine, and the last five we towed it. With two rookie boaters, and lots of little rapids it was challenging to not run into people, flip, or bad-mouth the trip leader.

All the boaters getting their first trip of the year kinks worked out, on a river that hasn’t been run in over 8 years, made for a bit of occasional grumbling. It’s a long day for all of us, but we’re rewarded with a great campsite. Unfortunately the wind decided to join us, so it was a very blustery evening. Got to Coyote Wash at 6:00 pm, but well worth the twenty four mile day.

Jay, and Anne cooked dinner, this was Marge’s 70th birthday, so desert was cake! Grilled chicken, vegetables, portabella mushrooms, onions, peppers, and pitas. The good news! No dead mice in the dishwater! Wind finally dies down about 2:00 am, then the rain comes. Rob and I both make trips down to the boats during the night to make sure they didn’t blow away.