We arrived back at Hunter house late last night from our much-anticipated river trip. We thought you would enjoy hearing about some of the highlights from our week on the beautiful Colorado river.
Sunday morning we packed up the vans with the usual gear plus a trailer full of paddle boards, duckies (river kayaks), and one large paddle boat to carry supplies. Once this task was completed we loaded up and headed out for our six-hour drive. Along the way we noticed one of the vans was having problems. After taking some time to assess the situation it was decided that this van would not be moving forward in this condition. We stopped at the Cameron Trading Post where we waited for a staff member in Flagstaff to drive out and swap vans. The Trading Post is a tourist “destination” where they display art work and other hand-made items which people can purchase. During our hour long wait we had time to walk around, play card games, and admire all the goods. When the replacement van arrived, we quickly unloaded and loaded our gear and set out. Arriving at our camp destination in the evening gave us just enough time to unpack the essentials, make dinner, have an A.A. meeting, and get rest for the big day time come.
Monday morning was a big day. We got ready by packing our gear and making breakfast and discussing what the beginning of trip would look like. We made our way towards our starting point on the river. Once we arrived, we quickly unpacked the trailer with the river gear, gather our belonging, and began to pump up the rafts. When the rafts were ready as well as the gear, two of the staff members shuttled the vans to our final destination and we waited. Finally, after much anticipation everyone was together and ready to take off. The first day on the river was a lot of fun. We took our time, got acquainted with our rafts and even did some cliff jumping. That night we found a sweet camping spot alongside the river where we camped for the night. Everyone had a blast on the river and some continued the party with a chaotic mud fight. We ended the first night on a high note with dinner, A.A. meeting next to a bonfire, and spectacular star gazing.
On Tuesday, we continued to make headway on our 15+ mile voyage to our destination. By midday, the wind had picked up and made forward progress challenging. That being the case, we set up camp relatively early to regain energy and strength. After an afternoon of physical recovery, we spent the evening journaling. Our topic was “What would it look like if you started your own recovery program?” We all had a few unique ideas but the foundation of the schedule and structure of B2B came through in each of our responses. After a brief meditation, we all went to bed ready to rise the next morning for a difficult finishing stretch.
Thursday was our last day on the river and we made it count. We all dressed up in crazy women outfits and made our way to the river. People from other tour guides gave us sideways looks and one took a picture of one of us. A lot of fun was had on the river this day and we all were flipping each other’s rafts. We arrived at the boat ramp late in the evening and loaded everything up for trip back home. When we got to camp we had one last community dinner and A.A. meditation meeting.
Our last day was in Moab we went for a hike on the Grand View Trail which ended with ended in a shady alcove. Just about all of us were dehydrated and exhausted by the end. On our way back to Flagstaff we stopped in Moab for burgers and fries before making our way home. We planned on camping halfway from Moab to Flagstaff but ultimately ended pushing through to Flagstaff. Everyone was relieved to have made it back to the house in one piece. All in all the trip was a blast!
