Welcome to Big Blend radio's global adventure show with travel writer Debbie Stone Welcome everybody every fourth Tuesday Debbie Stone is on the show. We fondly refer to her as the fire monkey Because she's got a lot of adventure in her and she travels the world and she travels the country And today she is going to take us on an epic adventure. I think she got a little fire monkey spirit on this one She's going to take us on her adventure through Utah's cataract Canyon This is a rafting adventure and it sounds like a true adventure You can't be like you can't be scared about doing this, right? But could you her article about this is up on national park traveling calm just type in cataract Canyon? Yes cataracts like you eyes on top that in and you will find it there in the link is in the episode note So, how are you fire monkey? I feel like this is very fire monkey-ish You know, it's adventurous and and you know, I you know, I love adventure But I've also I'm also a real fan Excuse me fan of rafting trips river rafting trips and I've done a number of notable rivers in the country and It's it's just a wonderfully fun experience Especially the multi-day trips where you really get a chance to really soak up the scenery and the whole experience and get the camaraderie of the group and all of that and so I really you know, this was one of the ones that I have never done, but I've heard so much about over the years and So I decided hey, you know, we got it. We got to jump on this one Yeah, and you did this with oars and everyone you can go to oars.com like oars like you're rafting paddling If you worked with them before and gone with them on a trip before I Was my first this is my first trip with oars. I was a impressed very impressed with the company You know, it's had a lengthy history. They've been operating rafts and all type of multi sport trips Through the west and southwest and also internationally and they have a really incredible reputation I think in the industry and you know, they've got great guides and you know, they're very knowledgeable. They're highly experienced They the safety is the most important thing to them that the guides are great because you know, they do all sorts of things You know, not only just guiding on the wall on the river But they're the ones who are cooking the food for your meals and helping prepare things and get things loaded up and get things unloaded And you know, so they they wear a lot of different hats and they're usually Folks that really have, you know, a very good positive attitude and they really want to share their passion for the river and You know, I find it Fascinating to reap the knowledge that they have and also the humor that they have which they which makes everything really fun Well, I think you always talk about guided tours being, you know, the way to go because you learn You get to understand the terrain that you're on or maybe the water That you're on and dropping on because it sounds like to me with this You know, I know you've done many hiking adventures and things like that too and and and you know, rafting. I know you've done Was it health river? What is it? Health Canyon I've driven health Canyon. I remember going fire monkey. You were here. You did that. What are you next? But but when you look at what you're doing because this is class four, right? So Yeah, I think well, you kind of want safety. You don't want to just have, you know, a natural right thing You need someone who's gonna pull you out of the water, right? Yeah, and you need well You also just need people who can read the river and these guides, you know I've been reading this river and know the river and know, you know What to avoid and and all that kind of stuff and so you're with people who have, you know Don't have rafted this river many times and so, you know, that that is a good good good degree of comfort I think to start with, you know that you put a trust in your rafting guides and You know because you I certainly don't didn't know the terrain. I you know reading rivers is not my thing I can see some of the things that they see, but I can't see everything that they see so You know when they ask you to you know come out with them and like look at what you're gonna raft so you can kind of you know See it ahead of time and they talk about, you know What we're gonna try to do this course and we're gonna avoid this and that and you know, you're thinking to yourself Oh gosh And you're thinking how am I gonna get through how are we gonna get through this, you know And then it's like a matter of waiting your term which boat you're in and seeing, you know The boats that go before you are they getting through is everybody, you know good and then it's your turn And it's like, you know, you're just like it's a lot of anticipation and an excitement, especially, you know the counter a canyon itself You know, it has many parts of a good distance where you are not doing, you know Have you duty rapids, but then you come to this like I think it's like a 15 mile long section And that these are the big rapids and these are you know people who are river runners These are the want this is what they they view is one of the most challenging sections of white water in the country So it's challenging because of the infamous big drop rapids Which there are three big one big two and big three which the latter is known as Satan's gut Which I love that term and it is it is ginormous and insane Did you have fun doing it? Oh gosh, yes, it was so exciting. I mean it was just you know It was really really exciting. I was thrilled that we made it through Your article says that you did big drop number two is little Niagara, and you've just been to Niagara Falls so like I'm just saying like and you thought okay Satan's gut is worse than little Niagara, so I'm just saying little Niagara would scare the heck out of me, you know, I don't know well. I think it's you know, it's like it's the progression and you stop with this, you know, you start with this drop, you know, and You know the river actually drops over 30 feet in less than three quarters of a mile So you're you know, you're going along. I mean 30 feet. That's that's one long drop, you know And so you know the first one you think okay. That's okay. That's that's fine. And the second one you're like wow Yeah, and then the third one is like oh this one is crazy intense, but so exciting, you know, and you're you're prepped for it and You know you you learn all the safety things which is what happens if you spill and what happens if Somebody else falls in the water and you have to get them out. What do you do? You know all the kinds of things that are necessary happens if you swallow too much water and defense on your way Right. Yeah, I mean, you know, there's so many things that you you know that you have to be aware of and to be able to react I think quickly is the biggest thing because when things happen they happen extremely quickly And you have to kind of I think you have to kind of keep your head, you know, keep you have to be make sure that you Yeah, you have to keep focused and you have to you know realize okay trust in in what you have learned and what you know and react, you know, so but don't the biggest thing was never panic, you know, that was the thing never panic because if you panic that means All of your logic and good sense and learning goes out the window Panicking on anything. I don't care what it is. Just don't do it. Don't allow yourself I mean Nancy and I've been through natural disasters and you could panic or you could get the giggles like us But I don't know, you know, that's the hysteria part, right? Like if you write funerals, we're not good at funerals either, but We're really not even just thinking and I'm not weird It's just you know and and so but the panicking thing You can't just like driving and something goes wrong driving You can't panic because that equals death like if you're snorkeling or diving in a shark is around there You start to panic and start flailing your arms. You're dead. They're coming They're gonna get you and that's kind of that it is a real thing And I'm not trying to say you're gonna die on this rafting trip at all, but the the panic is It's like hesitating you can't hesitate. You don't have time to hesitate in circumstance. You have to get to the no Part right and you have to react Try to try to be cool about things because like we said, you know panic and hysteria. That just it doesn't work when you anything No, I mean just all the radio shows. We've done over the years where we're live and all the technical issues being a musician It's God. It's all you just say what could go wrong, right? That's what you expect and when you think you've been to Through every scenario That's when you get stupid like that's when it's gonna take you out because There's always a new scenario So I think I love that that you're with someone who knows like a company that knows around this bend This is what the waters like hey, we ain't rain. Maybe this is a little different But like I was thinking about all like the indigenous people through this area how they Navigated the waters, you know what I mean? Did they go to the lower calm areas cross through there on a raft like building a raft canoe like to me because you're in this ancient Like I don't say land because it's water, but an ancient corridor really through parkland. We talk about national parks You know you got Colorado River. You got Lake Powell and there you Grand can't I mean this is in the Green River, right? So this is the two is that why the rapids are so big because of the Green River and the Colorado River meeting Well, there's a confluence. Yeah, there is a confluence, but you know people need to know that this river goes through the heart of Canyonlands National Park, which is the largest national park in the state and To access this trip you begin you start your trip in Moab. So that's where you start and then you are Taken to the put-in place and then you Raft and then you take a small plane back to know Moab when you're at when you finish because you're finishing basically, you know We're like Paul. Oh Is you know, so it's it's basically you're The impounded waters. These are the ones that are held back by Glen Canyon Dam so In the there's a place called height HIT e crossing which is the takeout spot and then you're taking your shuttle to the small tiny little airstrip for a Scenic flight back, which I thought was such an incredible way to end this trip because you get to see the scenery that you were just in From a bird's eye perspective and it's phenomenal. It's just just sublime really really really is but for people to know that this this Canyon is a section of the river the Colorado River. It's between Moab It's above Lake Powell and the Grand Canyon. So between Moab and the Grand and above Lake Powell and you are seeing some of the most incredibly incredible landscape, you know, these are canyons and maces and Sandstone pillars and arches and beauts and all different kinds of things and it's really Remarkable. This is some of the most I think impressive scenery in the in the Southwest Wow, and you got to think about John Wesley Powell. I mean his expedition is pretty epic when you think about what I mean Yeah, you've got I encourage people to go and spend the night in age and Go get go to the museums and and you know what I mean? I mean, it's been years since I've been there. So maybe I shouldn't even say anything, but it's been years, but Page, Arizona. I learned a lot there. I mean, I hope people do go there I mean, I know this is we're talking about Utah, but it's all connected in that whole region between where you're talking about And then you know, you've got four million cliffs and all of that that whole corridor is It's mind-blowing. You got a little colorado obviously the Colorado River But what he did and then also you think about the Native Americans and here you guys you've got oars taking you on this water But they didn't have oars other than oars, right or is the company oars calm a good way to plug them, right? But they didn't I mean you've got to think what it was like historically for the Native American people's and then For John Wesley Powell's expedition being out there. Well, you know, he took his crew They you know had wooden boats They started I think in green green river Wyoming and they made the trip down to the waterway to its confluence with the Colorado At the top of the canyon and and supposedly the tail goes that these Rapids that they saw terrified the group and so they subsequently portaged their boats around each one So they didn't run these big drops. They portaged and supposedly Howl said to have looked back at the canyon and named the cataract meaning a type of waterfall with a large Single vertical vertical drop and that's what I mean he named it, but if they were terrified of it It was just you know, it was just a wild You know seen for them and they were like, no, no, we're gonna portage Yeah, yeah, I would I mean that's what I'm saying what we have today and what was back then on two different things And oh without a doubt any you know, you're thankful that you're doing this today What on boats can break on rock? I'm just saying Yeah, they can break on the impact and then the Native American culture didn't you experience that too on the right? Yeah, you know, they're you know, what's really nice about this is not Everything on the river you get to do some land things which means you can also go hiking, you know Which which I think was a wonderful, you know kind of complement to the the rafting so You know, you we get to you get to see Native American ruins you get to see a lot of Pick I think pictographs and even a greenery and then you also get to see wonderful views at the tops of Canyons and so yeah, it's a it's really nice to have that as a balance I think for people, you know to be able to see that to actually walk into walk in the landscape and To see these kinds of things and then you you know, you have a guide who is explaining to you about these Ruins and these pictographs and also, you know the geography of the area and you know how it was formed the canyon, etc, etc So, you know, it's that's what it's a one like I said a wonderful complement to being on the river So when this is what so epic about this you've got these guides Walking you through everything safety telling you the nature of the history whether you're hiking or on the water But they're working their butts off sounds like because then like you've done all this epic energetic stuff Right on the water hiking and then they like help set up camp, right? So they're making you meals I mean all of that kind of stuff is happening and then you're either in a tent at night, right on the on the banks of the river Right and you and you actually set up your own tent if you choose If you choose to sleep in a tent otherwise a lot some people depending if there were if there's mosquitoes No, everyone's in a tent But but if there were you know if there was like basically no bugs then, you know, it was hot enough believe me It was hot enough that you could have just used a sleeping mat and just to you know Select under the stars and there were not people that did that so you have yeah, you have options You know and so the other options that you have are these boats that you can ride in and you can take turns riding in different style of boats the snouts which are these pontoon style motor operated and then there are these wooden dorries and Of course an inflatable ord raft and so you can choose the boat You want to ride in and have the opportunity to try the different ones to experience these different types of rides Now I need to let people know that this is I took the four-day trip There is a six-day version of this trip as well, which just means that you spend more time Getting to the end of it so to speak so you you know take your time a little bit more than trying to get it all Done in four days So they're able to do wooden boats still today then that's yes, they do they do Dory's which I take my very back John Wesley. Yeah Yeah, the dorries are you know, I don't people know in that they're very flat. They have a flat bottom They have these curved boats. They're they're classic because People look at them as very elegant and they ride their waves and they have this kind of rolling Rallicking sensation You know, whereas the raft is kind of plowed through the waves and you know, sometimes you get smacked by them so to speak And then in the snouts your weight you're sitting up high off off in the boat so you get the perspective there of the water, which is really interesting because you really get to see it from kind of a an Interesting viewpoint and versus being right in the middle of it so to speak but you know, we did about a hundred miles. It's a four-day trip of about a hundred miles and You know along the way like I said, you can do the hiking, you know, they stop you stop for lunch and you have picnic lunches The biggest thing because it was so hot is that you know, you could jump into the water when it wasn't You know, class big-class rapids and there's, you know, plenty of time for that So a lot of people would jump into the water with your life jacket on of course But then you could just hang out in the water and just refresh yourself. It was hot. I mean it's close to about a hundred degrees there Wow, wow, that's yeah, it does get hot and rock creates more heat Yes, you know, you know, it. Oh, yeah It really does change how it feels, you know, and so that's pretty epic So would you do it again? Would you do another in the same place? You'd go back to the same place even I think Different one I maybe I maybe would go on you know, I'm I like to see I Like diversity, you know when it comes to I want to see different rivers. She wants to see everything Let me just put it this way. No Everywhere and see everything No, but it's just like if I have an opportunity to try another river It's you know cool to be able to compare river to river and You know company styles and all that kind of stuff. I think that's you know the fun part I've done I've done rivers in Idaho Washington, California, Oregon Utah, you know, Colorado, you know, I've done a number of Rivers in the West and you know, I I think I'd like to add a few more to that list But I'm not sure what exactly I'd have to do a little more research, but yeah, yeah What sounds like you've got a good company. I mean, how was the food even? Oh, it was wonderful It was very very good very tasty and they account for your diets and for anybody's preferences like that, but they're very creative in this kitchen that you know, this outdoor kitchen. It's like crazy to see what they you know dream up and create and and everything tastes fresh and good and you know, they're carrying everything on These you know big snouts and boats and so it's amazing what they pull out. You're like, oh my gosh Wow, you know, and so yeah, we were I would say that nobody has to worry about food on this trip Nobody at all, you know, it's like there's there's plenty of food and Carer I would ask about this on these you can bring at the end of the day Yes, and people can bring their own wine or liquor and they will store it for you. So yeah So you will you could have it each evening when you you know get to the place. Yeah. Yeah, so I mean that's yeah That's definitely in you know, not it's not least I'd encourage, but it's Suggested that if you are interested in having your Libations then please bring them and we will you know gladly store them for you So I think if you've been rafting and hiking all day you deserve your glass of wine under the stars Oh, yeah work or a cold beer, you know, I mean so whatever you want. Yeah. Yeah, and now okay So I know in the article you put this in there and I remember you talking about this on other Rafting trips. It's about the PP room We have to bring it up because people do think about it like are you going off in the desert and Taking a shovel with you or like what's the protocol? So they get it up. It's Yeah, it's a very important point. Um, they the guide set up what's called grovers. These are a Toilet without plumbing basically and they set up one One on one side of the campsite on one on the other and they have a box at least this company had a box with toilet paper and a hand washing station and you know the it's called grew a grover because it was The grooves that are left on your dairy air in the back of your thighs after you sit on the throne so Anyway, to let know what others know that you're using it at the same time because you don't want people walking in court on court on you There's a system, you know, you pick up the box that contains the toilet paper When you're heading towards the grower if the box is missing then it's you know, don't disturb So that's kind of how it works. I've done it many times on these trips. That's just the way it's done You know, yeah, or you could wave a flag. It's green. It's vacant I was talking to you because I'm like green means I'm going Red would be stop. Okay. Yeah, I can't stop right now because once I'm going. I'm going. Yeah There will be no stopping and this embarrasses me Then we know But the thing is is that people need to know that the the grovers are set up with within a Very private more private area on the campsite. So it's not like you're sitting there on the gurus right next to you kind of thing It's it's awful ways and you know, usually you take a little short trail to reach it But that way you're insured, you know, privacy does everybody before they bunk up for the night and or you know Just get out on that sleeping mat everybody's like I'm going to potty before I go to bed man for sure Like I'm going because in the middle of the night, you know, yeah, yeah, but yeah That's the thing is which we always forget about parks and you know, wild areas Right, but do you actually experience it at night? And I think that's a beautiful thing that you get to do and and have these moments when you do these kinds of Adventures and you're out overnight outside in fresh air in the wilderness hearing the sounds I think our bodies actually need it to reboot. I mean just like our computers need to reboot I almost feel like it's like a calibration. It's like balancing your body back to what it Naturally is does that make sense? Yeah, I think it's important for people to understand You know, even though they it is an obvious an obvious perception But you know, you're not connected. You're not in on the internet. You're not getting email You're not getting phones and texting and all that kind of stuff So, you know, I call it River time, which means you know, you're on this relaxing, you know, enjoyable You know trip, but you don't have to be bothered by all this this other stuff that you left behind and So initially the first day I always say, you know, I can see people, you know They kind of are like some people Mirely, you know, they're like, oh my gosh, I'm freaking out. I can't get my email You know blah blah blah and and then after the first day and they realize no, they're not going to and this is pretty nice They can just kind of take themselves away from the civilized world for a couple of days and just Really enjoy nature and it really makes a difference people just kind of loosen up They are talking to one another they're focusing on other things other than their their phone or their pad or whatever It is their laptop and so I found that to be To be a beautiful thing, you know, we were in a larger group I mean, there's like 21 of us and they had all ages. I mean from, you know, like Teens young adults and and then all the way on up and you know some families some couples and it was just You know father and sons It was really a wonderful way to see that people bond not only with the people that they are traveling with but also with the group Like I said the the camaraderie that exists is really wonderful to see how that comes in so quickly, you know It's only a four-day trip, but I'll tell you by day two you've got the camaraderie going and people are laughing and joking and you know They're using squirt guns with waters underwater and on the boats and you know all that kind of stuff and it's just you know It just becomes this fun, you know playtime But you know it truly I think is a magical experience if no if you haven't been on a river rafting trip I encourage everyone to to do it and you don't have to do one that's Quest for you know you can you can do a float trip, which is wonderful too. I Like that I don't I think the adventure is cool and I love that it can be multi-generational too It's really about people's fitness levels and and all of that, right? So Yeah, well yeah, because I've heard about people rafting and going it because you're not necessarily having a hike you're in a boat Right. Yeah, I think most of the the raft trips that I've taken always Have an opportunity to get on to the land in terms of I mean not only just to sleep or eat or whatever But to really try to explore the land because there's so many Interesting hikes that you can do that are off the river so to speak So you know I think that's part of the one of the ingredients of one of these trips But you know if you don't want a hike or you don't feel like you can do a specific hike Then you know boy you just sit back and enjoy enjoy the scenery, you know One of the hikes that you did you you came back with photos of the pictographs of hands That was yes. He isn't it. Yeah, is it that ancient because it looks like yes someone put their head in straight Did snow painting no, that's real things. Yeah, it's really bizarre. That's why I was like whoa No, that's weird because that out of everything in my mind No, I'm saying because there's so much. I mean this is an epic trip, right? And you've got all these beautiful photos I'm going to and I'm like what no Come on Hollywood went there and did something but they did and they did didn't they Hollywood went they they did Which you know that famous movie found that Louise, you know, everybody said about Nancy and I but we're still alive Well, there's a there's a thumb and Louise a point which is the place where that turquoise car You know where they went off the cliff at the end and so supposedly the director Ridley Scott He didn't want the first take because he wanted to see some more air when it happened And so the second car was launched and and that was the one but anyway Supposedly these vehicles were pulled up out of their watery grave via helicopter afterwards. So yeah, that's amazing because so many Movies are in national parks have been filmed in national parks and the permitting process like you have to have the millions behind you to even Yeah, that's a whole thing with none of us ever want to talk about But the permitting that goes on for a movie to be in there and for the staff have to be like on hand So you do not because there's been some bad things done and like Joshua tree they went in on Those cave paintings a rock paintings and they decided to change it and make it darker and painted over Native Americans work Which is horrific, right? But they use it now as an educational example of don't be an idiot but you know what I mean and so now, you know, there's been a lot of learning over the years and I Mean it takes resources for the staff and but you know It's it's also something where you get to see it if you don't get to go I think the movies tell some stories of parks and show the iconic scenery We have in this country's pretty mind-blowing actually you've traveled the world I mean, but when you go to something like this, don't you just go back like holy cow? This is our country where we live and look, I mean, you know, I you know I think of all the national parks and with that the how fortunate we are to have these incredible outdoor areas with such unique Landscape or unique history and it just you know, you could spend so many Weeks days months, whatever, you know touring around these parks if you really truly want to explore and taking your time And if you're there, you know, if you're there in Moab I mean, it's canyons is right there, but so is arches, which is like insane and you know, then then you know Further away, you've got, you know die on and bright and Escalante here, you know staircase and a capital reef is around, you know, I mean you try You got to go to a million cliffs to sort of a wild horses and condors And love, yeah, the condors love those cliffs. They love the high places. They really do so man Okay, I feel like I need to go outside now You know, I just I could talk about parks all day long and never ever stop it just I know like I get all Enthused and now I'm like, why am I sitting inside? When it could be out on the river like looking at the stars and sky and Condors and and seeing, you know bird life and that's the beauty of being on the water too You have this other perspective you just there is just it's different you view land differently from the water And you see in the wildlife and birds kind of look at you like you belong there more than if you're hiking in their land It's weird. It's like a different kind of experience with wildlife and birds when you're in the water I think also in the water, you know, especially in this canyon like this, you know You're you're down below and you're looking at these deep towering, you know walls and it makes you feel you know You feel oh my gosh. I'm humble by this. Yeah humbled humbled You know and it's and then when we when you go back and you're in that airplane and you're looking Looking down at it. You're like wow, you know, so so it really is it's wonderful that there are opportunities like this for people to get an adventure and to get to Experience such a landscape. Yeah, cuz the Colorado plateau like is insane when you look at pictures like if you go to like the painted there painted desert or petriquiff Petrified Forest National Park places like that, right? You start to go like holy cows. This real like really you can't make this up. I keep saying You can't I mean this is the geology and the ancientness of it, you know Oh, okay. I need to go outside Everyone the article Debbie's article is up on national park traveling calm again. I just type in Cataracts Canyon It's under our Utah section or just type in Debbie and you'll see your expert page and link to all her other stories as well And also go to oars.com O a r s oars. I can a river paddling, you know, so oars.com if you want to check out what they're doing I think they're pretty epic what they're doing. I want to go hang out in the beach eat good food like a river beach You know sounds good to me. Thanks, Debbie. You take care We'll talk next month and I think you've got some really cool adventures coming up to share with everyone about Alaska Which is absolutely absolutely last the last frontier looking forward to it. Thanks for having me on Travel safe. All right, you too. Bye. Bye. Thanks for listening to big blend radios Global adventures show with travel writer Debbie Stone Debbie is here every fourth Tuesday. You can keep up with us at big blend radio calm [MUSIC PLAYING]
