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On August 18, we entered Labyrinth Canyon with red sandstone cliffs rising hundreds of feet on either side of the river. It felt like I was paddling through Capitol Reef or Canyonlands National Parks with spectacular scenery unfolding around every bend. My favorite spots were the shady areas where the shear canyon walls blocked the sunlight until late morning. Late in the afternoon, a thunderstorm and sand storm forced us to bivouac for an hour on a sand wash. We took out at Hey Joe Mine and ran the gauntlet through mosquito infested riverbanks to camp on a hillside about 200 feet above the river. As we all zipped up our tents for the night, we entrapped hundreds of mosquitoes and spent the next 30 minutes hunting them down with flashlights and killing them. I finally eliminated the mosquitoes inside my tent, but I had the rain fly up so I had to endure the buzzing sound all night from the dozens of mosquitoes that took up residence in the small air space between the rain fly and the tent proper. The stars in the night sky were splendid and the view from the camping toilet would impress even a South Korean. (South Korea is famous for public restrooms in scenic settings with impressive views.)
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On August 19 we paddled furiously through bow know bend so we could have some time in the afternoon to lash the canoes together and simply float or play in the water. I floated with just my life jacket for about 2 glorious miles before clambering aboard my canoe again for the take out at Mineral Bottom. We were met by ward members who cooked a steak dinner for us and we valiantly fought off the mosquitoes since all of us had long since run out of insect repellent. Most of the group huddled in a tent to keep the biting critters at bay while 2 drivers returned to Green River State Park and shuttled the 2 original vehicles back to pick us up. With pesky insects spurring us on, we loaded up the canoes and all of our gear in record time and made it back to Green River State Park before midnight. With green grass, showers, shade trees and relatively few bugs, our overnight in the Park seemed positively luxurious. After another wonderful breakfast and a stopover in Price for gas and shakes, we were back home in American Fork by about 1:30 p.m.
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Bishops go on outings with the youth to develop a rapport that is hard to achieve in any other way. I had many chances to visit with our young men individually and in groups. We talked about school, jobs, sports, girls, cars, missions, video games, their families, why God created mosquitoes, etc. When I gave an evening fireside chat about the requirements to get a temple recommend, I had their complete and undivided attention and they asked some excellent questions. That was the highlight of the trip for me - time with the youth and their leaders. The magnificent southern Utah red rock canyon scenery was a bonus. Other impressions:
- It takes a lot of paddling to go 66 river miles in 3 days. Floating, we only averaged 1.9 miles per hour.
- Paddling a 2 man canoe efficiently takes real teamwork.
- Squishing an engorged mosquito spatters blood on your tent.
- 100% DEET doesn't provide protection nearly as long as it promises on the label.
- Dozens of turkey vultures huddled on a sandbar is quite a sight.
- Denis Julien left his French graffito on the Labyrinth Canyon walls in May, 1836. I would like to know more about the man and his travels.
- The 1869 John Wesley Powell expedition still casts a long shadow over these Colorado Plateau waterways.
- When the mosquitoes are so thick that you inhale one in each nostril, it is hard to breathe, so you gulp air and get several inside your mouth. At that point, you are not sure whether to spit first or blow your nose.
- Sea kayaks are much faster than canoes on a river like the Green, and they can paddle upstream, but they can't carry much gear. A hybrid kayak/canoe expedition would be great fun.
- I kept imagining a canoe outfitted with solar panels, a deep cycle marine battery, and an electric boat motor.
