We're home from three days on the
San Juan River! It
was a pretty incredible trip -- everything came together perfectly. I
snatched a permit at the last minute, the weather was fantastic, and we
had a great time. Now I'm sunburned, relaxed, and already chomping at
the bit to hit the water again!
 |
| JAWS -- the Great White |
 |
| lunch + swim break |
The River: The San Juan
River is one of the major tributaries of the Colorado River. As it
flows from the San Juan Mountains of Colorado through New Mexico and
into the southern portion of Utah, it carves incredible meandering
red-rock canyons. It was also home to ancient tribes who left behind
intricate artwork and rock dwellings. River runners today encounter
braided flatwater sections, deep meandering canyons, and moderate
rapids.
Nuts and Bolts: A 3-day,
27-mile river trip from Sand Island to Mexican Hat took a little
planning, but was logistically easier to pull off than I thought it
would be! First, I called the Monticello BLM office to secure a permit
(check out their website
for more detailed information.) We spent the next couple days
frantically packing, scrounging up the mandatory BLM gear, and hoping
we'd be able to fit everything in our small inflatable kayak! Because
it was such short notice, I was told to pick up the permit at the Sand
Island ranger station the morning of our trip. We camped at Sand
Island, then met the ranger the following morning. She looked over our
boat, made sure we had the required
equipment, and issued our permit. Supernice and friendly!
Once we got the green light from
the BLM ranger, Jordan drove my car 22 miles down to Mexican Hat. We
had called Valle's
Trading Post (435-683-2226 )
a couple days before to arrange a shuttle for $65 + $3/day. My car stayed at Valle's, while Jordan was shuttled back to Sand Island. (Don't leave a vehicle at the Mexican Hat ramp -- lots of
theft!)
All
the planning and shuttling were finally over -- time to hit the
river!
 |
| Desert bighorn |
The Southwest had a really dry
winter this year, and
water levels are low everywhere. April is also a little early to do a
San Juan trip -- most groups wait until May or June when the water level
peaks. This means the ducky might bottom out and we'd encounter more rocks than
usual. The river was only running at 600 cfs the day we left, but low
levels probably worked in our favor because a lot of the bigger rigs
were backing out. And ... it was totally fine. The ducky is small and
light, and we were able to scoot over or wind around all the rocks. We
occasionally scraped bottom, but never had to get out and walk.
We definitely did the
lazy, relaxed version of this 27-mile trip and got out to explore quite a
bit. One of the coolest stops was the Butler Wash Petroglyphs at River
Mile 4.5. This was a huge, intricate rock art panel full of Ancestral
Puebloan glyphs. Very cool.
 |
| Pit stop at Bulter Wash Petroglyph Panel |
 |
| Butler Wash Petroglyph Panel |
We also stopped at the River
House at River Mile 6. This is one of the largest Ancestral Puebloan
dwellings along the San Juan River. It was built on a south facing wall
to take advantage of low-angled sun rays in the winter. In the summer,
when the sun is directly overhead, most of the rooms remain in the
shade and stay relatively cool. The structure also includes rock art
images of sheep, snakes, waves, and hands.
 |
| River House |
 |
| Prickly pear |
We camped at the Comb Wash campsite, which was big, beachy, and full of lush cottonwoods. Beautiful. You aren't assigned campsites on a San Juan trip, but there are a couple quirks to choosing a spot. The left side of the river is part of the Navajo Reservation, so you can't camp there unless you have a permit. Also, it's good form for small groups to leave the big sites for big groups.
 |
| Camping along the river |
On Day 2, the canyon grew
narrower and the walls became steeper. At this point, we started to run
the first decent rapids. Almost everything was a Class I-II,
read-and-run rapid. We've been running rivers for less than a year, but
it all seemed pretty straightforward. I think the Moab Daily at high
water was tougher! Four-Foot Rapid (RM 11.5) and Ledge Rapid (RM 19)
were both short and splashy. We did get out to scout Eight-Foot Rapid
(RM
17,) which was a little tight and rocky, but no problem for the ducky.
 |
| Eight Foot Rapid (Class II) |
The rest of the trip
went waaaay too fast. On the second night, we camped at Lime Creek, which had some
incredible views of the Raplee Anticline. We gawked at the Raplee
Anticline and Mexican Hat Rock all the way to the boat
ramp, then reluctantly headed back to civilization. I'm definitely
hooked on the San Juan. I would love to do the entire 83-mile run down to Clay Hills Crossing. Wonder if there's any way to fit 7
days worth of gear in the ducky?!
 |
| Raplee Anticline from Lime Creek campsite |
 |
| Lime Creek campsite |
