San Juan River Trip Summary - April 2015

In early April, Megan and I rafted the lower section of the San Juan River in SE Utah. We went with two other couples (John & Sue and Caleb & Rachel) who I'd met last August at the ARTA rowing school. It was a fantastic crew all around! It was 56 river miles from Mexican Hat to Clay Hills Landing that we did in 4 days. The flow started at 800 cfs and dropped to just over 600 cfs (low for this river). Daytime highs were typically in the 60-70 degrees F with overnight lows in the 40s which was a little warmer than usual according to the locals. The water was on the chilly side (50-60 degrees F). We had a great time with a fantastic crew. Here's our trip report: 

Day 0 - Picking up gear

We rented 3 rafts, a groover (toilet), and an entire kitchen kit from Ceiba Adventurers in Flagstaff, AZ. Awesome outfitter if you ever need one in the Arizona area. John & Sue had a utility trailer which held most of the gear and was a lifesaver! We both drove the 3 hr to Bluff, UT and camped at Sand Island Campground so we could get an early start on rigging. Turned out we needed it. 

Day 1 - Rigging & launching from Mexican Hat (6 river miles)

Not knowing exactly how everything fit together made rigging day a little interesting. Lots of standing around scratching our heads, getting creative, and even re-rigging a raft frame or two. Caleb and Rachel drove up in the morning with all the food. We did eventually fit all the food in the coolers and the gear into the rafts. Next time I'd probably try to pack the coolers & food the night before. Wasn't feasible on this trip but would save time on rigging day. Tip: Use light colored electrical tape and a sharpie to label ammo cans with their contents!

 

We finally got launched at 2pm which was a little later than I'd planned on. We stopped and hiked up to Medenhall's cabin. You can just make the stone walls out in the middle of the photo of Megan hiking. Great view, some yucca plants, and lizards too. The river nearly made a loop back on itself and a grandpa and his grandson in the group before us actually hiked up the other side and over to meet the rafts.

Afterward we continued to Tabernacle where we made camp. Dinner was grilled salmon, asparagus, summer squash, and a fancy salad. We ate well on this trip thanks to some fantastic menu planning by Caleb and John. We'd only made 6 river miles the first day so that left 50 more to go in three days! The sun set at 8pm so we finished washing dishes in the dark and then went to bed.

 

Day 2 - Tabernacle Camp to 50.7 Mile Camp (18 river miles)
Without having to do all the rigging, we got a much earlier start. This day we rowed through the Goosenecks which are deep entrenched river meanders. Basically that means you're winding back and forth doing a lot of river miles but not getting very far as the crow flies. The first panorama was taken from above but gives a good perspective of the Goosenecks. To make matters worse, there were some brutal head winds that we were fighting too.

We stopped to do a short hike on the Honaker Trail which goes all the way to the rim. Having a guide book which told us to look for a rock cairn really helped because the trail was nearly invisible from the river.

We called it quits at 50.7 Mile Camp, happy to have logged a third of the remaining distance. Dinner was crockpot enchiladas (big one for the meat eaters, smaller one for vegetarians). Caleb shared a trick of tapping each briquette once with the tongs to make them heat better. Although he did preface it with "I'm not sure this works or not but someone told me..."

Day 3 - 50.7 to Slickhorn E (15 river miles)
A big breakfast of huevos rancheros and fruit was a perfect start for our third day which included a couple rapids, some big horn sheep, and a hike in John's Canyon. We were glad not to have to deal with headwinds any more after yesterday.

It also included Government Rapid, the only class III on the trip. I'm still adjusting to the much larger momentum of a raft compared to a kayak so my fancy move didn't work the way I'd envisioned it. Instead we got well wedged on top of the pair of rocks that you can see to the left of Sue's pink hat in the photo where we're scouting. We haven't seen the video but we're told we looked quite amusing as we moved around on the raft jumping and tugging and prying until we finally came loose.


We camped at Slickhorn E which required a Navajo back country permit but was worth it for the extra sun that night and again in the morning. One regret is that we got to camp so late this night and had to leave early the next morning so we didn't get to hike the Slickhorn Canyon. Another fabulous dinner of pork tenderloin, veggies, veggie lasagna, and birthday cake. I have yet to go on a raft trip where the food wasn't outstanding!

Day 4 - Slickhorn E to Clay Hills Crossing (17 river miles)
We were inspired by the others to sleep without a tent on the last night. It was amazing how much light the moon provided when it rose. The last and final day had a little different feel to it as the river flattened out/met Lake Powell. There was more rowing required and if you didn't pay attention, you'd run aground on sandbars right below the surface. One of our tricks was following ducks and geese (yes Canada geese!) as they floated int the current. You knew there was going to be trouble getting the raft through when they stopped floating and started walking in the middle of the river! Megan even took a turn at the sticks and it was heaven for me to lay back and feel like Cleopatra (her words).

 As we got closer to the takeout, the canyon walls fell away and Mike's Mesa was visible in the distance. Clay Hills seemed aptly named as I sunk up to my knee at least twice and walking on even a slight slope was precarious. We camped the last night on BLM land and were greeted by grazing cows the next morning. We drove back to Mexican Hat before parting ways; we headed back to MN while the others continued to Flagstaff and beyond.

We're readjusting to normal life which involves work, laundry, grocery shopping, leaking water heaters, check engine lights, and the other day to day things that completely slip out of your mind on the river as you float idly soaking up the suns warmth. Which reminds me I ought to start planning another river trip soon ...

Misc logistic stuff:

• Cost for the river trip was ~ $350/person
• River does require a permit through BLM. We claimed ours on short notice (2 weeks before the trip) but you can also enter a lottery earlier.
• Ceiba Adventures were an outstanding outfitter and lower priced than others closer to Bluff, UT. Their equipment was in great condition and the staff were extremely helpful - I highly recommend them! 
• San Juan Shuttles are a great option to save time of setting your own shuttle.
• If required, you can pick up back country permits in person at Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park.

What would I do different next time?

• Higher flow? 800 cfs was low and we did get stuck on rocks/sandbars a few times but it was manageable and we certainly still had a good time. 
• Warmer weather/later in the season? Wait for the water to warm up and more flowers to bloom but honestly we had great weather and things were just starting to bloom.
• Consider including or just doing the upper section from Sand Island to Mexican Hat which has petroglyphs (26.5 miles, typically 2-3 days)
• Allow more time. 56 miles in 4 days resulted in every day being fairly full. Would have been nice to have more time in camp to relax & time during the day to stop for more hikes or exploring (ex. Slickhorn Canyon).
• Last day was long (17 river miles) in slow water plus unrigging plus a slow drive out on an unimproved road. Not sure if it's better to get a different campsite the last night or camp on BLM land like we did but certainly important to keep in mind that the last day will be long either way.

If you have any questions or want more information, feel free to email or call us. We're happy to share what we learned.

North Shore Paddling - Nov 5, 2010

Two weekends ago there was high winds forecasted for Duluth which means that there was surf waves on Lake Superior. A buddy met me up there and showed me all the good places to go. We checked out the mouth of the Lester River, Stony Break, Boulders, and Park Point. It was pretty foul weather (windy, wet, cold) but you sort of have to have that to get the waves. And with all our paddling gear on we didn't notice it too much.

The following week the North Shore got lots of rain. All the rivers were running that I'd been trying to paddle all year. And with an invitation to join a group of solid paddlers, I was back on my way up to Duluth. Saturday we paddled the Stewart River. It was a little on the shallow but we were able to make it down. The run consists of mostly 3 drops which I ran two of. One is called Plumber's Crack. Here's a video of me running it that a buddy took.

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The really neat part is that you paddle right out into Lake Superior going from whitewater in an intimate woods to open sky and an ocean sized lake. The tradition is that you have to roll in Superior. With the water being probably in the thirties, we all got ice cream headaches.

In the afternoon we ran the Baptism River from Eckbeck campground to Illgen Falls. Nobody ran Illgen since it was pumping at this level. Another great addition. More rapids in between with a few drops.

On Sunday morning we ran the Cascade River. At the first three rapids, I spent a very brief time looking at them before deciding to portage around them. Their names were Hidden Falls (long slide with two big holes in it), Discretion (appropriately named), and Moose Rock (huge rock in the middle of a long slide). The portage on Moose Rock was exhausting but I just wasn't confident about paddling it. Thankfully the rest of the river was much more manageable and I had a riot. It was still challenging and a step up from some stuff I'd been paddling but not so scary. Here's a video of me paddling one of the last slides on the river called Long John Silver. There was a rapid above the eddy I started in but to make things easier I portaged around that and just did the section in the video.



It was two great weekends of paddling up North, getting to see new rivers, and hanging out with good friends. You get a lot of laughs cramming 6 guys into 1 hotel room with a whole lot of stinky wet paddling gear.

-J

Car Repair II - Thursday, September 23

So the brakes on my car started making enough noise that I couldn't ignore them anymore. I pulled it into the garage and started taking everything apart only to find that one of the slide pins was frozen in the bracket. After a lot of persuasion (first with a hammer, then a torch, then a vice grips, then some liquid wrench and a bigger hammer), it finally came out. Unfortunately the parts warehouse was closed for today so I won't get my parts until tomorrow. Now I know why most people pay to get this done.

After the brake job, I'll have to move replacing the exhaust system onto the to do list because the tailpipe broke off when I was jacking up the car to do the brakes! Although it was long overdue as my neighbor reminds me when I drive in.

Other news: Deck materials are to be delivered Friday. They can't unload in the alley and the forklift won't fit down the alley with 18' boards so they're going to drop it off in the front. We'll get to carry the boards either down the narrow side of the house or around the block to the alley ourselves. My sister volunteered to be at our place when it gets delivered since Megan and I will be at work. Oh and the reason we're getting it delivered is that when they put half of the load on top of my Volvo it sank 8" and the roof rack sagged!

We still have to figure out some spacers to compensate for our footings sinking different amounts. Lesson learned is to tamp the dirt on the bottom of the hole before you pour the concrete in.

-J

Car Repair - Sept 4

So today's success story was fixing Megan's car. She'd been hearing some noises and took it in to the shop. They told her that the air conditioning compressor was going and would eventually seize up. The repair would be $1000 which was more than we wanted to spend right so we asked if we could just not fix it. No AC but that wouldn't be too bad right? Well yes but the same belt also runs the alternator so that would be a problem.

Given the mileage and age of the car we decided we still didn't want to spend that much money on the repair which meant spending even more on a new used car. We started looking online and even test drove a few from dealers to start figuring out what type of cars we could afford. It was starting to look like to get the age/mileage of car that we wanted was going to cost around $6000 unless we found a steal somewhere. Meanwhile the noises on Megan's car were getting worse so she was getting more anxious that it was going to seize up any day.

On a whim, we decided to call O'Reileys (car parts place) and see if they sold an idler pulley. Basically it would replace the compressor pulley to allow the belt to function but not be connected to anything. They didn't sell such a part for Megan's car but they suggested just getting a shorter belt and not going around the compressor. Genius, pure genius! Jason had thought about this idea but figured it must not be possible since the car mechanic that diagnosed the problem hadn't suggested it.

We got the old belt off with a bit of work and measured the length for the new one with a piece of string. Megan's little hands came in handy since there wasn't a lot of room to work. The new belt slipped in without any problems. We were a little nervous starting up the car afterward but it purred just great. Megan was elated that the grinding noise was gone. No AC but summer is mostly over anyway, right? Of course we still need to do a test drive but we don't expect any problems.

So with 2 hours and $11 we were able to postpone purchasing a new car! Now that's a good time.

Other news: We have our decking on order and today we marked where the footings will go. We're hoping the local gnomes will dig them while we sleep. Otherwise Jason will start them in the morning.

-J

Grape Juice - August 26

We planted grapes to shade our deck (which is currently demolished) and they were getting ripe.
Megan decided it was time to press them since the raccoons and wasps were eating them. We cut them down and filled one side of our kitchen sink with them. It was more than we were expecting and probably 5 times what we'd harvested the year before.

The first batch we just tried throwing them directly in the small press that we had. Even after cranking it down quite a bit there were some grapes in the middle that hadn't popped. Must be that great spherical shape that transfers the pressure so well.

So on our second batch we broke the skins with a potato masher. (I had suggested we use our feet but since we weren't making wine, Megan didn't think it was such a good idea.) That seemed to do the trick and we got a lot more juice out of them without having to work as hard.

We ended up with about a gallon of juice by the end. It's sweet and a bit sugary. Pleasant to drink but a small glass is enough. You're welcome to come by and try some if you're in the neighborhood.
-J

Deck Demo - August 7

Well the deck in our backyard was starting to rot away. There were a few places you could put your foot though it even. So we started demo on August 7. My sisters, brother-in-law, and nieces came to help. Here's a picture of things part way through.


It was a little drizzly which made things muddy once we got the floor up but we finished all the demo in one day. Unfortunately my momentum has tapered a little since and things haven't progressed but there is motivation to finish things quick for our cider party this fall.
-J

Sturgeon Falls - Manitoba, Canada

So two weeks ago I took a trip to Canada with a few other paddlers (Scott, Scott, Jeff, Danielle, Bill, and Brian). It was about a 10 hour drive the the cities with two stops to switch cars/pick up paddlers. We arrived around midnight and set up camp in the dark. The next morning we got all set by 10AM and went to go check in but the office wasn't open for another hour! With no self check in we had no choice but to wait. And when we checked in we found out we'd set up our tents in the wrong site! So that was another hour delay of carrying tents to our new site. And then there was a slow paddle out on basically a lake with these waves in the distance. They didn't look so big from far away but as we got closer they got bigger. Imagine ocean waves that stay in one place and are in the middle of a lake. That's what it was like.

One of the coolest feelings was getting into the waves. You'd turn your back to the wave and be looking at this glassy lake. Slowly you'd start to feel yourself slide down into the trough. This roaring sound starts and gets louder and louder until BAM the pile of surf just hits your back and shoots you forward. The anticipation and thrill made me think of an amusement ride.

Here's a video of me surfing Chameleon (one of the waves). Scott told me to do something cool but I just couldn't perform on demand like that.



There were also surfers there that would get towed into the waves behind jet skis. Luckily the waves they liked and we liked were different so everyone got plenty of surfing. I think we were out there for 5-6 hours just surfing and hanging out. I even had packed a watermelon in my boat to share but we didn't eat that until the 2nd day.

The 2nd day was windy and rainy but with all our paddling gear on it wasn't too noticeable unless you got out of your boat. Here's a clip from that day that also has a 360 pan so you kind of get an idea of what the surroundings were like (beautiful).

WARNING: Make sure to turn your speakers down because the wind noise is really loud!



The wave behind Chameleon where you see people also surfing was called Triple S. It was another fun spot to surf and we even got 4 kayaks on it at once. There was a bit of bumper boats going on but we had fun.

There were other waves we played on too, including one called Big Mouth. It had this really weird pattern of building up (almost like a huge hand coming out of the water) and then crashing down suddenly. The thing to try to do is surf right next to where this mouth forms and just before it crashes slide over into it and get shot forward. Easy to say when you're sitting on shore. A whole lot harder when you're staring at it. There were times where I was just hanging on for the ride. Amazing how much power there can be.

The weekend was a blast. Okay weather, great waves, and awesome company. Looking forward to going back again some time.

"Laser" - August 1

So I've had three weeks now at Medtronic and things are going well. Lots of training on all the systems and software programs but I think most of that is behind me. I've actually gotten some real work to do and am finally contributing to the progress of the project. What is the project I'm working on? It is a new battery for one of their ICDs (implantable cardioverter defibrillator). An ICD is basically an implantable version of the paddles that get used to jump start a person's heart. It works by using the battery to charge up a capacitor which can store the energy and then discharge it rapidly (sort of like how flashes work on cameras). If you'd like to know more or hear it from a more credible source, here is Medtronic's webpage on ICDs:

http://www.medtronic.com/our-therapies/defibrillators/index.htm

So it turns out there is a lot that goes into batteries and I'm getting to learn all about it. Anodes, cathodes, electrolytes, electrical insulation, shorting, electrical connections, etc. One of the processes that I'm working on is how the pieces are attached and sealed which involves ... "lasers". There's some resistance spot welding as well but the whole laser thing is really cool! To help me learn the processes, I've been trained to run the equipment and actually helping with the builds. Pretty sweet. I think it would get a bit old if I were doing it straight for 8 hours a day but it's new and exciting right now.

Other news: Our wood patio outside is in need of replacement so we're going to start that project soon. I went to Menards to shop prices and learn about all the options. The garden is doing well and producing more cucumbers than we know what to do with. The tomatoes, peppers, and basil were ready too so Megan made some salsa and pesto today.

Wisconsin Whitewater - July 17

A fellow paddler in the Eau Claire, Wisconsin area (Brian B)called me to let me know that they'd gotten a lot of rain recently and the rivers were running high. I grabbed another local paddler (Dan M) and drove out at 6am on Saturday. We met up with Brian and some other local paddlers to test out the Black River, Jim Falls @ 8,000 cfs (10x normal spring release), and the Chippewa River.

The highlight was definitely the Chippewa River which was at 24,000 cfs and pouring out of the gates at the downtown dam. The standing waves were all on the other side of the river but still looked big from where we were. After a bit of discussion about planning and safety, we did a flyby to check things out with out committing too much. Everything looked good so we decided to give it a go and actually try to surf some of the waves.

Even though we'd floated past and looked at them, it's still a little unnerving purposefully paddling into the waves and seeing how big they are. Basically it was like having an ocean wave, crashing surf and all, sitting in one place on a river. I'd guess it was 8'+. Turned out to be a riot with great surfing. It was retentive enough that you could spin and stay on it but it would still let you wash off if you flipped or wanted to get off.

Unfortunately the video we took is zoomed too far out to see much but it gives you an idea of the scale of things. Watch how quickly I move once I get in the current and zip past Dan (in the yellow boat). It's hard to see the individual waves but if you look on the far shore you can see some of the ones we couldn't get to because the current was so fast. There's not much to see after the 1st minute but if you bother watching the whole thing, listen for my yell of excitement as I get on the wave (1:40) and the photographer laughing. He wasn't a paddler and thought we'd just end up getting flipped around out there.

Kayaking Out West - July 8

I just got back from a week and a half of paddling out west. I went with five other midwest paddlers. We spent three days in Boise, Idaho paddling on the Payette River. This was big water! Huge waves and holes. I stuck to the Class III stuff and had a blast. Here's the group hanging out after Swirly Canyon in a natural hot spring. Great way to end a paddle. The other shot is of Brian below Howard's Plunge which was named after a fellow who drove his car off the road in the rapid, not once but three times!
































From there we drove on to Husum, Washington where we knew a paddler working at Wet Planet which is a rafting company. We spent a lot of time on the White Salmon which was right on our doorstep! Lori showed us the lines and gave us all kinds of great beta on other rivers and hikes. She was an awesome host.

















A pair of our group ran Husum Falls and Punchbowl Falls (right). My boat apparently was feeling a little left out so it jumped off my shoulder during a portage around BZ Falls (below but w/ Brian and dog Cassidy), bounced twice on the rocks, fell in the water, and rushed right over the waterfall! Luckily it finally lodged on some rocks further downstream and the only damage was a crease in the stern. I emptied out the water in the boat and finished out the run.

I also got to do some hiking and caving with my uncle who lives in Portland. Photo on the right is from the top of Steamboat Mountain which was a quick hike with a great view. There was even some snow to play in on the hike up.

It's feels good to be home now with a few days to recover and be with Megan before starting my new job on Monday.

-J

Jobs! - Friday, June 25

So it's been about 4 months of looking for jobs since we got back. There were nibbles, resumes, phone interviews, and such but no offers. This week on Tuesday I went in for a 2nd interview with the client of a contract company I'd applied to. As the hiring manager walked me out the door, he told me to expect to hear soon and that I was his favorite for the position but he'd have to talk to the other interviewees. That afternoon they called to say the position was for the taking. Since I'd submitted a rate with my resume and the few benefits that were available were set in stone there wasn't a lot of room for negotiation. After talking it over with Megan, I accepted the position on Wednesday afternoon. It is a processes design position working with batteries for pacemakers. The contract is until December 21st of this year. My start date will be July 12, the Monday after I return from a kayaking trip to Washington. The commute is short (10 min) and I hope to bike it often. This seemed like a good fit since it would let me brush up my skills, try a new position and company, and make sure the balance sheet was in the black.

The very next day, Megan got a call requesting a third interview. That interview turned into two interviews which turned into two job offers that afternoon. She accepted job #2 and has a start date set for July 7.

It's been interesting getting the feel for job hunting, riding the ups and downs, managing the uncertainty, and having fun all at the same time. Can't say I'm great at it but certainly better than I was before. Actually looking forward to using it again rather than being scared about it.

-J

Garage Sale - June 5

So the neighborhood garage sale was today. When we'd packed up the house before leaving for New Zealand we had set aside some stuff that we didn't want any more and thought we could try to sell. Neither of us wanted to commit to doing it though and sitting around in the garage all day. So Friday night we went to bed not planning to do anything.

This morning, Jason woke up and stuck his head in the attic. Realizing all the boxes that were full of stuff to get rid of he decided at 7am that we were going to have a garage sale! An hour later we'd cleared a space in the garage, set up some tables, and laid our wares out. Our first customer didn't have any change and neither did we so Jason gave her $1 worth for free. We closed the garage for an hour until the banks opened and we could go get change.

Things started out brisk the second time we opened. Megan just wanted to get rid of everything so she was more willing to take offers. Jason got a little insulted when people wanted to haggle on a fifty cent item that was already cheaply priced.

It was fun chatting with all the people and our neighbors that wondered in. One customer left their car keys behind so Jason tried to find him by running down the alley. No luck but as we were making a sign saying we had keys for sale, he walked by looking distraught so we flagged him down. We also had a lot of people ask about our kayaks that were hanging in the garage.

Unfortunately the weather didn't cooperate and the drizzle slowly drove people away. By 1pm the alley was empty in both directions so we decided to close things down.

All said and done we got rid of half the stuff we no longer wanted and made just under $100. Not too bad for a Saturday morning. So now it is raining and Megan and Tanya are making plans to go shopping for fabrics.

-J

Rejection Letter - May 11, 2010

Dear Applicant,

Thank you for applying to Red Bull Flugtag Twin Cities. We were flattered and amazed at the number of people who applied and overwhelmed by the creativity of the entries. But unfortunately, with so few openings available, we are sad to tell you that we are unable to offer you the opportunity to compete.

What you showed us was full of great creativity and imagination (we would have never thought to fly something like that). You obviously put a tremendous amount of time and thought into your creation and we want to applaud your efforts. These six energy shots may not take away your feeling of disappointment, but it will give you the energy to apply again next time. And we hope you do. In the meantime, we invite you to join the crowd at Red Bull Flugtag Twin Cities, July 24^th at Harriet Island.

Warmest regards,

Red Bull Flugtag Ground Control

Well we didn't make the cut for Flugtag. Guess that means I can return all the hang gliding books I checked out from the library and Megan can stop worrying about me injuring myself.

-J

Hard Work - April 20

Well I was getting a little discouraged with the job hunting so I decided to browse Craigslist for some temporary work. I found one posting wanting help moving a dishwasher, another for a SCUBA technician to remove weeds from Lake Minnetonka, and a third for buck brush removal. A phone call later I was signed up to remove the noxious invasive tree. After seeing the space where he wanted it torn out from, I thought alright a few hours right? Three hours and one broken shovel later I'd barely gotten through a third of it. I realized it was going to take longer than I thought and with the sun setting I called it a day. Next morning I started bright and early at sunrise but six hours later I was bushed and now only half way through (I hadn't figured on the time to cut and bundle it all). So I've realized that manual work is hard and the pay isn't so good (at least for this job anyway). On the bright side, this has turned into a really good motivator for job hunting! -J

Red Bull Flugtag!

Back in May I found out that the Red Bull Flugtag event is coming to the Twin Cities on July 24, 2010. Shortly afterward, a good friend of mine asked if I was interested since he was putting together a team so I jumped at the chance. What is Red Bull Flugtag you ask? Basically it is an event where teams of up to 5 people propel a human powered craft from a platform 30 feet above the river in an effort to a) go for the furthest distance or b) plummet spectacularly earthward. We're not sure which we'll end up doing but it ought to be fun!

If you want to get a better idea of what Flugtag is all about, just do a YouTube search. Here's one example: www.youtube.com/watch?v=SeIjasoOiBY&feature=related

Well actually we haven't been accepted yet. There is an application process where you submit your idea for the craft, an outline of a brief skit, and any other information you think might impress the judges. We submitted three concepts with the hope that at least one will be selected. We'd been keeping our ideas under wraps but now that the application deadline is passed I thought it would be safe to share them. In case any of you are on the judging panel, you'll know which ones to vote for. I think we find out in May whether or not we made the cut. If we did, I'll let you know so you can come watch the spectacle. -J