Today I would like to talk about a river trip I went on in November to Ruby Horsethief Canyon with a group of my friends and professors. Ruby Horsethief Canyon is a canyon in which the Colorado River flows through. The canyon stretches roughly twenty miles. The put-in is located in Loma, Colorado and the take-out is located in Westwater, Utah. This is a very popular trip usually completed from spring until fall. You will need two cars so that you can leave one car at the take-out for when the trip is over so that you can go pick up the car that was left at the put-in. If you do not have two cars, you can hire local shuttle services. Our group completed this trip in five days, but it typically takes people one to three days to complete this trip. The length just depends on your groups specific goals. Anyways, let’s get to it!
Day One (Friday)
On day one I was feeling great. I was super excited and had a great mindset. I could not wait to see what this winter river trip had in store for us! In the morning we drove from Cedar City, UT to Loma, CO. We set up camp at Highline Lake State Park and then drove to Fruita, CO for dinner.
We ate at a place called Hot Tomato Pizzeria. Just a side note, I 10/10 recommend this place. Anyways, when we walked into this restaurant, we all had a “we’re not in Kansas anymore” reaction. We had a great time there. The people were fun and super up-beat. Let me tell you, Colorado is definitely home to a different crowd than Utah.
Day Two (Saturday)
When we got up in the morning, we ate breakfast and drove to the boat launch. We paddled six miles and then set up camp. We explored and hung out most of the day. At the end of the day we had a campfire reflection. I enjoy these because we all talk about and discuss how we are feeling and it really helped keep our spirits up. It got super cold on Saturday night and I barely slept at all.
Day Three (Sunday)
In the morning, we woke up, ate breakfast, and paddled seven miles to our next campsite. We set up camp and then hiked up Mee Canyon. It was very fun! When we got back to camp, we ate dinner and had another campfire reflection. This was, for me at least, the coldest night of the trip. I slept for a total of one hour because I was unable to keep warm. This was the middle of our trip, and I could tell everyone was starting to get burned out, but we kept it together and pushed through.
Day Four (Monday)
In the morning, we once again woke up, ate breakfast and paddled four miles to our final campsite. Once we set up camp, we all got to explore and hang out for a bit. This was a nice treat for all of us. Since I didn’t sleep the night before I took a nice long nap on the beach. That night we once again had our campfire reflection and we went on a quick night hike to warm ourselves up. It actually worked too! I got the best night of sleep on Monday night than any other night during the trip.
Day Five (Tuesday)
In the morning we got up and ate breakfast. Before we left the campsite, we were all trying to pack up while also waiting for the sun to peek over the cliffs. Five minutes felt like an hour but the sun finally came up and we were all warm again. We left the campsite and paddled our final eight miles to the Westwater boat launch, packed up, and drove back to Cedar City, UT.
Let’s Talk About Gear
What I’m glad I had: I’m glad I had a zero degree sleeping bag, thick socks, and a water bottle other than my two liter bladder because the straw for the bladder became solid ice after day one.
What I wish I had: I wish I had a real tent, a tent heater, another neck gaiter, and 50,000 hand/feet warmers NO LESS. Oh ya, and better camp mates… just kidding! I love you guys!
What I Learned
I learned to be thankful for the sun and the heat and light it provides. I learned that pie at the end of day four on a five day river trip will make everything better. I learned that having the correct and proper gear is important. I learned that keeping a positive mental attitude is essential. I learned that life is a lot more simple than we think. I learned that it is important to know how to properly push a boat into the river so that you do not fall into freezing cold water. P.S. I’m glad you didn’t fall in because you are our “lucky charm”. (You know who you are). Most importantly, I learned that everyday is an adventure. It doesn’t matter if it is a good or bad adventure, what matters is what you decide to take away from each day that forms you as a person.