We decided yesterday to go paddleboard the rapids at 8:00 am and we got there and they gave us a guide named Justin (my Dad stayed behind with the dogs to make sure they were not hot). The drive there was okay but when we launched I knew the paddleboarding was going to be fun.
Soon enough we went through our first rapid it was called the “Trash Compactor”. My Mom had the Go Pro with a floating device on it. I was standing up and knew how to not fall on waves coming from the front but I was surprised to see a wave coming towards me on my left and I fell onto my knees but got out of the rapids.
We went a little bit further into our next rapid, this one I took standing up. My Mom also stayed on her feet but halfway through the rapids, she fell in. After she came out I noticed that the Go Pro on her head was gone!
Lucas spotted it and she paddled toward it and grabbed it and I sighed in relief. We paddle-boarded another mile and came across the 3rd rapid and we felt confident. My Mom stashed the GoPro in the waterproof bag so we wouldn’t lose it also because it had no battery left and stood up. About ¾ the way there I fell in again but quickly got on the paddle board.
The final rapids were the fastest, called the “Big Ben” rapids. Our guide, Justin showed us how to stay balanced. My Mom went through the rapid with no problem but as I started cheering her on, I fell in the rapids.
We went a little further, sitting on the paddleboards at times with our feet in the water but Justin said we had finished the trip. We went back to the shop and said our goodbyes and thank yous.
When we got back to the RV, my Dad said he had done a lot of things while we were gone. He had made lunch and we were starving so we ate lunch and it tasted amazing. We chilled for a little bit and decided to go to the National Park to a place called “Windows” with the dogs in the car with us and when we got there we did a short hike and decided to head back to the RV.
On our way back to Moab there was a traffic jam because a gas main broke and there was construction. We waited for an hour and they said it was going to be another hour before it was fixed so my Dad searched for an alternate route we pulled out of the traffic jam and took the route and it was worth it. The route got us back into Moab and had beautiful views and some life-size dinosaurs but they were plastic and it was very cool. When we got back to the RV the boys watched Star Wars the Last Jedi and then we went to sleep…
The paddleboarding was definitely a plus and the boys had a ton of fun. Ok, I did too, despite falling into the rapids more than anyone else on the trip. I have been paddleboarding for many years and almost never fall (I can count with one hand and have many fingers left over, the times I have fallen off my paddleboard.) But, this wasn’t a lake in Kansas or Cincinnati, this was the mighty Colorado River. The waves hit the paddleboard in all directions as the water ricocheted off the rocks and shore. I was not expecting that and immediately fell in. Our guide, Justin, commented that many people lose their GoPro and cell phones on the rapids and I felt very smug that, of course, “those people” didn’t know how to paddleboard (forehead smack!). Promptly, of course, I fell off and then lost the GoPro in the swirling water. Thanks to Eagle-Eye Lucas, who spotted the yellow floatie attached to it and I was able to snatch it back.
Editorial Notes- By Lisa
Originally we weren’t planning on rafting or doing any activity that required exposure to more people, but this paddleboarding trip included only our family and our guide to minimize exposure. Justin, our guide, was very good about wearing his mask, keeping a safe distance, and always making sure we were all safe. Dennis stayed behind to keep the dogs company and make sure they were ok in the heat (even though we had the AC on all the time, it was still hot!).
Spending some time in the Colorado River was wonderful. It was cool and clean. The flowing waters felt amazing on a hot Utah day and we were beyond thankful to be able to participate in such a fun activity. Usually, we would’ve kept hiking during the day, but given the inescapable heat, it was either to go do a group activity or stay inside the hot RV until the temperatures started to go down.
After we had lunch, we decided to take the dogs on a hike recommended by Justin which had a lot of water (streams) for the dogs to cool down. So we piled up kids and dogs into the Prius (a tight, tight fit) and then drove to the National Park. Then we started heading towards the hike but ran into traffic. After sitting uncomfortably in traffic for an hour we looked at Utah’s Department of Transportation tweets and found out that Moab had a gas main break and they didn’t know when traffic would be reopened. We had two options: Stay in place or try to find a way around.
Dennis found a way to go around the jam but it was very much out of the way. We decided for it anyway, since we were all squeezed and miserable, we might as well be squeezed and miserable but moving.
That “detour” ended up being one of the most beautiful and scenic drives we have taken. We drove past BLM (Bureau of Land Management) lands, past the Colorado River, and through the gorgeous red, orange, and brown rock formations and gorgeous scenery this part of Utah is known for. We arrived back at the RV with the setting sun.
It ended up being exactly what we didn’t know we were missing but were fortunate to find out. How amazing that God gifts us with these moments! The path towards them seems strewn with adversity and discomfort, and yet when we’re there, humbled by the invisible hands leading us, all we can be is grateful. We would never have taken this route if left to our own devices. And yet, there we were, absorbing it, exchanging amazed looks, and, as always, feeling grateful to be there.
Detours are the exciting ones.