Defying gravity, ignoring slope. It seemed the river was running backward. Spawning like salmon, the little waves crested on their upstream sides.
I could see the wind. It pushed across the surface of the river, turning it from chocolate-milk brown to frothy white. The curtain of air danced on the surface. The front edge hit me like a wall. It pushed the bow to the left, out of the current, into the eddy.
"Stop! #*%@ing stop already!"
Leaning forward, I pushed back. The paddle flailed. Blades dug deep, pulling for the eddy line. Tense arms ached from the effort.
The boat moved backward.
"I'm done! I'm done. I'm $^*&ing done!"
Wavelets lapped over the plump tubes and into the little raft, soaking my backside. Sandy wind whistled in my ears. Disrespectful of nature, I cursed the turbulence.
"You just aren't going to give me anything easy today, are you!?!"
No one could hear me. Someone 20 feet away wouldn't have been able to make out the words, which is good, since they were a sailor's melange.
The wind, of course, didn't care.
Angry and exhausted, feeling a worrying twinge in the left tricep, I looked down river into the waves. I gazed at the sheer walls rising hundreds of feet out of the water. Only one escape existed. Calloused fingers tightened their grip on the paddle's carbon fiber shaft.
"So be it. Let's get this done."
![_MG_6561.jpg _MG_6561.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/43/43638-648423ee84069a04d5ec9a7d6a27c892.jpg)
I can't remember exactly when @Nick first floated the idea of this route to me. It might have come in the dim amber campfire glow of another paddle trip, as we mused about the receding waters in Glen Canyon.
Dark Canyon to Cataract, then on to where the water grows still. A degree of romanticism existed in the idea of taking a lightly traveled route into the recovered river channel. Had anyone ever huffed boats down the Sundance Trail before? We couldn't possibly be the first, could we?
As with most such ideas, I figured we were either just that awesome or just that stupid. The only way to know for sure was to try.
![_MG_6482.jpg _MG_6482.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/43/43641-7767dae7fd1870b885c6539b4a76a255.jpg)
The forecast in the days leading up to our departure remained dry, but the projected wind speeds continued to grow. Undeterred, we did our best packing jobs on the packrafts. We loaded PFDs and paddles. We ran our car shuttle.
![_MG_5847.jpg _MG_5847.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/43/43715-293e06b2e567cd9c83da8871ed3bc9f8.jpg)
Finally, we started out on the road to the Sundance Trail.
![_MG_5823.jpg _MG_5823.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/43/43688-3fb87769df7e865983d1d4151ad41ba2.jpg)
![_MG_5831.jpg _MG_5831.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/43/43703-de3498980cc6162216031f828498c0bf.jpg)
![_MG_5861.jpg _MG_5861.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/43/43702-624649f872c9bcbccabe98251a1db089.jpg)
A degree of apprehension lingered at the back of my mind when we looked across the way to the giant rock slide that would provide access into the canyon.
![_MG_5813.jpg _MG_5813.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/43/43704-e03ec7696c5623bc873829876cdf75d8.jpg)
The view from the top helped dispel that unease.
![_MG_5891.jpg _MG_5891.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/43/43709-68ff0c49a5a6f5ae406022f4ee164149.jpg)
Late April afternoon heat had already taken its toll. We paused at the lip, bracing for the drop.
![_MG_5897.jpg _MG_5897.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/43/43700-0a0fc12670a1251614529454e253406f.jpg)
We were high and the way down was certainly steep, but doable.
![_MG_5880.jpg _MG_5880.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/43/43701-b28c5e11118dd0a590cbad013e0ddd67.jpg)
![_MG_5918.jpg _MG_5918.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/43/43696-eac6d882b10427f1cd3ae52ba1e12f8d.jpg)
Did I mention it was steep?
![_MG_5932.jpg _MG_5932.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/43/43694-72c797637b1c4377e835c4f36b72a795.jpg)
![_MG_5899.jpg _MG_5899.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/43/43699-9af46967466630dd7a5291534d942c07.jpg)
![_MG_5909.jpg _MG_5909.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/43/43698-c4f2daf9fcee87e5fab99ff8e9c8b364.jpg)
The descent took longer than expected.
![_MG_5911.jpg _MG_5911.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/43/43697-53666c5300b213bf7cc9086bc7fd38a4.jpg)
Three quarters of the way down, I decided to push on ahead with the group's water filter. We agreed to meet at the point where the Sundance meets the creek.
![_MG_5929.jpg _MG_5929.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/43/43695-f297b8767b16c3711c68c66ec2e283c5.jpg)
![_MG_5942.jpg _MG_5942.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/43/43693-b16c50d10c870d6015c354d551e1d9c2.jpg)
At last, the ground flattened.
![_MG_5958.jpg _MG_5958.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/43/43692-5a0d4c60aee8973171178f0240c5aa3d.jpg)
The canyon bottom beckoned.
![_MG_5988-HDR.jpg _MG_5988-HDR.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/43/43691-fff41d63eb8bb7956e9dd71d666c6751.jpg)
A choir of frogs serenaded my approach. Our planned rendezvous, it turned out, was also the most prime camping spot.
![_MG_6021-HDR.jpg _MG_6021-HDR.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/43/43686-56e120b72964365352f7a80aa65bb3e2.jpg)
The frog song continued unabated for hours, well past the last of the day glow and after the rise of a bright desert moon.
![_MG_6037.jpg _MG_6037.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/43/43716-124267a390deb49aa81ca3f000fabc9f.jpg)
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Morning light drew us deeper into the canyon depths.
![_MG_6062.jpg _MG_6062.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/43/43647-4a9e2a758e2ad59317339db466d8eef9.jpg)
![_MG_6214.jpg _MG_6214.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/43/43679-298b61039e645cd9a5f300223eebfe6b.jpg)
![_MG_6071.jpg _MG_6071.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/43/43685-0b5a75a1552c2796b99e00eb66590c18.jpg)
![_MG_6222.jpg _MG_6222.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/43/43676-25924150f553cc650d530defd5dc315d.jpg)
Encumbered with heavy packs, we made poor time. No one complained, except Jen with her occasional adoration of photographers.
![_MG_6075.jpg _MG_6075.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/43/43646-21b625f38d8309fa2417532af14d30ba.jpg)
The trail took bypasses out of the constricted watercourse.
![_MG_6137.jpg _MG_6137.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/43/43683-bc6588181d4c24ef42c22900fc66173f.jpg)
![_MG_6141.jpg _MG_6141.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/43/43682-d2e883ddc86af6ceed5fabc5560801e5.jpg)
![_MG_6185.jpg _MG_6185.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/43/43680-ff367d16fe74b067f76dbc9139a5301b.jpg)
It became more interesting anywhere the water cut from red into gray.
![_MG_6089.jpg _MG_6089.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/43/43684-0b84f40a3d923ede33e63f096e308c2c.jpg)
![_MG_6161.jpg _MG_6161.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/43/43689-643c1772e38e529d639c6e6c530d9607.jpg)
![_MG_6152.jpg _MG_6152.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/43/43681-a92153a75c03553691ac77046e4dadeb.jpg)
Watch your step.
![_MG_6168.jpg _MG_6168.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/43/43710-c28c2e7025343340e172db67c08afe4a.jpg)
The higher we climbed up the canyon wall, the more its scale seemed to dwarf us.
![_MG_6194.jpg _MG_6194.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/43/43645-aa5c2c08cbb6061ed23c8b9574d0dae3.jpg)
Can you see @colefeet?
![_MG_6198.jpg _MG_6198.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/43/43678-16b965a7eb9d905e57c3e6db0a77b6a7.jpg)
Here's a 100% crop. Can you see her now?
![_MG_6198-2.jpg _MG_6198-2.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/43/43677-32d7685a1de8d496b5070fe054fffdc2.jpg)
Our slow pace allowed plenty of time to gawk.
![_MG_6079.jpg _MG_6079.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/43/43690-8ea61a84a6ba109a9d7d17831661ccdc.jpg)
![_MG_6232.jpg _MG_6232.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/43/43675-443b1542e3b14798b433bdf88613a915.jpg)
Each twist of the canyon revealed a new piece of stunning scenery.
![_MG_6253.jpg _MG_6253.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/43/43644-0fb4732b4664998bb757cbb67e1ddb96.jpg)
![_MG_6267.jpg _MG_6267.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/43/43674-d20b26cc8ba84789f433c09a482dce73.jpg)
I could have remained in this grotto, decked with its twin cascades, for hours.
![_MG_6294.jpg _MG_6294.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/43/43643-f258d6c2a6ca360a541cfd6cab9ca25d.jpg)
![_MG_6300.jpg _MG_6300.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/43/43672-7f76824f9be44093ba6811f0e0710019.jpg)
![_MG_6288.jpg _MG_6288.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/43/43673-257a3d42612a07b6b7ec6c8676b4eba5.jpg)
![_MG_6304.jpg _MG_6304.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/43/43671-dc91e2adccee1902d9da289689a6cd49.jpg)
But the river called.
![_MG_6329.jpg _MG_6329.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/43/43670-872eb983f409f211d2e227ac1e3466b7.jpg)
![_MG_6339.jpg _MG_6339.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/43/43669-cc8f09fc18b0ce720effff19a27aa087.jpg)
![_MG_6345.jpg _MG_6345.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/43/43712-2a65eba941eec60efa1a7ced3fe7a346.jpg)
Powell's high water mark wasn't too evident, marked by a subtle layer of sediment.
![_MG_6386-HDR.jpg _MG_6386-HDR.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/43/43711-e31c7c579ff93d6dc24e315e5dad83ce.jpg)
Nick wasn't a huge fan of this crawl.
![_MG_6351.jpg _MG_6351.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/43/43707-4a0c84bd1fe14a3ae4fac8d5d023a521.jpg)
In some places, recovery made itself evident. There is life after Powell.
![_MG_6401.jpg _MG_6401.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/43/43668-4f72c053b6ef62aa906bfe75a36d187d.jpg)
Elsewhere, lake deposits grew and grew into monstrous walls of eroded sand.
![_MG_6404.jpg _MG_6404.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/43/43667-a823a973387926df27fb7c21e8b7f101.jpg)
At last our path ended at the river's edge. The sun was sagging. We needed to move. Out came the boats.
![_MG_6414.jpg _MG_6414.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/43/43666-b587bc29c8e7524d6c4f84af91cedfab.jpg)
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Testflight. We paddled out of the eddy and into the main flow of the current. A short float into the glare of sun brought our fleet aground on the bank.
![_MG_6427.jpg _MG_6427.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/43/43642-8653b691c44b92a8efc7f19f8581c9fe.jpg)
![_MG_6434-HDR.jpg _MG_6434-HDR.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/43/43706-6788007d992cc93a99ed94a16dccbf5c.jpg)
Daylight faded out with such a smooth decay, it was hard to mark the moment when night began. Jen and I tried to get some sleep, but Nick and @neiloro were feeling talkative. We all ended up staying awake longer than was wise, especially knowing an early morning awaited us.
![_MG_6510.jpg _MG_6510.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/43/43717-4f4f34ca94aca70946b934783e9d670d.jpg)
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We rose before sunrise, buoyed by the hope of beating the winds. Saturday held promise of some intense gusts, with the worst expected in the afternoon.
![_MG_6519.jpg _MG_6519.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/43/43640-6c4936170b2b695cabf7f865e0f9c700.jpg)
No sooner were we on the water than those hopes evaporated.
![_MG_6524.jpg _MG_6524.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/43/43664-e14473bacb0202744618d5232d72fcd1.jpg)
![_MG_6533.jpg _MG_6533.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/43/43665-bbbe70017c402f0be316d588602a4681.jpg)
A steady press of air pushed up canyon, knocking our boats around. My camera remained safely lodged in a dry bag. I struggled to keep in the main current, finding the wind wanted to push my little boat off course. Jen, Nilauro and Nick all seemed to fare better, though all of us struggled to some degree.
Curls of sand whipped off the edges of the cut banks, blowing out over the water. Granules lodged in the corners of our eyes.
In need of a break, we pulled off at the mouth of Sheep Canyon. Even there, the wind didn't relent.
![_MG_6535.jpg _MG_6535.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/43/43639-1a70b9fd8c4921f1cc67e402ca3db0da.jpg)
Like the eye of a hurricane, a brief moment of calm came as we floated around the back side of Millie Crag bend. It vanished before too long, bringing even stronger gusts.
The forecast had called for gusts in the 20-25 mile per hour range. MesoWest sensors in Hanksville recorded gusts in excess of 40 miles per hour. In Blanding, they topped 50.
![_MG_6564.jpg _MG_6564.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/43/43713-a2b75066b21948f064c520951ea9b4fb.jpg)
We battled our way to the end, fighting for every single stroke, every mile.
![_MG_6567.jpg _MG_6567.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/43/43721-349e9a14bec6c13ddf71faea2376365b.jpg)
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Once out of the water, we ran to retrieve Nick's truck and enjoyed some well-earned refreshment at the small boat ramp across the river from Hite. Then, I waved goodbye to the group and struck out for the Swell.
![_MG_2931.jpg _MG_2931.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/43/43654-23adb63a2714e921e394447a1e3223f5.jpg)
![_MG_2940.jpg _MG_2940.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/43/43653-e6ff8b8e9f1841da4af1dc2167bb00e4.jpg)
A couple friends from Australia were headed to Utah and had asked me to help them surprise their hosts with a photo of Goblin Valley.
![_MG_6590.jpg _MG_6590.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/43/43714-dde2e1a7433775ce1a89d2d488deacd1.jpg)
![_MG_2930.jpg _MG_2930.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/43/43655-f9dadd2fd8d7ad31564baf87b69446e7.jpg)
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![_MG_6595.jpg _MG_6595.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/43/43663-da1c7e38e3ae8aabd875e4cfcf6ec8eb.jpg)
Although exhausted from 16 miles of hard paddling, I geared up with camera and tripod and headed into the park.
![_MG_2910.jpg _MG_2910.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/43/43662-67d9c2ec95a3df21e19debec13a7a715.jpg)
![_MG_6710.jpg _MG_6710.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/43/43661-4b34fec991d0bed3b640b6c01ef6bf6c.jpg)
![_MG_6666-HDR.jpg _MG_6666-HDR.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/43/43718-5d8af37125e366d8aa2e1c40932654d2.jpg)
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![_MG_6748.jpg _MG_6748.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/43/43720-8098dfd21aa69105b755abb184a66219.jpg)
I had just enough fuel left in me to get out of the park as the stars emerged. The best camping spots were long since taken, but I managed to stake out a decent location not far off the road. It proved a perfect place to enjoy the sunrise on Sunday morning.
![_MG_6787.jpg _MG_6787.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/43/43652-acbd315022826a5f04cd01ca611fff30.jpg)
![_MG_6824.jpg _MG_6824.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/43/43650-1e1c1834e15dd372a6681fbe6b0866cc.jpg)
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I could see the wind. It pushed across the surface of the river, turning it from chocolate-milk brown to frothy white. The curtain of air danced on the surface. The front edge hit me like a wall. It pushed the bow to the left, out of the current, into the eddy.
"Stop! #*%@ing stop already!"
Leaning forward, I pushed back. The paddle flailed. Blades dug deep, pulling for the eddy line. Tense arms ached from the effort.
The boat moved backward.
"I'm done! I'm done. I'm $^*&ing done!"
Wavelets lapped over the plump tubes and into the little raft, soaking my backside. Sandy wind whistled in my ears. Disrespectful of nature, I cursed the turbulence.
"You just aren't going to give me anything easy today, are you!?!"
No one could hear me. Someone 20 feet away wouldn't have been able to make out the words, which is good, since they were a sailor's melange.
The wind, of course, didn't care.
Angry and exhausted, feeling a worrying twinge in the left tricep, I looked down river into the waves. I gazed at the sheer walls rising hundreds of feet out of the water. Only one escape existed. Calloused fingers tightened their grip on the paddle's carbon fiber shaft.
"So be it. Let's get this done."
![_MG_6561.jpg _MG_6561.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/43/43638-648423ee84069a04d5ec9a7d6a27c892.jpg)
I can't remember exactly when @Nick first floated the idea of this route to me. It might have come in the dim amber campfire glow of another paddle trip, as we mused about the receding waters in Glen Canyon.
Dark Canyon to Cataract, then on to where the water grows still. A degree of romanticism existed in the idea of taking a lightly traveled route into the recovered river channel. Had anyone ever huffed boats down the Sundance Trail before? We couldn't possibly be the first, could we?
As with most such ideas, I figured we were either just that awesome or just that stupid. The only way to know for sure was to try.
![_MG_6482.jpg _MG_6482.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/43/43641-7767dae7fd1870b885c6539b4a76a255.jpg)
The forecast in the days leading up to our departure remained dry, but the projected wind speeds continued to grow. Undeterred, we did our best packing jobs on the packrafts. We loaded PFDs and paddles. We ran our car shuttle.
![_MG_5847.jpg _MG_5847.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/43/43715-293e06b2e567cd9c83da8871ed3bc9f8.jpg)
Finally, we started out on the road to the Sundance Trail.
![_MG_5823.jpg _MG_5823.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/43/43688-3fb87769df7e865983d1d4151ad41ba2.jpg)
![_MG_5831.jpg _MG_5831.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/43/43703-de3498980cc6162216031f828498c0bf.jpg)
![_MG_5861.jpg _MG_5861.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/43/43702-624649f872c9bcbccabe98251a1db089.jpg)
A degree of apprehension lingered at the back of my mind when we looked across the way to the giant rock slide that would provide access into the canyon.
![_MG_5813.jpg _MG_5813.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/43/43704-e03ec7696c5623bc873829876cdf75d8.jpg)
The view from the top helped dispel that unease.
![_MG_5891.jpg _MG_5891.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/43/43709-68ff0c49a5a6f5ae406022f4ee164149.jpg)
Late April afternoon heat had already taken its toll. We paused at the lip, bracing for the drop.
![_MG_5897.jpg _MG_5897.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/43/43700-0a0fc12670a1251614529454e253406f.jpg)
We were high and the way down was certainly steep, but doable.
![_MG_5880.jpg _MG_5880.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/43/43701-b28c5e11118dd0a590cbad013e0ddd67.jpg)
![_MG_5918.jpg _MG_5918.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/43/43696-eac6d882b10427f1cd3ae52ba1e12f8d.jpg)
Did I mention it was steep?
![_MG_5932.jpg _MG_5932.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/43/43694-72c797637b1c4377e835c4f36b72a795.jpg)
![_MG_5899.jpg _MG_5899.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/43/43699-9af46967466630dd7a5291534d942c07.jpg)
![_MG_5909.jpg _MG_5909.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/43/43698-c4f2daf9fcee87e5fab99ff8e9c8b364.jpg)
The descent took longer than expected.
![_MG_5911.jpg _MG_5911.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/43/43697-53666c5300b213bf7cc9086bc7fd38a4.jpg)
Three quarters of the way down, I decided to push on ahead with the group's water filter. We agreed to meet at the point where the Sundance meets the creek.
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At last, the ground flattened.
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The canyon bottom beckoned.
![_MG_5988-HDR.jpg _MG_5988-HDR.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/43/43691-fff41d63eb8bb7956e9dd71d666c6751.jpg)
A choir of frogs serenaded my approach. Our planned rendezvous, it turned out, was also the most prime camping spot.
![_MG_6021-HDR.jpg _MG_6021-HDR.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/43/43686-56e120b72964365352f7a80aa65bb3e2.jpg)
The frog song continued unabated for hours, well past the last of the day glow and after the rise of a bright desert moon.
![_MG_6037.jpg _MG_6037.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/43/43716-124267a390deb49aa81ca3f000fabc9f.jpg)
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Morning light drew us deeper into the canyon depths.
![_MG_6062.jpg _MG_6062.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/43/43647-4a9e2a758e2ad59317339db466d8eef9.jpg)
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Encumbered with heavy packs, we made poor time. No one complained, except Jen with her occasional adoration of photographers.
![_MG_6075.jpg _MG_6075.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/43/43646-21b625f38d8309fa2417532af14d30ba.jpg)
The trail took bypasses out of the constricted watercourse.
![_MG_6137.jpg _MG_6137.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/43/43683-bc6588181d4c24ef42c22900fc66173f.jpg)
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It became more interesting anywhere the water cut from red into gray.
![_MG_6089.jpg _MG_6089.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/43/43684-0b84f40a3d923ede33e63f096e308c2c.jpg)
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Watch your step.
![_MG_6168.jpg _MG_6168.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/43/43710-c28c2e7025343340e172db67c08afe4a.jpg)
The higher we climbed up the canyon wall, the more its scale seemed to dwarf us.
![_MG_6194.jpg _MG_6194.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/43/43645-aa5c2c08cbb6061ed23c8b9574d0dae3.jpg)
Can you see @colefeet?
![_MG_6198.jpg _MG_6198.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/43/43678-16b965a7eb9d905e57c3e6db0a77b6a7.jpg)
Here's a 100% crop. Can you see her now?
![_MG_6198-2.jpg _MG_6198-2.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/43/43677-32d7685a1de8d496b5070fe054fffdc2.jpg)
Our slow pace allowed plenty of time to gawk.
![_MG_6079.jpg _MG_6079.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/43/43690-8ea61a84a6ba109a9d7d17831661ccdc.jpg)
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Each twist of the canyon revealed a new piece of stunning scenery.
![_MG_6253.jpg _MG_6253.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/43/43644-0fb4732b4664998bb757cbb67e1ddb96.jpg)
![_MG_6267.jpg _MG_6267.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/43/43674-d20b26cc8ba84789f433c09a482dce73.jpg)
I could have remained in this grotto, decked with its twin cascades, for hours.
![_MG_6294.jpg _MG_6294.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/43/43643-f258d6c2a6ca360a541cfd6cab9ca25d.jpg)
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But the river called.
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Powell's high water mark wasn't too evident, marked by a subtle layer of sediment.
![_MG_6386-HDR.jpg _MG_6386-HDR.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/43/43711-e31c7c579ff93d6dc24e315e5dad83ce.jpg)
Nick wasn't a huge fan of this crawl.
![_MG_6351.jpg _MG_6351.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/43/43707-4a0c84bd1fe14a3ae4fac8d5d023a521.jpg)
In some places, recovery made itself evident. There is life after Powell.
![_MG_6401.jpg _MG_6401.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/43/43668-4f72c053b6ef62aa906bfe75a36d187d.jpg)
Elsewhere, lake deposits grew and grew into monstrous walls of eroded sand.
![_MG_6404.jpg _MG_6404.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/43/43667-a823a973387926df27fb7c21e8b7f101.jpg)
At last our path ended at the river's edge. The sun was sagging. We needed to move. Out came the boats.
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Testflight. We paddled out of the eddy and into the main flow of the current. A short float into the glare of sun brought our fleet aground on the bank.
![_MG_6427.jpg _MG_6427.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/43/43642-8653b691c44b92a8efc7f19f8581c9fe.jpg)
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Daylight faded out with such a smooth decay, it was hard to mark the moment when night began. Jen and I tried to get some sleep, but Nick and @neiloro were feeling talkative. We all ended up staying awake longer than was wise, especially knowing an early morning awaited us.
![_MG_6510.jpg _MG_6510.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/43/43717-4f4f34ca94aca70946b934783e9d670d.jpg)
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We rose before sunrise, buoyed by the hope of beating the winds. Saturday held promise of some intense gusts, with the worst expected in the afternoon.
![_MG_6519.jpg _MG_6519.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/43/43640-6c4936170b2b695cabf7f865e0f9c700.jpg)
No sooner were we on the water than those hopes evaporated.
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A steady press of air pushed up canyon, knocking our boats around. My camera remained safely lodged in a dry bag. I struggled to keep in the main current, finding the wind wanted to push my little boat off course. Jen, Nilauro and Nick all seemed to fare better, though all of us struggled to some degree.
Curls of sand whipped off the edges of the cut banks, blowing out over the water. Granules lodged in the corners of our eyes.
In need of a break, we pulled off at the mouth of Sheep Canyon. Even there, the wind didn't relent.
![_MG_6535.jpg _MG_6535.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/43/43639-1a70b9fd8c4921f1cc67e402ca3db0da.jpg)
Like the eye of a hurricane, a brief moment of calm came as we floated around the back side of Millie Crag bend. It vanished before too long, bringing even stronger gusts.
The forecast had called for gusts in the 20-25 mile per hour range. MesoWest sensors in Hanksville recorded gusts in excess of 40 miles per hour. In Blanding, they topped 50.
![_MG_6564.jpg _MG_6564.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/43/43713-a2b75066b21948f064c520951ea9b4fb.jpg)
We battled our way to the end, fighting for every single stroke, every mile.
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Once out of the water, we ran to retrieve Nick's truck and enjoyed some well-earned refreshment at the small boat ramp across the river from Hite. Then, I waved goodbye to the group and struck out for the Swell.
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A couple friends from Australia were headed to Utah and had asked me to help them surprise their hosts with a photo of Goblin Valley.
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Although exhausted from 16 miles of hard paddling, I geared up with camera and tripod and headed into the park.
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I had just enough fuel left in me to get out of the park as the stars emerged. The best camping spots were long since taken, but I managed to stake out a decent location not far off the road. It proved a perfect place to enjoy the sunrise on Sunday morning.
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