Green River Canoe Trip - Mineral Bottom to Spanish Bottom May 24-29, 2015 (Part 1 - Days 1 and 2)

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I look forward to every opportunity I have to get away to the desert or mountains for a few days. I usually have two, maybe three, weeks a year when I can take an extended trip somewhere. My wife and I fell in love with the canyons of southern Utah when we first visited the area in 2013, so when I learned about the Green River in southeastern Utah, I was intrigued and started to research a possible multi-day trip through Canyonlands National Park on the Green. My investigations led to the realization that (just like pretty much everywhere else in the area we have been to) there were way too many things to do and places to explore in Canyonlands for us to fit it all in during a week-long trip. So I made a plan to hit some highlights on the river, and possibly come back again in a few years when our granddaughter gets a little older. Of course, the best laid plans often go awry, and that happened to us. However it worked out for the best and gave us some time to relax as well as explore the area.

The original plan was for us to put in at Mineral Bottom and float 56 or so miles down to Spanish Bottom on the Colorado River, stopping at a different campsite every day. We made arrangements with Tex's Riverways in Moab to rent a canoe and gear, and for shuttle service to and from the river (by the way, they did an excellent job and provided superior service). We planned to spend the first night at Fort Bottom, about 10 miles downriver from our put in point. However, there were two things that thwarted those plans. First, the river is lined with tamarisk, a very thick and low lying invasive shrub, that apparently thrives in the area and covers just about every bit of soil adjacent to the river. Second, the height and speed of the river. I knew about both conditions, and that the river would be at its highest and fastest during the time we planned to be on it. What I had underestimated was just how the combination of the tamarisk cover and high river would make openings to the bank few and far between.

The result for the first day was that when we reached the north side of Fort Bottom we saw what was no more than a three-foot opening in the tamarisk as we blew by it. Knowing that the river wound around Fort Bottom for a mile or more, I figured there had to be another opening for us to park the canoe. I was wrong. So the first day ended not at Fort Bottom but at Anderson Bottom, another 10 miles or so down river. This actually worked out well for us. We had planned on spending the second night at Anderson Bottom. So now we could spend two nights at Anderson Bottom, giving us a full day to explore the area. By the end of our day at Anderson Bottom we had hiked up to the bench, climbed down a slot canyon, and generally had time to leisurely explore the area.

Selfie just after setting out from Mineral Bottom. At the upper part of the trip, the canyon is wide and the walls are relatively low.
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We had a late lunch in Horsethief Canyon. It had a great wash area where we gathered driftwood for our camp fire. Regulations require that camp fires use only driftwood. We spent the first hour or so on the river trying to scoop up whatever driftwood we could as we floated by. However, when we reached Horsethief Canyon we found an inexhaustible supply. From this point on we realized that driftwood was everywhere and we didn't have to worry about getting it out of the river.
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One of the advantages of canoeing vs. backpacking is that you can take a whole lot more gear. We had a table and chairs and two coolers to keep our food cold. When we arrived at Tex's ready to load up with what we thought was a lot of gear and supplies, we were told that we were kind of light. But we had plenty of everything we needed for the trip.
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The nearly unending wall of tamarisk. Combined with the high water, the shores were like a mangrove swamp. There was no way to push through it. You had to find a natural break. This is looking up a little side canyon towards Upheaval Dome.
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The weather during the day was generally pleasant (highs in the low 80s, with low humidity), but most days clouds would move in, maybe drop a little bit of rain, and then move out and the sky would be brilliant.
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The Butte(s) of the Cross. On first seeing this from the river, John Wesley Powell thought this looked like a cross that had fallen down and named it the Butte of the Cross. Going further down the river you realize that it actually consists of two buttes. Still pretty gorgeous.
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It was pushing 7 pm when we finally reached this large rock that signals the beginning of Anderson Bottom. We found our campsite just opposite the rock. We actually passed the minuscule opening in the tamarisk and had to turn around and "walk" the canoe back upstream by me paddling and my wife pulling us upriver by grabbing the branches that overhung the river. After 20 or so miles on the river that afternoon, we were ready to set up camp. 038 (1024x520).jpg
View from our campsite the next morning. Looking down Anderson Bottom toward the mesa that dominates the rincon. During the night we heard some high-pitched "barking." It was not nearly as loud as a dog, but it indicated that something was exploring our campsite. The next day when we began our exploration, we headed towards the mesa. As we walked through the high grass I noticed a large burrow hole, much larger than any rabbit hole I had seen. Then I looked around and there were more than a dozen of them all around us. It was a little unnerving at first -- could these wild animals be sitting just out of the light waiting for the signal to launch a coordinated attack on the clueless hikers? We figured that the burrows may hold whatever was making the noises outside our tent the previous night.
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One of the buttes above Anderson Bottom.
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Ms. Agnes at our campsite.
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Ms. Agnes and the mesa. We had some rain the previous night and the day remained overcast for the most part.
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Looking downriver from the opening to access our campsite.
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Looking back towards our camp from the base on the Anderson Bottom mesa. Our tent is actually in the picture.
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I don't know if these are cowboy etchings or ancient petroglyphs (or a combination of both). They are on the north side of the Anderson Bottom mesa. Whatever they are, I'm pretty sure that is an alien flying saucer on the far left.
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I really liked Anderson Bottom. Views of the surrounding canyons, mesas, and buttes were awesome.
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The way out of Anderson Bottom. This was an old cattle trail that leads up to the bench. Note the gate about 10 feet off the ground.
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Almost to the top of the trail.
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The Buttes of the Cross from the bench above Anderson Bottom.
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View to the north from the bench above Anderson Bottom.
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We decided to hike to the head of the canyon we had just climbed out of. Kelsey says it becomes a challenging little slot canyon for the last mile or so. We decided to go from the top down as far as we could before turning back. It was a nice little hike among the rocky formations above Anderson Bottom to reach the head of the canyon.
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The north butte of the Buttes of the Cross. We thought it was cool that a rock had fallen over and created a sort-of natural bridge.
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When we got to the head of the slot canyon, we found this boulder-strewn plain. Don't know why all these boulders decided to show up here, but they did
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The beginning of the slot canyon seems fairly tame.
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A little jug-handle arch in the slot canyon.
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After we hit several water-filled potholes, my wife just decided to go sans pantalones.
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As the canyon got deeper and narrower, I became concerned that we may get into a situation we couldn't get out of without any gear. My wife decided that we were going to go on anyway. During our exploration we had to do several down climbs that would have been hard to get back up if we had to. At one point we tied the arms of our rain shells together, then tied my belt to the other arm to have a makeshift rope to get down one 10 foot drop. The last bit involved using our hands and legs on opposite canyon walls to keep our heads above water, then when the walls became too far apart, swimming around a corner and belly crawling through the mud to get out. In the end, we were muddied, bloodied, but unbowed. It may have been the most exhilarating hike we have ever done. We plan to have Zion Adventure Co. teach us some basic canyoneering next time we are in the area. The picture below is the last photo I made with a conventional camera. We got some really good shots with my wife's cell phone, but unfortunately it did not survive the hike and all were lost.
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When we got back to camp our whole bodies were in a similar state as these shoes (which were brand new when we started this trip).
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After changing clothes, grabbing a snack, and resting for a while, we headed back out to the Anderson Bottom mesa to explore the other side. On the south side is this ancient granary.
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We sat in the shade of the mesa for several minutes just enjoying the view across the southern part of Anderson Bottom.
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One of the perks of canoeing as opposed to backpacking is that we were able to have shish kabobs for dinner, along with a salad and some chilled fruit for desert. Every night we had "dinner and a movie" thanks to Apple, Netflix, and Goal Zero. That night we heard more "barking" from the area of our camp, and later a strong thunderstorm blew through. But nothing was going to get us out of our sleeping bags.

Video of our canoe trip on the Green River:

Featured image for home page:
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Excellent! That sounds like a wild hike using jackets for ropes and what not. I'm setting out on a river trip tomorrow morning so this gets me even more psyched. Looking forward to part 2.

View from our campsite the next morning. Looking down Anderson Bottom toward the mesa that dominates the rincon. During the night we heard some high-pitched "barking." It was not nearly as loud as a dog, but it indicated that something was exploring our campsite. The next day when we began our exploration, we headed towards the mesa. As we walked through the high grass I noticed a large burrow hole, much larger than any rabbit hole I had seen. Then I looked around and there were more than a dozen of them all around us. It was a little unnerving at first -- could these wild animals be sitting just out of the light waiting for the signal to launch a coordinated attack on the clueless hikers? We figured that the burrows may hold whatever was making the noises outside our tent the previous night.

Sounds like coyotes. No big deal. Where they yipping and yowling or actually barking? I don't hear them bark so much but lots of other funny noises.

I don't know if these are cowboy etchings or ancient petroglyphs (or a combination of both). They are on the north side of the Anderson Bottom mesa. Whatever they are, I'm pretty sure that is an alien flying saucer on the far left.

Looks like 100% legit ancient petroglyphs to me.
 
Thanks for the information you guys. I thought the petroglyphs were "real," but when I saw the photo with the steer head looking thing above the wheel I thought it looked like a brand, and it caused me to question their authenticity. It looks like you can "read" at least part of them - it looks like directions to where they could find some long horn sheep.

Nick - Maybe those were coyotes. The sound was more high pitched than a bark, and a "yip" or "yowl" might be a more accurate description. We did not find any prints or tracks the next morning and they didn't get into our food or trash (which were packed away anyway). They likely are used to people camping there, and maybe were looking for some scraps but avoided coming into camp when they saw the area was occupied. Just speculation. I know about as much about coyotes as I do about petroglyphs.

Hope you have an fun and exciting river trip!
 
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