THE DAY WE'VE ALL BEEN WAITING FOR
Trip Start
Jun 28, 2011
1
10
15
Trip End
Jul 10, 2011
Moab UT, Utah
Friday, July 8, 2011
Places for sitting on the raft have names - Tubes, buckboard and chicken coop. Rogan opted, of course, for the tubes; the buckboard is where we were in the picture with the umbrella; the chicken coop is on the side. Gianni wanted to choose the tubes, but ended up in the chicken coop across from us.
The first two rapids are practice runs, to see if people who chose the tubes are ok to be there. Lots weren't and were moved to the chicken coop. The first rapids threw some people off their ropes and had to rescued by Lane, one of our guides, who throws himself on the people who are loose, keeping them from falling off the raft.
The second rapid, is called Repeat Rapid, because that is what they do, run it over and over, trying to simulate what we will encounter in the stronger rapids. They motor through, around, sideways, soaking us and trying to ascertain who needs to be in the chicken coop and who can be on the tubes. When they think we're ready, it's down the river we go.
It is not possible to take pictures in the midst of the rapids, but as we had two rafts, we took some pictures of the other raft when we had passed through. One picture tells it's own story.
We plowed our way through 30 sets of rapids, one a mile long. On one of the rapids, I lost one handhold and got airborne, but managed to regain it. Gianni said he was airborne too, and Rogan continued to "Suck Rubber", the term used when a wall of water was coming and the people on the tubes were to put their faces flat on the tube. The rapids are the biggest they've been since 1984. Oh, joy!
Needless to say, we all survived and many have stories to tell. Even I had to admit it was fun, but the fear that accompanies the fun is hard to take.
To relieve the tension that had built during the day, we were required to wear our bedsheets as togas. The Kulle Clan decided to go as our Fantastic Four, Captain America, Batman, Wonder Woman and Superman. The white discs we're wearing were our dinner plates in baggies emblazoned with our name.
Dinner? T-Bone steak, garlic bread, salad, green beans almondine, and grilled onions and mushrooms.
Dessert? Bananas Foster and Vanilla Ice Cream.
Comments
Lord, have mercy!