Cleopatra

[klee-uh-pa-truh, -pah-, -pey-]
noun

1. 69–30 b.c, queen of Egypt 51–49, 48–30.
2. best seat on a raft, maybe not so great in the rapids, but definitely preferred for sun-bathing and general coolness

Today was not a good start for – not quite a morning person yet – Sarah. My papers said that we would meet our rafting guides at 8AM in the pretty much abandoned town of Cisco. We got there by 7:30 only to realize that we were 1.5 hours early and that there is nothing, that’s right: absolutely nothing, to do in Cisco. Luckily, the trip to the Westwater ranger station (the beginning of our rafting trip) was short (we left Allen by the Cisco boat launch) and once we had all our stuff packed away on two rafts we were all eager to go. Our rafting guides Susan and Colin were awesome and we were off to new adventures in no time at all.

Soon we left the Westwater ranger station behind and floated down the Colorado. Colin told us about the rapids, Adam was paddling happily in a small inflatable kayak and we made fun of Joan, who had unceremoniously departed her raft on a previous whitewater trip in Oregon.

We had lunch at Miner’s Cabin, where Colin and Susan pulled an amazing Cesar Salad out of the coolers and we all munched on wraps, Pringles and cookies. Down river we went until we reached Little Hole, where Susan took us on a hike to a large alcove with petroglyphs and a great view. The alcove was just the place to be: we go surprised by a little thunderstorm. Luckily we all stayed dry under the big overhang and enjoyed a short-lived waterfall pouring over the edge of the sandstone cliff.

A few miles downstream we pulled into our campsite at “lower little D”, (or lower Little Dolores), the Little Dolores being a small stream entering the Colorado from the east. The site is great: lots of good camping on top of a small bluff of Precambrian black metamorphic rocks, a nice sandbar, no flies and an awesome dinner cooked by Colin and Susan under a small tarp during two thundershowers. The pineapple upside-down cake turned out awesome, and so did the steaks and everything else.

We did a little pre-dinner hike to a small waterfall, enjoyed the peace and quiet, and late evening campfire. No s’mores though. Joan and Christoph decided that this is definitely the way to travel!

back to day 8
let’s take a little break
onward to day 10