Summary

Touring Kayaks in Labyrinth Canyon - 5 Days

Prices From USD$ $930.00
1st Departure 04.07.2009
Provider Sheri Griffith Expeditions
Destination Green River
Duration 5 days/ 4 nights
Challenge Easy
Avg Rating Not Rated

Labyrinth Canyon is a graceful float through a bounty of southwestern vistas and steep cliffs of red rock sandstone. Spectacular buttes and mesas rise over 1,500 feet above the river floor. Perfect for paddling your own sleek kayak or share a two person kayak with a friend. Gear rafts carry all the comforts of a full scale camp. We explore some of the secret side canyons, Indian ruins and traces of lost civilizations. Guides are well versed in history and wildlife and share it in a fun and interesting way.

If you’re looking for the complete ESCAPE vacation, then the 10 day John Wesley Powell Expedition is for YOU. This one of a kind river journey follows part of John Wesley Powell’s historic 1869 exploration down the Green and Colorado Rivers. The expedition combines the serenity of Labyrinth and Stillwater Canyons and the excitement of Cataract Canyon to make one amazing vacation.

Itinerary

Day 1

The expedition begins early in the morning at the Sheri Griffith Expeditions office. We then drive to the launch site near Green River, Utah. After a safety talk and some basic kayak instruction we launch. Gliding out onto the longest smooth water portion of the Green River we will float through an open valley and begin a descent of about a foot and a half every mile. There are no rapids on this portion of the river, only a few riffles just below the town of Green River.

Today we will have the opportunity to explore Crystal Geyser~ a cold water geyser whose eruptions are fueled by pressurized carbon-dioxide gas. The first eruption recorded was in 1936 when Glenn Ruby was drilling for gas and hit the pressurized pocket that activates the geyser. Years of accumulation of minerals brought up by the eruptions have left a beautiful copper colored formation around the geyser.

By late afternoon we’ll pull into a secluded campsite where we will enjoy exploring while our guides prepare a delicious dinner.



Day 2, 3 & 3

The scenery begins to change as the river leaves the open desert and cuts its way into the rising plateaus of Utah’s Canyon Country. This is Labyrinth Canyon, named by John Wesley Powell when he was here on his historic expedition in 1869. The canyon becomes deeper as Sandstone walls of the Wingate Formation rise hundreds of feet on both sides. Orange and reddish brown cliffs drip with a darker brown and blue-black known as "desert varnish." Formations of tan Navajo Sandstone, purplish-red Kayenta towers, and brown Wingate cliffs, continuously unfold above.

We will hike “Bowknot Bend” where the river makes a seven and a half mile loop back onto its self. We will hike up to the saddle which provides an incredible view of the desert. There will be ample time each day for hiking and exploring the canyon’s rich history and geology.

The Fremont Culture were a semi-nomadic people who inhabited these canyons (500-1275 A.D.). They left petroglyphs on the rock walls that can be spotted today. You will also see the inscriptions left by the crew of the Launch Marguerite, a stern-wheeler river boat which traveled on the Green and Colorado Rivers between the towns of Green River and Moab during the early 1900’s. Denis Julien was a trapper and fur trader who left inscriptions on the rocks in a number of places. All of his inscriptions are dated 1836. How Julien got into the canyons is still a mystery. It is not known if he came by boat or if he walked in from the rim.



Day 5

Today we will see more and more evidence of the uranium mining that once took place in these canyons. Tailing piles and abandoned mining equipment can be seen from the river below. We will also stop at another 1836 Denis Julien inscription. Our river adventure ends at Mineral Bottom. We’ll load the kayaks and gear for the spectacular drive back to Moab which begins with a steep climb up an old mining road. We will arrive at the Sheri Griffith Expeditions office by 6:00-6:30 p.m. (MDT).

Gear List

Packing List

Sheri Griffith Expeditions provides all rafts and related equipment, life jackets, safety equipment, personal dry bags and boxes for your gear, kitchen, dining and toilet equipment, sleeping bags, sleeping pads, and tents.

 Please pack clothing that you will not mind getting wet and dirty. Fast drying, durable, comfortable clothing is best for rafting. Cotton is recommended for hot weather and synthetic polypropylene or wool clothes for cool weather.

All personal items must fit into a 20" x 20" x 27" dry bag. You may pack in an athletic bag for easier access. Please note trips including a scenic flight have a FAA 25 lbs. luggage limit per person.

*Available in our Canyon Travelers Store or by phone (800) 332-2439 **Available to rent with advanced notice.

ESSENTIAL ITEMS:

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED ITEMS

TIPS FROM THE PROS (Our Guides)

Packing Tips





Travel Information

Activity Location

Sheri Griffith Expeditions
2231 South Highway 191
Moab, Utah 84532 USA