The Gates of Ladore

A good friend scored a permit for the Gates of Ladore section of the Green River in September, and we couldn't have been more excited.

It was a wonderfully small group of six people, and it was quite a relaxing trip. We soaked up the Autumn sun; we sang around the campfire; we overate delicious cuisine; we navigated rapids; we watched the sunset. It was divine.

Desert Bachelorette Party

It came time to celebrate the soon-to-be Mrs. Kurt-Mason, so we packed up and headed to the desert - New Mexico to be precise. When I run away to the desert I usually go to Utah, and I was pleasantly surprised to find so much adventure and beauty in New Mexico.

Our first stop was the Chama River where we were planning on duckying down, but ultimately floated in tubes due to the low water levels this year. Tubing was, of course, a blast despite the ominous clouds that ultimately lead to rain.

Once off the river, we made our way to Ghost Ranch in Abiquiu, NM where we spent the night. Our night at the Ghost Ranch proved to be quite unique. The landscape was stunning, the views were phenomenal, the accommodations were quaint and minimal; however, I'm not sure they appreciated our loud partying as it's a place for spiritual retreat and was extremely quiet with the exception of our group.

In the morning we hiked up to Kitchen Mesa, which offered spectacular views of the surrounding desert. The hike was fairly easy aside from one section where you're required to do a bit of scrambling. We took a break at the top to wish the bride-to-be, Abby, happiness in her marriage and to share our excitement for the upcoming nuptials!

It was a fabulous, unconventional bachelorette party that left me with fond memories and a bit of a headache, too.

The Mighty Juan

"The river is the soul of the desert." - Ed Abbey

It's become a tradition to raft the lower section of the San Juan river (from Mexican Hat to Clay Hills) each Spring, and if I'm completely honest it's definitely one of my favorite traditions. The red canyon walls, blue skies and sunshine are a welcome escape from Colorado's bipolar Spring weather.

This year we had a pretty exciting start to the trip with THREE unexpected swimmers before we even finished our first mile! My sister, Kennady and her boyfriend Eric came along for the adventure, and an adventure it was. I borrowed a duckie (inflatable kayak) for Kennady and Eric to raft the river in; they started the trip looking a little rough and uncoordinated, and things got exciting when they flipped their duckie in the very first rapid. Luckily, all of their gear was strapped down with the exception of a Nalgene. In a rush attempt to save the runaway Nalgene Justin's dad, Terry fell out of his boat, too!

We laughed - a lot - and decided the exciting beginning was a sign that this year's trip was going to be a good one! And it didn't disappoint. It was the perfect weeklong getaway filled with an abundance of blooming flowers, a brief appearance from a family of Bighorn Sheep and surprisingly few bugs.

The river was flowing higher this year than it had been during any of our previous trips, which allowed for more land-time. I enjoyed exploring the Honaker Trail, Grand Gulch, John's Canyon, Slickhorn and more. I have always been fascinated with the desert, and never miss an opportunity to explore the desert from a raft.

I'm already looking forward to next year! The San Juan feels a little bit more like home every time I raft it.