Floating down the Colorado River through Canyonlands National Park takes you through one of the "grandest" spots in America/NPS
Editor's note: This is a special advertiser-supported article from the Essential Guide to Paddling the Parks, 2015
Roller-coaster wave trains. Holes that could swallow Volkswagens. Scenery that takes your breath away.
Those are just three aspects to floating the Colorado River through Cataract Canyon in Canyonlands National Park. Since the first white men descended this stretch'John Wesley Powell and crew back in 1869'the river has been hallowed water for rafters and paddlers in search of whitewater.
Ed Abbey called this landscape 'one of the sweetest, brightest, grandest, and loneliest of primitive regions still remaining in our America...'
And during breaks between the frothing waves you come to understand why. Calm stretches that interrupt the wave trains let you relax, listen to the canyon wrens, and admire the red-rock formations rising above you.
Western River Expeditions will help you experience Cataract Canyon, the hallmark of a 100-mile, four-day float down the Colorado through the heart of the national park.
This trip is not for everyone; the minimum age is 10-12. Rapids named Capsize, Big Drop, and Satan's Gut can merit a Class V rating, justification enough for the rollercoaster analogy. Sign on, and the adventure will stick with you for a lifetime. Depending on the month you choose and the water level you encounter, you might buck the rapids in a 37-foot-long J-Rig Raft designed by Western's founder to ride and flex over the large waves of the Colorado River and which has a variety of seating options for all levels of adventure. Or you might head down river on an 18-foot oarpowered raft, or maybe a raft powered by six-to-eight paddlers turned into a fine-tuned team by the rapids.
'The brawling waters roar below, rainbows of broken sunlight dance in the spray,' Abbey wrote as he prepared to run Cataract. 'We descend.'
Fortunately, river time, as they say, is not deducted from your lifetime. In Cataract Canyon there is time enough to wander side canyons with Western's guides, who will lead you to prehistoric ruins and stories the ancients wrote on cliff faces.
Back in camp, relax while the guides turn into chefs with meals ranging from steak and fresh fish for dinner, and fresh fruit, pancakes, eggs, and plenty of coffee to get you going in the morning. In between those meals, you'll enjoy wraps, cheeses, and fresh vegetables for lunch.
When it's all over, when you've finally come ashore in Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, you're shuttled back to Moab via a flight that takes you back over this wonderfully rugged setting, taking your breath away again
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