ARCHES, CANYONLANDS & THE COLORADO RIVER

Touch down in Grand Junction, the closest gateway to Moab and the Colorado River. GLA staff will greet you upon your arrival, and our group will drive together to the first Home Base for the “land portion” of your program. You’ll stay in lodge-style accommodations at a campground, allowing you to start getting closer to nature. Tonight we’ll get to know each other and prepare for the next week and a half!

The mission of the National Forest Service is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of the Nation’s forests and grasslands to meet the needs of present and future generations. We will support the Forest Service in the pursuit of this mission by supporting projects that meet the needs of the Moab region at the time of our arrival. This may include supporting ongoing projects focused on trail maintenance, fixing erosion issues, wildfire management, native species propagation or invasive species removal to support the restoration of ecological communities around the Moab area.

For the first half of the day, we’ll wrap up our service projects and say farewell to our NFS partners as we reflect on the work we’ve completed thus far. Then later in the afternoon, we will embark on an incredible adventure — hiking and exploring in Arches National Park. We’ll explore some of the famous, and special off-the-beaten-path destinations in Arches, a world-renowned geological playground. We will enjoy a sunset picnic dinner hike in one of the nation’s most stunning national parks. Tonight, we’ll make sure we’re all prepared and ready for our river launch tomorrow.

Now for the part of the program you’ve been waiting for — we’ll kick off the 5-day river rafting expedition! We will launch on the Colorado River and float through canyon country for 5 days, participating in collaborative restoration and service projects, camping along the way. During the rafting expedition, you’ll be introduced to pieces of outdoor science, such as ecology, geology and archaeology. You’ll also learn about leadership, communication, self and group awareness as you work in a team to raft through a combination of flat water and whitewater rapids.

After packing up your campsite and having breakfast overlooking the river, continue on your rafting expedition. Learn about the natural history of the area you’re floating through and learn more about your rafting teammates. Today, you’ll take part in a river clean-up to give back to the river that is hosting you for your program. The Colorado River corridor close to Moab receives more than 55,000 visitors each year and although we know how to “leave no trace”, trash and plastic ends up in the river after so many visitors come through. Learn about hydrology as you clean up portions of the river on which you’re rafting in support of the Department of Natural Resources.

Say goodbye to your second campsite as we carry on with our river expedition. You’ll have really started to get the hang of the rafting skills you’re learning and are likely feeling more comfortable cruising down the Colorado.

We’re going to support a tamarisk (small tree or shrub) removal project one afternoon, to benefit the river’s native species. In the late 1800s, tamarisk was introduced as a bank stabilizer along the southern portion of the Colorado River. Since then, it has migrated upstream and has become prominent all the way up to the headwaters. Tamarisk poses a risk to native plants and has become so prolific that it prevents native species from accessing the river and the only source of water in the desert.

We’re halfway through our time on the river now, so be sure to soak in every minute! Marvel at the progress you’ve made thus far and how comfortable you’ve become on the river. We want to take care of our resources as we float down the river as a way to create sustainable recreations. The riparian ecosystem has been damaged by heavy use and invasive species. There are ongoing efforts to protect the native species that live along the bank, including cottonwood trees, and we’ll support these protection efforts.

After another gorgeous riverside breakfast, we’ll get back on the river to continue our journey through the canyonlands. As we work our way through flat and whitewater rapids, we’ll discuss more about the issues that pollution and human activity can cause on the river and what our role is as responsible citizens and visitors. We’ll do more river clean-up support in order to help preserve the beauty and health of this incredible natural water source.

Pack up your campsite for the final time and say goodbye to the river you’ve called home for the past five days. It’s time to do your final rafting section of the Colorado River then wrap up and get back to land.

Now that we are back to land, we will take time to reflect on our experience of being disconnected from technology while being deeply connected to nature, something becoming increasingly rare in our world. There are few better places to take some time to pause, reflect and restore your energy before heading back into the “real world” than a quiet area of Moab. Spend your last night back at a proper hotel with hot showers to celebrate the end of your time on the river, and enjoy a special farewell activity with your raftmates and program leaders.

Time to say farewell to your river crew and to the stunning wilderness you’ve called home for the past week and a half. After breakfast or lunch (depending on your flight time), we’ll depart for the Grand Junction airport together, and GLA staff will make sure that everyone is checked in for their flight and ready to embark on their journey home.