We are Daniel (age 14), and Tyler (age 10), Soule of Colfax, CA. Early in July we had the chance to boat the Yampa and Green River on the Colorado/Utah border in our own crafts, a ten-foot Puma oar boat and an inflatable kayak. Having done cold and clear rivers in CA, OR, and ID, it was a change of pace to do a high desert, silt-laden hot run. Our group of 21 people consisted of 7 oar boats, 3 Inflatable Kayaks and 1 pack cat. Of that 21, ten were kids ranging in ages of 5 -1 4.
The Yampa is the longest undammed tributary to the mighty Colorado River. Permits are required year-round. One of our group members has tried (unsuccessfully) to get a permit for ten years. On the river, we didn't see one other boater - obviously a river under-used!
After driving non-stop from California to Deerlodge Park, Colorado, we arrived at a very quiet and solitude put-in. We were the first ones there and it was dreadfully in the hottest time. (
Daniel: Our first day was very hot and lazy. We only went about 8 miles and camped right above the rapid called Teepee. During the day we were in the water 90% of the time. The water was very warm for a river so it felt great. All of us kids were floating in our life jackets and some of us floated on our jacks pads (sleeping pads). The river was very relaxing. Our campsite wasn't the flattest but there were lots of hiking trails going this way and that.
Tyler: Our second night on the river was a campsite called Harding Hole. Me, my mom and my dad and three others hiked up to Wagon Wheel Point. My brother stayed at camp to flirt with the girls. A quarter of the way hiking we went into a side canyon and the echoes were great! Finally we got to Wagon Wheel Point after hiking 2 miles up. We looked down at the river about 2,000 ft down. We could look up and down the canyon. Our campsite looked like a tiny dot. We yelled "Whisky" and finally the campsite heard us and waved back. On the way back we saw a few HUGH Japanese crickets. Finally we got back to camp. We missed dinner but they saved us some! When we were at camp I saw a tree across the river on the cliffs that looked just like a baby dinosaur. We watched Big Horn Sheep come to the river and drink.
The next day we did the hardest rapid on the Yampa called Warm Springs. The group did just fine. We stopped at the side creek and we saw one snake eating another. My dad pulled them apart and they went their separate ways. At our camp that night we had gusts of extremely strong winds. Our burritos became sand burritos! Everything was blowing around. That night we popped Jiffy Pop Popcorn over the campfire. ( The next day we were on the Green. We drifted by Echo Park which is very appropriately named!
Daniel: On day 4 we camped at Jones Hole, which is a very luxurious camp sight. I highly recommend it for larger groups. It even has picnic tables. When we first got there we could see bighorn sheep just sitting on the rocks about 30 feet away from camp. A while after we settled camp I spotted a yellow bellied marmot on the hill, however we changed the name to yellow bellied varmint because it had gotten onto our boats and into our bags looking for food and garbage. That next day our group split up - 2 boats went down and the rest of us went on the hike to the petroglyphs and a waterfall. Ely creek was a small drainage to Jones hole creek. On this creek there was a small 12ft waterfall that we could stand under. We could plug the creek up so there was no water flowing down. We would then stand up and let the water go over our heads and have a nice but cold shower. The petroglyphs were very beautiful. There was a great painting of a big horn sheep and people around it.
We didn't leave Jones Hole until around 3:00 P.M. so it was getting late as we neared Split Mountain Gorge. We stopped at Rainbow Park, which is 8 miles from the takeout. We didn't want to stay long because it was getting late. One of our boats decided to stay the night stayed no matter what we said. The splitting of our group was a bad decision in the first place back up at Jones Hole. We had to hurry through the gorge because there was only about an hour of daylight left. The rapids started picking up. I think the biggest rapid on the river was called Moonshine rapid. It was a 3 to 3+ hole. I totally missed it because I had a passenger in my boat. All 3 inflatable kayaks went through it and my brother was the only one who had flipped. It was a big thumper hole. Also one of the boats that went before us had flipped their 14ft sotar oar boat in that same rapid. We hurried down the rest of the way and made it just in time. There was only about half an hour of light left. The rangers were upset that we arrived so late to takeout. That's another interesting story to tell!
All of us I think wanted a hot shower that night but we had to camp there because we arrived at take out so late. That next morning there was sadness when leaving the friends we had made along the way of the trip. Leaving that beautiful river was a disappointment to my family, and me but I am looking forward to another river trip and will always keep my head up and eyes open.
We hope someday you can also take a trip on the Yampa---it's worth it!
Daniel and Tyler Soule