Dear Maia and Isaac,

We awoke to sunshine after the rain the day prior. I dug out the maps after I fed the dogs and took down camp. Today was going to be a more back roads rural route through 3 states – The Three Corners. I also found a little hiking spot not too far away from our campground so the girls could stretch their legs before our journey. We logged another mile or so for our Hikers 365 Challenge and off we went.

The road went north for a spell into Wyoming, then the back road into Colorado. I was kind of nervous about today because I had not taken this route before – not from Utah. It was less rural than I suspected. We had a Fedex truck right in front of us most of the way and had cell reception most of the way. Actually, a fair amount of traffic and road improvements going on. 

It was actually a relatively short drive as far as miles. After we crossed back into Colorado, things started to get familiar. We passed the turnoff to Brown’s Park, a place that three generations of my family have visited at various times. I thought about stopping, but also wanted to get to our first-come-first-served campground at Gates of Lodore. 

The road into Gates of Lodore (also part of Dinosaur National Monument) is dirt and bumpy and I was starving by the time we got to the campsite. This would be a “no real meal” day. I grabbed my dried fruit, veggies, and other snacks and set up for lunch at our site. It was hot – I waited to lay out the bed rolls until later. Somehow in all the activity, Koko hurt her paw and she was one unhappy camper – I think it was an ant bite because they were swarming our site.

After lunch and patching up Koko as good as I could, we headed to the beach. I had Koko in the stroller because she was still agitated and refusing to use her foot. We hung out on the beach, alone at first – then the river rats started showing up. Koko drifted to sleep in the white noise. We kept moving further and further up the narrow shore as more river rats showed up and needed the space. Not the quiet campground of my youth but entertaining in its own right.

Then, I realized I was starving and I didn’t care if I missed the launch. We headed back to camp and I got the dinner – Koko’s foot was no longer bothering her at all. The sunset was really awesome. I have camped here since my teen years and it is a spiritual place so despite the heat, river rats, and ant bites, it was worth it! Here is a CW McCall song about this place called The Green:

Way out in the canyons of the West, there’s a wild river. The Spanish named it San Buenaventura; but we knew it as the Green

It was daylight on the river but we couldn’t see the sun
And we couldn’t hear our voices through the roar
But we felt the boilin’ current and our blood was runnin’ cold
As we headed down the canyon of Lodore
And the gods were runnin’ with us
On the day we ran the rapids of the Green

And we died a thousand times in that forty miles of hell
The longest day of life we’d ever seen
But we lived to tell the story and we know the story well
The day we ran the rapids of the Green

We were thirty-two in number when we gathered on the shore
And we headed off into the great unknown
But we summoned up our courage an’ we formed a mighty team
And we ran that ragin’ river all alone
Yeah, the gods were runnin’ with us
On the day we ran the rapids of the Green

And we hear a thousand echoes on the mighty canyon walls
As we shouted from the waters far below
And we saw the ancient warnings and we heard the ghostly cries
Of the men who ran the river long ago
And we prayed that they were with us
On the day we ran the rapids of the Green

Now the memories are swirlin’ in the eddies of our minds
But the waters of the Green are flowin’ clear
And the canyon of Lodore will be a long remembered tale
To be told around the campfires through the years
Yeah, the gods were runnin’ with us
On the day we ran the rapids of the Green

And we died a thousand times in that forty miles of hell
The longest day of life we’d ever seen
But we lived to tell the story and we know the story well
The day we ran the rapids of the Green

PS – I needed to charge Koko’s tractive. It did a great job of mapping our route but we were in and out of cell range when on the road. Marking the campground as safe zone each night really saved battery.

Love Ya’all, Cathy Hartt