A Utah adventure worth the rewards

Georges Roudanez

After finishing his freshman year of final exams at Corona del Mar

High School, I promised my son an adventure trip as a reward for a

job well done.

In July, Marc and I embarked on an 11-day, father-son adventure

trip to Utah. The first day, we took off in the car early from our

home in Corona del Mar, made a stop in Las Vegas for lunch, then

stopped at the Moapa Tribal fireworks store just east of Las Vegas.

The store had eight aisles, each 80 feet long, filled with a vast

array of fireworks and firecrackers. Pleading didn’t work, but

threatening did, as I was finally able to get Marc out of the store

and back in the car for the rest of the day’s drive to Zion National

Park.

We reached our initial fun destination of Zion at about 3 p.m.

Total time in the car that first day was nine hours. It was an easy

drive made tolerable for Marc because we listened to the “Fahrenheit

451” book on tape, which was required summer reading for incoming

sophomores at Corona del Mar High School.

Through Zion and Bryce

Zion Canyon is one of our national treasures, with breathtaking

views of mountains and waterfalls, a “mini Yosemite” with no traffic

and very manageable crowds. Private vehicles are allowed into Zion

Canyon only if the driver has a lodge reservation. After checking

into the lodge, the car must be parked, and the only form of

transportation is the convenient, free shuttle bus that leaves every

few minutes, making several stops up and down the canyon. One of the

highlights of our stay was a hike traversing back and forth across

the Virgin River as it meanders through and continues to carve a

deeper Zion Canyon. We hiked and enjoyed the spectacular scenery for

three days before leaving for the second of our three destinations.

The second leg of the trip took us to Bryce Canyon National Park,

a beautiful four-hour drive from Zion. Bryce was much different from

Zion. If Zion is considered vertical because of the dramatic,

neck-craning views of the mountains, then Bryce would be considered

horizontal because of the 8,000-foot altitude, extremely clean air

and see-forever horizons. Bryce is also known for its plentiful and

unusual fields of “hoodoos,” which are unbelievably bizarre shapes

created from eroded stone. At night, Bryce is considered one of the

least “light-polluted” locations in the United States and is

consequently an ideal place for stargazing. One evening, the park

rangers set up telescopes for guests to experience crystal-clear

views of the plants and stars. Even though it was July, the

temperature that night dropped to 38 degrees, which made the

fireplace in our National Park cabin a warm and cozy luxury.

A river ran through it

After three days exploring Bryce, we took another dramatic, scenic

drive to Green River, Utah, where we embarked on a five-day

whitewater raft trip with the Sierra Club. On the first day, the 20

“guests” were flown in four private planes to the top of a mesa 120

miles north of Green River. We didn’t land on a formal landing strip.

It was just bare dirt on top of the mesa. After landing and getting

our gear off the planes, the “hotshot” pilots did vertical takeoffs,

dropped below the mesa walls and then came tearing back to buzz us a

farewell gesture. The group then hiked down to the river and found

our four river guides in the four rafts to begin the float trip.

All four river guides were skilled rafters, familiar with

Desolation Canyon and this section of the Green River, knowledgeable

about the history of the area and, very importantly, good cooks. Each

day on the river provided different scenery and a new campground,

opportunities for hiking, thrilling rides over the rapids on

one-person kayaks, delicious meals and star-filled nights. Our group

was very fortunate to have a professional guitar player/singer as one

of the guests. His entertainment made those evenings around the

campfire even more special. The weather on the Green River was ideal

-- between 82 and 92 degrees during the day and between 70 and 75

degrees during the evening.

At the end of the float trip, we landed just outside the town of

Green River, where we were met by vans from the outfitting company,

and we were brought back to our motel. The first order of business

for everyone was a hot shower. That last evening, the entire group

met for dinner at the well-known local restaurant Ray’s Tavern, where

we invited our guests to join us for dinner, drinks and awards.

Reminiscing over dinner with our new best friends was the perfect

conclusion to a wonderful experience.

Favorite parts

When asked what the highlight of the entire trip was, Marc said

there were two. First, being able to get his first few hundred miles

of highway driving, and second, the visit to the Moapa Tribal

fireworks store. For Dad, the highlight was seeing the smile on his

son’s face as he successfully navigated his kayak through the largest

of the whitewater rapids.

What would we do differently next time? Make the trip longer.

Reservations for the accommodations at Zion and Bryce Canyon

national parks were made at the last minute directly with Xanterra,

the management company. The Green River Rafting trip was arranged via

the Sierra Club’s website.

* GEORGES ROUDANEZ is a Corona del Mar resident.