![\"DSC01530b\"](\"http:\/\/teamhokies.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/DSC01530b.jpg\")
<\/a>My good friend Dave and I. back together yet again!<\/p><\/div>\n
After comparing and consolidating gear we enjoyed a very relaxing several hours at a local restaurant with outdoor seating. We ended up eating both lunch and dinner there, caught up with each other and talked about the upcoming trip. That night we found a nice spot on BLM land near Horsethief campground, northwest of town.<\/p>\n
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Packing up and putting in at Crystal Gyser<\/h2>\n
In the morning we got up and headed straight to Tex’s to make sure we were ready to roll on time. After sorting things out we crossed our fingers for a safe and enjoyable trip in some of the more remote territory we’ve been. Fingers crossed for a safe and enjoyable trip<\/p><\/div>\n There were 10 of us putting in with Tex’s on Saturday and there are only two outfitters taking people to the Green. That gives you a sense of just how few people are on this river. They go to multiple put-ins but most people put in down river of our choice. This first 20 miles of our trip is “less scenic, not a lot to see.” As you’ll soon find out, this is a gorgeous area but most people are on a time budget where they just can’t fit this in.<\/p>\n We got a pre-trip briefing from a guide at Tex’s which was very helpful and included hints on where to find ruins and petroglyphs. Sweet! After an hour and a half ride we were finally packing the canoe and putting in.<\/p>\n After months of anticipation, we were finally packing up and pushing out at Crystal Gyser\\\\<\/p><\/div>\n We pushed off and got to paddling, finding the boat more nimble (OK, less of a pig) than I had expected. The Discovery 169 weighs in at 90 pounds, is 16’9″ long, 37″ wide and has a 1400 lb load capacity. That’s kind of staggering – it will hold more in it than I can haul in the bed of my truck. The force dynamics of a load on a floating platform are much more favorable to hauling than is a truck bed on an axle and leaf springs, but it’s still a surprising capacity to me. The boat required a pretty strong J to keep it straight and I had to put some oomph to rudder it at times but it tracked and handled perfectly adequately for this trip. Don’t ask me to take it on a trip with a lot of portage!<\/p>\n Bottom line: we were in a nice rhythm and comfortable in the yacht quickly after heading downstream.<\/p>\n A great proxy for the first few days on the river: threatening skies coming in from the west, clear blue to the east, the river to ourselves.<\/p><\/div>\n There was a brief rain storm in the afternoon. We pulled over and took a break, cooked lunch and let things dry off. A great camping spot was hidden several miles down river,\u00a0on the east bank, through a thicket of brush. We got lucky and came across it, set up camp, and I promptly took a nap. This was to be a theme for the rest of the week as we learned.<\/p>\n Priority #1 upon arriving at camp: Nap. In. Chair.<\/p><\/div>\n Enjoying the view pf the river and surrounding terrain for a moment<\/p><\/div>\n
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