2017 Spring Break Colorado River Trip

Transcription

1 2017 Spring Break Colorado River Trip By Ethan Ouyeung, Scribe Day 1 (April 3, 2017): On this day we left from the University United Methodist Church to begin our spring break trip. After a few hours of driving we reached Hoover Dam. The Hoover Dam is a dam on the border of Nevada and Arizona. Inside, our troop saw an enormous diversion pipe. It is used to divert water into the dam. After viewing the pipe we saw the massive generators which use the flowing water to generate electricity. After visiting Hoover Dam our troop drove down to Cottonwood Cove marina to spend the night. We had dinner at the Cottonwood Café and set up our tents. The next day we will begin our canoeing trip down river.

2 Day 2 (April 4, 2017): On this day we landed on our first campsite. Along the way we saw a cave and decided to paddle inside. It was very dark and did not extend very deep. At the campsite there was a small stream running through camp. My dad and I decided to find its source. After climbing through many small waterfalls and a ladder we found two hot springs. The water inside was murky and looked very dirty. For this reasons we did not go inside of them. After we got back, I tried to climb some rocks to where the other Scouts were located. I slipped and fell into the ice-cold water. I quickly swam and sat on the rocks with the other Scouts. After a few minutes I was warm enough to swim back. For cracker barrel we ate s mores and told stories around the campfire. It has been an amazing day.

3 Day 3 (April 5, 2017): On this day we visited the Willow Beach National Fish Hatchery. There we saw many fishes such as Rainbow Trout. They were in certain stages of life. After a certain stage, the fish were released into lakes and rivers across the Southwest. After lunch, we paddled for six hours down the river. Our arms were extremely tired after the sun had begun to set. Finally, Mr. Billings and Cody discovered a small cove on the Nevada side of the river. I named the cove Grimer s Cove because the water was dirty. Everyone had a great sleep that night.

4 Day 4 (April 6, 2017): Today we did not see anything while we were canoeing. But when we reached camp we saw an amazing sight. There was a sandy beach in which we could pull up our canoes. Inside there was a small forest that had clearings. In these clearings, we set up our tents. After lunch some of the Scouts decided to have a canoe fight. They got into their canoes and smashed into each other. I filmed the whole thing on my GoPro. After the fight, I named the cove Buccaneer s Cove because the Scouts fought like pirates. After the fight we set up a square area in which we might find mammal footprints. We put bait in the center to see if any mammals would be attracted overnight. Our troop was doing this because we were working to the Mammal Study merit badge. We had a nice warm fire on the beach afterwards. Our campsite was the best of the whole trip.

5 Day 5 (April 7, 2017): On this day we encountered strong head winds. As a result, there were swills as high as two feet on the river. While we were paddling against the waves, the waves kept pushing us back. We only covered two miles that day because the wind was so strong. There was a little gravel beach on the Arizona side. We quickly pulled over and landed there. Our troop ate lunch and settled down. Over the next few hours we were stranded because of the weather conditions. For this reason I called the beach Salvation Beach. We also learned that the next day the wind will be no better. Our troop set up camp for the night. We had dinner around the fire and went to bed.

6 Day 6 (April 8, 2017): On this day our troop paddled against hard winds and tall waves. We had to paddle six miles to reach our final destination, Cottonwood Cove Marina. Finally, after a couple hours I saw Cottonwood Cove Marina in the distance. I felt an immense feeling of satisfaction as we pulled up our canoes onto shore. I believe our troop did very well in handling tough situations. We were able to paddle 50 miles from Hoover Dam to Cottonwood Cove Marina. This is truly an experience I will never forget.