Insights of the Yeti's Mother (Yeti Momma)

 Being the blood and flesh mother of the Rogue Yeti, (Yep, I was there when he was born.) I share his desire to share the natural world with others.  My middle age, shorter than him views. Being a "old dude," paddler as one twenty something paddler called me last year, a mother and a bad ass Duckie paddler/swimmer, what I see and feel on the river will always be different than the Yeti's.

Therefore, I am going to pirate the Rogue Yeti's blog (RogueYetiBlog@blogspot.com) every once in a while.  For it is good to have multiple views on the same subject.

This Spring Break the family who still lives at home,

Sand Island Boat Launch

(Papa Yeti, Momma Yeti, Cub Yeti) floated what has become a traditional Spring Break raft trip.   The San Juan River, from Sand Island Launch Site to the town of Mexican Hat, UT.  25 miles of river, the top 7 being part of the new monument created when the Bears Ears National Monument was reduced to 2 small pieces.  I am not sure of the name of said monument as the signs in the area still say Bears Ears.  Our family has floated this river before the Bear's Ears was a Monument.  It was never the monument status that drew us to the San Juan but accessibility in March to an open floatable river.

The San Juan flows through a canyon taking millions of years to make.  The top 25 miles not so severe as the bottom 50 miles.  The left river bank always Navajo land requiring an extra permit to camp or hike on, right side is BLM, State Park, Monument or Private.   The management of the land has changed but the river always stays constant, ever flowing toward Lake Powell.  It has no argument with anybody,  it cannot protect itself from anybody either.

River House
March 2018

March 2011, we discovered this river in a joint adventure with extended family from Montana.  There are so many pictures from that trip of us standing in awe of  the cliff dwelling, River House, petrotglyphs, cactus, canyon walls and green plants in March.  Things that eight years later still inspire awe but also feel comfortable.  The Yeti was in his Senior year of High School, Sister Yeti just starting college,  the Cub only 10 years old. Mama and Papa Yeti look younger but a bit uncomfortable.  The rhythm of the river not yet in our bones.  We have all grown up so much.

Dinner on the Grill

This year I felt like I was home.  Going to sleep in tent pitched in the sand or on the bank of the river was peaceful. Sleep comes fast, deep and refuels the body. The river kitchen has become my favorite kitchen. Cooking fun meals with the sand blowing through camp is simple, slow and relaxing. There is something about a fire at night in the fire pit. The orange glow on tired faces, the warm circle we have all tucked into, telling stories of childhood memories.

The canyon light changes through the day, morning to evening then dark.  It makes shadows, cliffwalls, the water and even the boats feel alive and ever changing. It is not Spring on the calendar and yet we spend days in shorts and t-shirts.  This river, this land, is life.

Brownies cooked in Oranges
in the coals/

I take photos to freeze memories.  To remember how it feels in the first morning sun, the taste  of the brownies cooked in oranges,  how cold the water was in the rapid, or just the contentment of sitting by the fire. These memories make up the trip as we cannot stay on the river forever.