Day Four - the Battle of Green River

Our sleep lasted until daylight, about four hours later.  "We're burning daylight, pilgrims!"  We doused our fires and started the longest day I think I ever knew.  We drank from the spring, which grossed us out.  It had polliwogs in it.  One of the leaders said, " A few days on the trail and you will be praying for some good polliwog water!"  I silently doubted his sanity.


Still tired, we hiked further into Horseshoe Canyon until we came to the Green River.  Our leaders drew us altogether and explained that we were going to hiking along this river all day.  It would be our only source of water and that we were going to bless it.  I had never considered such a thing.  The youth leader called Yosemite kneeled down on the sand, took off his hat and blessed the river as a water source for us.  It was very moving and symbolic.




Green River, Impact -  girl in yellow hat, Susan.  girl with blue bandana, sitting on rock, Vivian.  guy with red bandana over face, Don.  "Yosemite"Dan helping Vivian.  Girl with large white hat, Sheila.  Girl with black hat and red bandana, Janet.  Girl to the right of Sheila and Susan, Sharon (female leader).
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Hiking on the river bed was different than I thought to would be.  Harder for me because I wasn't in the physical shape I should have been in.  It was a constant uphill, downhill climb, with rocks to scrabble over.  My legs were killing me.  It was hot.  We weren't making very good time with all the stops we were wanting to make. 


There was a guy named Roy who was having a really hard time.  Roy was older than most of the group, and really heavy.  He was really into Boy Scouting and was working on a degree in Youth Leadership from BYU.  He had completed every requirement with the exception of this class.  He was scared he wouldn't make it.  He had brought contraband equipment with him, things that weren't on our allowed list. 


That day was terrible.  We had nothing at all to eat and only the Green River to drink.  Green River water is just a very, very watery mud.  We had to use our bandannas to filter the water as we drank, to keep from getting so much silt.  Everyone was getting discouraged and travel was slow due to people getting sick.  there was no shade and it was very hot.


The sickness.  No one talked about that in our training classes.  When you don't eat, bile builds up in your stomach.  The Green River is very alkaline.  When you drink alkaline water, under those conditions, it creates an acid in your stomach - and you vomit.  The more water you drink, the more you vomit.


Roy was among the first.  The more he heaved, the weaker he got.  Our pace along the river slowed to a crawl.  , Roy couldn’t keep up with us that day, so one of the leaders stayed behind with him To help speed up our progress.  The main group kept moving.
  Being ahead did not end Roy's influence on us however  His retching echoed down the canyon.  It sounded like he was throwing up his toenails.  It made ME want to heave.

People l to R:  Reggie (who left early); Nathan, in the yellow hat; Carol "Putt-Putt" in red bandana, Chris in the foreground, untying her boots.

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After one long, hot stretch, we stopped by the Green River and learned another survival rule.  Water on the outside does more good towards keeping you cool than water on the inside.  Larry Mullins (leader) showed us how to wet-down and we rested about two hours.  I stretched out on an uneven boulder and sleep like a baby.  Who knew a rock could be so comfortable.  Then the march started again.

After one long hot stretch, we stopped to wait for Roy to catch up.  We learned that putting water on the outside did more good towards keeping you cool than water on the inside.  My favorite leader, Larry Mullins, showed us how to wet-down and we rested about two  hours.  I stretched out on an uneven boulder and slept like a baby.  Who knew a rock could be so comfortable!  But it was SO hard to start up again!  The rest of the afternoon, the leaders really had to drive us.  People were falling back and being discouraged.  It was SO hard to walk.


The daylight was fading and our camp site was still miles away.  We had to stop for another rest stop and wait for the moon rise.  When it rose, the cattle drive began again.  The leaders cajoled and we walked.  We told us that a spring at the next camp site would be clear, and not like the Green River water.  I would walk my feet off for that! 

Another rest stop was taken.  As we rested, the leaders pointed out two pinnacles in the distance as our destination – saying it was about two miles away.  Everyone, with their eyes on the distant rocks, started moving again.
 

On we walked, only to have the pinnacles seem as far away as they had before.  It was like having lead legs, walking without feeling, only wanting to stop and rest – but being pushed on and on to a camp that never seemed to come.  We were all like zombies.  Walking, not talking.  

Miraculously, we rounded the pinnacles and entered Horse Thief Canyon, our destination! 

The promise of clean, fresh water pulled us forward.  But, our path was blocked by a jungle of thick canyon bottom bushes.  

Densely grown, and taller than our heads.  The only way through was to walk hunched over, single file.  The branches were spread apart as you went through, but slapped back into place as you passed, slapping the face of the person behind you.  You could hold the big ones, but the little branches just slipped out of your hands.  

Suddenly, there are campfires ahead!