On the River Part 4 - End

 

The last day of any river is hectic.

Our group woke early to get on the river and try to be the first at the take-out boat ramp, a patch of sand about 20 feet wide leading up to where river runners leave their vehicles. No luck this morning. A large Utah college group of about 12 canoes was ahead of us, along with two commercial outfitters launching boats for a downriver trip. The air temperature was already in the 90's so men and women alike were down to their swimsuits.

I was, again, curious as to why conservative Mormon girls would wear tiny thong bikinis given the church's rule of modesty. I mentioned this to an outfitter I knew who was there and she quipped, "They're working on their Mrs. degrees."

De-rigging wasn't fun, but it wasn't bad. Everyone on the ramp was polite and tried to help each other. Of course, there was not a mask to found anywhere. We unloaded our gear to our vehicles and lashed the canoes on the roofs.

It was time to say good-byes and drive home or to wherever we were going next. A few of us stopped by a state park where there were hot showers. I had hoped for a frolicking group shower, but the showers were individual little rooms, clean and spacious, and there were enough that each of us could have our own. Darn. But the hot water was heavenly.

I started my drive to California that afternoon. As I drove out across the empty expanses of western Utah, through tiny towns decorated with signs supporting Trump, I cried.