Labyrinth Canyon TR

**HotCarl** · 03-24-2008, 12:09 PM

My cousin and i just got off this float two days ago. Awesome fuckin scenery. We floated 68miles from Green River,Utah to Mineral Bottom,near Moab and Canyonlands. If you're lookin for rapids,or even a fuckin ripple,don't go here. But if you're looking for some awesome scenery and tons of solitude then this place would be ideal. There's also a wicked picture of this canyon from the air in this months (March 08) National Geographic Adventure,pg66-67. We just so happened to have this copy with us for readin material,but i didn't realize it was the same place til i was home on the shitter and lookin at it more closely.

68 miles later at the take-out.

The road to the rim.

A fun,lazy,drunk float. Sucked gettin back into Moab after four days of being on our own-it was jeep weekend or something,i think. Fuckin ridiculously crowded. But luckily we left on Sat. and not Sundary. If anyone wants a LAZY float with great scenery then this is it.

**Storm11** · 03-24-2008, 12:19 PM

SICK! - I'm getting stoked for my Salt trip (leaving tomorrow!)

Reminds me of a botched shuttle run we did for some friends down there. Drove their vehicles down to Mineral Bottom and waited....and waited....and waited.... then finally hitched a ride out before dark (luckily). Ended up hitching all the way to Moab to find out that ALL the hotels were full (Jeep weekend as well) so our only option was crashing at the hospital. Our ride FINALLY showed up (sheriff got ahold of him to tell him where we were) around 2 am. He ended up taking the OTHER road down toward the river and got stuck along with all of our camping gear. We ended up crashing in town park only to be rousted by the cops at 4 am telling us we had to leave... a very shitty day.

**HotCarl** · 03-24-2008, 12:25 PM

Damn. That would make for a shitty day or two. I was fuckin paranoid the whole time that the chick i hired for the shuttle wouldn't show up. I never even talked to her on the phone or nothin,only email. Just told her where the car would be(and money) and where to take it. They got the job done though. Thank god. Thats a LONG ways from hwy 313,let alone Moab.

**Hutch** · 03-24-2008, 12:32 PM

Did that about 15 years ago. We wasted a lot of time shrooming around in a massive watermelon farm at the beginning of the trip and had to float all night on the last night to make our rendezvous with the shuttle at Mineral Bottom. We lashed our 3 canoes together and took turns sleeping while we floated through those amazing canyons under the stars. Am planning on bringing my son down there when he's a little older to do that trip again.

**HotCarl** · 03-24-2008, 12:39 PM

Nice. I was tellin my cousin how cool that would be to float that flat,still water at night. I bet that was cool. We got to see a wicked,green meteor on night two. I was also tellin him how great that place would be if we had some acid. He was all for shrooms though. I was lucky enough to have some sweet,sweet cheeba with me though. And my cousins bong.....and some heady chocolate and cheesecake from some hippy chick we met at Loveland pass a couple weeks ago.

Don't forget to leave your names on the rock at the river register.

**sawatchsplitter** · 04-06-2008, 02:42 PM

was it THE Cheesecake Lady? Nice trip and photos btw.

**HotCarl** · 04-06-2008, 07:21 PM

Originally Posted by sawatchsplitter

was it THE Cheesecake Lady? Nice trip and photos btw.

I dunno. Probably. The twirling hippy woman. She has a website. But,sadly she won't accept orders.

**sawatchsplitter** · 04-07-2008, 03:45 PM

Yep, that's her. Usually buy in bulk during the summer festival circuit...mmmm cheesecake. Next time you see her at LP send her on down to MP!

**Trackhead** · 04-07-2008, 05:43 PM

Looks like an extra raft FULL of beer is mandatory.

Looks fun.

**hutash** · 04-07-2008, 06:32 PM

I have done the trip twice, once from the ranch to Mineral, and the other from Mineral to the confluence. Both are amazing trips. October is a great time to go, but water is low and slow, but more campsites. Both trips we saw few people, and I drank a lot of beer.

**Bergstrom** · 04-07-2008, 08:46 PM

I was down in Labyrinth five years ago - I've been wanting to go back with my dad since. It's a beautiful place.

**FreakofSnow** · 04-07-2008, 10:01 PM

Prime time! I could go for a desert float right about now....

**Flaskman** · 04-08-2008, 11:49 AM

Hey now...Labyrinth Canyon looks good for my girlfriend and I in our 14 footer, she loves that area. Did you guys do any fishing? Catch anything? Is that the Green River? 3 days? 4 days? We have been doing the Rogue River the last couple of years and are now looking to go elsewhere, your trip looks perfect if the fishing is good.

**Bergstrom** · 04-09-2008, 07:47 PM

Flask, yes that is the green river. I have no idea about fishing though.

**summit** · 04-10-2008, 12:06 AM

cool stuff!

**tradygirl** · 04-10-2008, 08:44 AM

That looks so fun! I've seen the boaters down below on my White Rim trips and I've always wanted to float it. I'd like to see the upper part from Green River too. How do you think it would be in summer (like Aug/Sept)? I'm guessing it would be scalding.

**Tye 1on** · 04-10-2008, 08:46 AM

Might be some carp in there...

Great float, thanks for posting. Done it a couple times. One day paddled three strokes. 1 to get out of camp, 2 more to get in to the next camp. That still vies for my laziest day of all time, but i'm not done trying to best it...

**hutash** · 04-10-2008, 09:14 AM

Originally Posted by tradygirl

That looks so fun! I've seen the boaters down below on my White Rim trips and I've always wanted to float it. I'd like to see the upper part from Green River too. How do you think it would be in summer (like Aug/Sept)? I'm guessing it would be scalding.

Yep, it would be hot 105-107F, but you are on the water so cool dips are always at hand. Summer can be popular, and campsites are limited, especially if water is high. Fall is the best time to go, less crowds, cooler temps, more camping options, but slower river, so you actually have to paddle a little (not much, but some.) Spring is popular, and the river is high and much faster so no paddling involved, unless you are trying to cover river miles. People do it as a long day trip sometimes at high water. The side country exploring is fantastic, so plan on layer days or short river days for hiking/climbing.

Green River to Ruby ranch is not too exciting (from what I hear). It is best to put in a Ruby or Mineral, and take out at Mineral or just past the confluence. The confluence take out involves a jet boat ride up the Colorado river to near Moab, which is fun, and you get to see the Colorado river, but a jet boat speed, not lazy float speed.

**tradygirl** · 04-10-2008, 10:35 AM

Originally Posted by hutash

Yep, it would be hot 105-107F, but you are on the water so cool dips are always at hand. Summer can be popular, and campsites are limited, especially if water is high. Fall is the best time to go, less crowds, cooler temps, more camping options, but slower river, so you actually have to paddle a little (not much, but some.) Spring is popular, and the river is high and much faster so no paddling involved, unless you are trying to cover river miles. People do it as a long day trip sometimes at high water. The side country exploring is fantastic, so plan on layer days or short river days for hiking/climbing.

Green River to Ruby ranch is not too exciting (from what I hear). It is best to put in a Ruby or Mineral, and take out at Mineral or just past the confluence. The confluence take out involves a jet boat ride up the Colorado river to near Moab, which is fun, and you get to see the Colorado river, but a jet boat speed, not lazy float speed.

Thanks! What do you think about the chances of a n00b jumping on this trip privately? I've done Cataract from Moab with friends three times and the Grand last year with an outfitter, but I have zero personal experience with actual paddling. All I know is that I really like being on the river, but I don't have the motivation/money to learn it myself. This trip just sounds so mellow that I think I could pull it off. What about kayaks/canoes instead of a raft?

**Tye 1on** · 04-10-2008, 10:51 AM

Originally Posted by tradygirl

Thanks! What do you think about the chances of a n00b jumping on this trip privately? I've done Cataract from Moab with friends three times and the Grand last year with an outfitter, but I have zero personal experience with actual paddling. All I know is that I really like being on the river, but I don't have the motivation/money to learn it myself. This trip just sounds so mellow that I think I could pull it off. What about kayaks/canoes instead of a raft?

There's one little riffle, not even a rapid, just a few standing waves with an eddy on each side. I think, help me out peeps, i was successfully fighting sobriety on that trip. Not even sure if that's above or below Mineral. It would be nice to have someone with a smidge of paddling experience would be my thought...
It's a great float, hutash is spot on that the fall is best...

**HotCarl** · 04-10-2008, 04:40 PM

Originally Posted by tradygirl

Thanks! What do you think about the chances of a n00b jumping on this trip privately? I've done Cataract from Moab with friends three times and the Grand last year with an outfitter, but I have zero personal experience with actual paddling. All I know is that I really like being on the river, but I don't have the motivation/money to learn it myself. This trip just sounds so mellow that I think I could pull it off. What about kayaks/canoes instead of a raft?

This is about a newbie float as you can get. It's totally flat. Summer would be blazin hot,bring a shade umbrella FOR SURE. You can always go swimmin too. Most people use canoes on Labyrinth,from what i understand. I love my raft though and had to break it out. I tried doing the Stillwater section below Labyrinth but it was just kind of a pain. I'll do it next time. Seems not too many jetboat operators like taking rafts back up from Spanish Bottom. Pretty much just canoers. Though,if you work with them and plan on a date thats not crowded(or offseason,like ours) they can squeeze you in.

Edit:The only ripples i remember were by an island just outside of Green River State Park,and the i-70 bridge. But if someone were to somehow flip a canoe on those i would have to laugh.

**HotCarl** · 04-10-2008, 04:49 PM

Originally Posted by Flaskman

Hey now...Labyrinth Canyon looks good for my girlfriend and I in our 14 footer, she loves that area. Did you guys do any fishing? Catch anything? Is that the Green River? 3 days? 4 days? We have been doing the Rogue River the last couple of years and are now looking to go elsewhere, your trip looks perfect if the fishing is good.

I have no idea about the fishing,but yeah,its the Green and we did it in four days. We had originally planned on doin it in five but decided we'd take off a day early.

And another headsup,i wouldn't want to take a trailer down that last steep stretch into Mineral Bottom. Unless you really need the trailer. You can def. do it but it would be a pain,esp if you have to back up b/c of an oncoming car. The road is STEEp,rocky,blind spots and narrow in spots. But it can be done for sure,i'd just prefer not havin one.

**HotCarl** · 04-10-2008, 04:55 PM

Originally Posted by tradygirl

I'd like to see the upper part from Green River too.

The pictures from the top all the way down to the one with the waterwheel in it are all things that you'd see if you launched from Green River. It's upstream of Ruby Ranch. I didn't think it was all that bad,definitely not as spectacular as Labyrinth Canyon itself,but still cool. Dellenbaugh's Butte made for a good campspot,good sunset too. I could see how some people would want to put in at Ruby though.