Thanksgiving is typically an uneventful day for myself, but this year I took advantage of some time off and rafted the upper San Juan river with some rad friends.
The mighty Juan starts from the slopes of the San Juan Mountain Range in southwest Colorado, and flows through northwest New Mexico, and southeast Utah, before joining the Colorado River at Lake Powell.
The upper portion of the San Juan flows from the Sand Island put in, just before Bluff, Utah, and spits you out at the takeout of Mexican Hat, Utah.
I was grateful to be able to spend America’s most historically inaccurate holiday on Navajo land, celebrating the greatest fresh water source that flows through the area and the rich history of the San Juan and it’s surroundings.
Mexican Hat Rock
The Riverhouse cliff dwelling- built from sandstone blocks and mud mortor over 800 years ago by the Anasazi, who evolved into modern native people and were a part of modern tribes that we see today.
This trip brought gratitute and joy- for my friends, public lands, native lands, and every ounce of crisp Earth I have the priveledge to explore. Happy holidays to all lovely people, the adventure continues in 2022.
