Poetry on the River with
Anne Haven McDonnell & Lauren Golten
May 15-20, 2023
Come experience the awe and wonder of poetry
and the Green River in Labyrinth Canyon this Spring.
How can poems and stories deepen our seeing and our experience of the wonders of place? How can the power of listening and silence deepen our experience of words? And how can we come together and connect with each other in this special wild place?
As we follow the rivers’ meander through the gorgeous red-rock walls of this canyon, we’ll bookend our days with an exploration of poems and stories that invite intimacy with place and with our own life experiences. We’ll explore writing as a practice of discovery and as a way of deepening attention and soaking in this magnificent and healing place.
Our river time will also be a time for listening: to each other, to poems, and to the river and canyon we will travel through. In order to deepen our listening, we’ll spend some time every day in silence together while we float and paddle. We will also be paying attention to the natural world as naturalists, bringing awareness to the other beings who call this special place home.
6 days, 45 miles of canoeing, daily writing instruction,
delicious food, 13 participants max.
Guides: Anne Haven McDonnell, Lauren Golten, Lauren Bond
Pricing: Sliding scale $1695-$2195, payment plans upon request
The deposit and cost of The River’s Path Canoe Adventures are non-refundable. We strongly recommend purchasing travel insurance through our partner Outward Travel to protect your investment.
Meet the Guides
Anne Haven McDonnell
Poet and Nature-lover and Naturalist-in-training
Lauren Golten
Nature-based Group Facilitator
and Therapist, Naturalist, river-lover
Slow
By: Anne Haven McDonnell
I like to go out at night, let the stars remind
me of what I can’t get near. Clocks of fire.
I could list the zeros, trail them off
the page. I don’t think that gets us closer. When I despair
for the burning world, my friend zooms out
toward a time without us, vast and quiet. Cells dividing,
lichen eating stone, something crawling
out of the sea. I’ll admit a kind of comfort
there. But I’m working on staying.
drew maps of time with a stick in the sand –
shallow, warm oceans, animals with shells pressed
to stone. He slid a piece of paper under a rock, wrinkling
it to show where continents collided. As we paddled
our rafts toward the smooth tongue
of current, the deep pull of the river’s want
of sea, rock rose above us, swallows carving loops
and arcs over layers of deepening limestone, sandstone,
shale, schist. There are places on earth that only rivers know.
There are kinds of knowing too slow for breath. Last night
I went out in the rain, kneeled to watch a black slug slowly sheathe
along its trail of slime. It poked the air toward me
with its boneless horns. Its skin glistened
like something just born. It left
a trail of mucus, starlit on the black road.
What to Expect – Overnight Canoe Trip on the Green River
While the exact itinerary will change based on the theme of the trip, some things are common for all trips down through Labyrinth Canyon:
We’ll canoe a total of 45 miles down the Green River through the steep canyon walls of Labyrinth Canyon in Utah. The trip begins at Ruby Ranch (located just south of I-70) to Mineral Bottom (located near Canyonlands National Park). Four to five days of paddling will be interspersed with layovers at wilderness campsites along the canyon. Paddle days are usually 7-15 miles each or about 3-5 hours of gentle paddling. The river has no rapids and hardly any current. It is muddy and shallow (except for high water in May and June)
While in camp, in addition to our theme program activity, we may swim, take short hikes or explore side canyons. After we all pitch in during camp setup, we’ll have plenty of free time to relax, enjoy our surroundings and have the opportunity to get to know each other as we experience the beauty around us. Then we’ll come together each evening around the campfire.
The River’s Path guided overnight canoe trips involve staying deep in the wilderness with no electricity or cellular reception, and in case of an emergency, evacuation will be done via rescue boat or helicopter. If you need to have medically necessary equipment that uses electricity or need to stay in contact with someone at home, the guides will have a texting device available. Please contact Lauren Bond at 303-859-7174 or lauren@theriverspath.org to discuss.
Temperature changes quickly and can be unexpected, so it is important to bring items from the packing list in case of any drastic changes. Rain and thunderstorms can pop up at any point. Temperatures for each month can range from the high 60s and low 30s for March to the high 100s and lows in the 70s for August. Please see the NOAA graph for Labyrinth Canyon monthly weather averages.
The section of the Green River we will be on is considered a Class I river with no rapids. This is essentially a flat water trip.
Each canoe accommodates two people and they include two Crazy Creek camp chairs with backrests. Canoes will carry all of the personal gear and camp supplies.
The River’s Path will supply 2 dry bags, one large and one small, for your personal gear.
Group gear provided includes: canoes, paddles, life jackets, canoe seat backs, camp chairs, full kitchen setup. Supplies provided include: all food, shade canopy and river toilet with a privacy shelter.
Your personal camp gear that you are responsible for includes: tent, tarps, sleeping bag, and anything else you need that is not provided. That being said, we highly recommend you approach this with a minimalist mentality. Everything you bring, along with your canoe partner, must fit on your canoe. We will supply you with a complete packing list.
While many adventurists kayak the Green River, the amount of gear, supplies, and coolers of fresh food on our journey requires canoes.
The River’s Path will provide food and drinks for all meals and snacks. We can accommodate most diets including vegetarian, vegan, paleo, gluten-free, and dairy-free. The water is too muddy for most portable water filtration devices, so we will pack all drinking water.
If you have other needs or concerns, contact the trip guide, Lauren Bond at 303-859-7174 or lauren@theriverspath.org
It’s important to note that this is a collaborative experience. To form a strong community and have an even more powerful, life changing, memorable experience, each individual in the group will participate and share in camp responsibilities. Everyone helps with setting up and taking down camp, unloading and loading canoes, cooking meals and cleaning up. Each individual must bring their own tent, sleeping bag and pad, as well as other items on the packing list. Those using a hammock must provide an appropriate setup for that.
During your trip through the Labyrinth Canyon you’ll find a slow meandering river with steep colorful canyon walls, amazing side canyons (and maybe evidence of ancient civilizations), incredible stars, unforgettable sunsets, and a hushed serenity you’ll find no place else. No matter where you look you’ll see the unforgettable and awe inspiring colors and sounds of nature.
You might consider long sleeved shirts and pants, bug lotion and head netting if you are extremely sensitive to bug bites. Birds like golden eagles, peregrine falcons, canyon wrens, screech owls, and more can be seen along with small animals like beavers and larger ones like desert bighorn sheep and deer.