Another Snake River Trip!

With some minor arm twisting, I agreed to help with our ward Youth Conference this past Thursday through Saturday - especially when I found out in included whitewater rafting on the Snake River again!


The conference began with a day and a half of service by seven adult leaders and 20 youth at Camp Many Stars, located in the beautiful Star Valley, Wyoming.


The eighty acre camp borders the Bridger-Teton national forest, and is designed to provide a unique, adventure based experience for Downs Syndrome children and their families. http://campmanystars.org/campmanystars/index.php


The camp was not in session while we were there, allowing us the opportunity to help improve the buildings, facilities, grounds and challenge course.


These service projects included finishing repair work on a water line, gathering logs, repairing a fence, leveling a playhouse, clearing rocks from fields, and building climbing walls.


It was hard work, but everyone pitched in and did their part.


We took time out for eating, of course.


On Friday night everyone made their own yummy foil dinners.


We also had the opportunity for some fun games and activities, such as frisbee-500!


This game of "flour-ball dodge-ball" was a big hit!


Nearly everyone ended up with a white flour coating...


from head to toe!


The spiritual-based theme this year for Youth Conference was "Who am I?" There were a number of lessons, devotionals and firesides focusing on this theme.


Saturday we finished cleaning up the camp, and caravanned a little over an hour north to the Snake River Canyon between Alpine and Jackson, Wyoming.


Unlike two weeks ago, this time we came prepared with a permit and reservation to launch.


We arrived at West Table early enough to allow time to prepare the three rafts and shuttle the vehicles to the takeout at Sheep Gulch.


We started our first run at about 10:45 am, on a mostly sunny, 85 degree day.


At times there was a parade of rafts - some private, many commercial - floating down the river.


We maneuvered our boats to create some space between each raft, to allow us to hit each set of rapids just right.


Today the river was running about 7,200 cfs - down quite a bit from the 11,500 cfs when we ran it two weeks ago! This changed the nature and appearance of the river and each set of rapids. Lunch Counter was slightly smaller, but Big Kahuna and a number of other rapids were a much better ride!


We had a number of first-timers in the mixed group, along with some more experienced. It was a warm enough day that nearly everyone jumped in on the slower sections, but it was still wild enough that a couple of people fell in going through Lunch Counter! The young men quickly established the rule that anyone who screamed, would then get "helped" into the chilly water.


We had lunch at the takeout parking lot, then hustled up to West Table again for our second run of the day.


Most people enjoyed the second run a bit more as they knew what to expect, and there was less anxiety due to the unknown.


The air temperature had warmed up more, so we stopped for some cliff jumping...


and more back flipping by Kyle!


After taking out and loading up, we had a snack and were on our way home. Most vehicles were filled with thrilling tales of death-defying rapid-runnning, until most passengers nodded off to sleep. The drivers (still awake) were entertained by the speeding car that flew past us just north of Riverdale, only to be pulled over by a Franklin County Sheriff's Deputy a couple miles later! Busted...


Everyone made it home safely without any major incident.


Special thanks to Lacey and Tyler for their great job planning months in advance.


Their logistical and spiritual preparation definitely showed as everyone had a great time and agreed that it was a great success!
*To download any pic's you see here, just click on this link to take you directly to the Photobucket album: http://s593.photobucket.com/albums/tt20/mattshoe/2010/Youth%20Conference/?start=all