Proud Mojo: "Rolling Down the River"

This morning we awoke to this breathtaking view of the Garden of the Gods:

First off, we met for a yoga class on the terrace with Chris from Brazil. Chris gave us our first laugh of the day, interwove some Thai Chi action into the yogi movements and stirred our respiratory system with acute breathing techniques, providing us with a peaceful yet energetic start to the day. The pose receiving the most chatter seemed to be Lynn's favorite, Happy Baby!

Following yoga, we broke our fast on the patio, filling our bellies & feasting our eyes upon the breathtaking views laid out before us. Subsequently, we dispersed to prepare for our first excursion, loading our day bags with sunscreen, cameras, water and a change of clothes.

We boarded the van service with Correy, our reliable chauffeur. He drove us the hour to Echo Canyon River Expeditions in Cañon City where we checked in, signed waivers, and ate a resort prepared lunch of curried chicken salad sandwich, bow tie pasta salad, red delicious apples and a lip-smackingly moist chocolate chip cookie.

Next, we buckled into our personal flotation devices, adjusted our helmets and loaded onto a bus for transport to our drop spot along the Arkansas River. En route, one of the river guides warned us of every possible danger associated to our rafting trip, leaving a few of us thinking that we may not live to see the sunset. In retrospect, the excessive warnings were possibly intended as motivation for navigating the river's glut of exposed rocks often mooring our rafts due to exceptionally low water levels.

Upon arriving at the drop spot, our group quickly divided into three groups and pushed off the riverbank to receive quick lessons from our guides. Two of the three groups showed immediate rafting prowess receiving accolades from their guides. The third group, somehow less adept, eventually rose to the occasion after an initial tongue-lashing from guide Suzie. The class 4 rapids offered challenge & delight for all.

We paddled for three hours taking in the scenery, at times against the wind, sharing many laughs. When we reached our take out point, the bus transported us back to the outfitter's headquarters where we changed into dry clothes & sidled up to the bar to relive the day's exploits.

Late afternoon, Correy returned us to the resort where we temporarily parted ways, reconnected with calls/texts to loved ones back home and groomed for dinner. We met at the hotel dining room to share the evening meal with Martha leading the merriment.

Now it rains and thunders, as we lay our heads on our pillows dreaming of tomorrow's adventures.