Youth Conference

This is our group of youth and leaders who went to Moab to have Youth Conference and experience the adventure of rafting down the Colorado River. We're all clean and excited.

David and I are not Campers. We bought this little 3 man tent which is really ok for 2. We practiced putting it up before we left so we were not totally enept. This was our camp the first night. I couldn't get over the starry sky that I hadn't seen in years.

The second night we found a shaded lovely spot and here I am getting ready to break camp and set sail upon the river.Below the beautiful view at our camp sight in the morning. It was the only peaceful moment in the entire day.

 For the 3 days on the river it was a constant water fight with every other raft on the river. We were pretty formidable with our buckets and water guns and getting drenched was actually a relief from the heat but on with my story. The second day was a day of adventure. This was the rapids day.  Now you must know that in order to paddle we were all straddling the sides of the raft with one foot always in the water. The water was down from the weeks before and by all accounts our rapids were not the huge ones you see on television. I wish I had pictures to show you of the actual fun on the water but no camera is safe there. We got into our raft early in the morning and when we first reached the rapids it was a short but wild ride. I was a little scared because I am one who never gets her face wet....not even much in the shower! On the second set of rapids I found myself thown on the floor of the boat with two other girls. We scrambled up and began paddling again. When we hit the third and biggest rapids our team hadn't paddled equally on each side and as a result we started into the rapids a bit sideways.Then my greatest fear was realized! As Maddie, who was in front of me was thrown on to the floor again, I straightened so as not to fall on her and as a result was thrown head first out of the raft and into the rapids! I struggled to surface but before I could, I hit a huge boulder then glanced off another. When I came to the top, I looked back to see the raft about 20 yards behind me and heard the kids screaming my name. I didn't think they could retrieve me so I assumed the lawnchair position and thought I would just ride it out. I was not in a panic but I definately did not want another encounter with a boulder! Soon I understood the kids who were telling me that they were close. I turned around to see and they were upon me. Our river guide (an 18 year old young man) and our biking buddy, Chuck Clark, grabbed me by the life jacket and hauled me into the raft. What a relief. I loved them for that! So there it is....I had another adventure to tell about. David was not in our raft but was in a 2 man "ducky" paddling about when he got the glorious sunburn on his legs modeled below. You can't really see how bad it is but trust me, it was a major burn that is now peeling like crazy.

The Sunday after we returned home, David was conducting Sacrament Meeting and as he was giving a little report on Youth Conference he said "Judith almost drowned but we had a great time." That recieved a hearty laugh from the congregation. He was right. It was a very fun trip and I lived to tell about it!