As part of our multi-day trip in Dinosaur National Monument, Larry and I rolled down the road that runs into Echo Park on slick but drying roads. The June rain that had moved into the area had already delayed our venture down onto the Yampa Bench by a day, but this morning was sunny and warm, and proved to be just the kind of day we had been waiting for. We followed the winding course of Pool Creek through tall canyon walls and giant cottonwoods, then into the wide open of a nearly-empty Echo Park and chose a campsite near the river. After a  quick unpacking, we shouldered our light packs and walked east along the dirt road that led to the boat ramp. A group of rafters was busy at the boat ramp, and we continued walking east along the Green River until the dirt road became a dirt path that followed the river as it turned north. The trail led through an open park of grass dotted with gnarled cottonwoods. Only a few hundred yards to the east lay the cliffs of Jenny Lind Rock. Just to the west, the water of the Green River flowed noiselessly along with barely a ripple only a few feet from the trail. Just beyond the 70-yard-wide river, Steamboat Rock rose straight up out of the water several hundred feet. 

We continued northward at an unhurried pace, enjoying the warmth of the sun and the calm, quiet air of the wide canyon. We reached the confluence of the Green and the Yampa, although the actual water junction was hidden behind a screen of willows and young tamarisk. Turning west, we followed the trail along the south bank of the Yampa River, Colorado’s last undammed-river. Years ago, I missed a free raft trip down the Yampa when I started work a mere 2 days after all my coworkers had left for a 4 day-trip. Had I but started a few days earlier, I could’ve gone too, and the Yampa would not be nearly as much mystery as it is now. The trail rose up high above the water while clinging to a steep slope at the northern edge of Jenny Lind Rock. It was very hot in the dry air, and we stopped when we finally reached meager shade to rest and drink water. Continuing on, the trail dipped down close to the water, and then dipped into a tree-filled crack in the wall that was the mouth of Sand Canyon. 
 

In the dark of the thin canyon, it was much cooler, with a scent of wet earth that was both refreshing and energizing. We walked up canyon to the first obstacle: a pool of water that could not be circumvented. Larry went up first, donning his watersocks. As I had no watersocks, I wore my tennis shoes and walked into the water and up the steep sandstone rock on the other side. A short series of steep climbs passed quickly, then the walk was easy and flat for the remainder. The canyon was fairly narrow in most places, perhaps not more than 50 feet, but the walls were not always vertical, so that it often felt quite open. The floor of the canyon was lushly vegetated with grasses, forbs, cottonwoods and junipers. A group of 4 hikers passed us on their way down-canyon, and that proved to be the only group of people we saw in the canyon all day. When, after ½ mile, the trail proved to show no more wet and mucky spots, we stopped and changed into our boots that were more suitable for the dry, rocky trail. From that point, we continued up canyon about another 2 miles, enjoying the rugged desert landscape, but lamenting that we encountered no waterfalls or narrow slots. The canyon gradually diminished in depth until it was no more than a ravine. I suspect we were very close to the Yampa Bench road at that point, but we never made it that far. Instead, we turned around and made our way out the way we had come in. At the mouth of the canyon, I encountered some difficulty getting back down the steep section, and this took a little bit of time. In the end, I made it down without any broken bones, and happily continued on the trail. We returned to camp about 5 hours after we had left.