Utah Unplugged - Green River Reflections

Overview

How often do you give yourself permission to truly unplug from the responsibilities of everyday life? Time and space just for you, without interruption. Time to identify and release false selves and give yourself the grace to see the YOU beneath the patterns of a busy life. Space to breathe deeply under a starlit sky, laugh out loud with other women, and rediscover your full completeness. You begin with a spectacular 35 minute flight over the river canyon that transports you to another world. You'll soar above the Tavaputs Plateau, which crowns the deep and ever-changing sandstone walls of Desolation and Grey Canyons, carved out by the Green River over 300 million years. Once on the river, the current will carry you into the canyon home of the Ute Indian Tribe on the Uintah and Ouray Reservations. Here, you'll explore tributary canyons, including rare petroglyphs and an old prospector’s homestead. Our fabulous guides will navigate the oar boats while you relax and whip up incredible meals that make you feel truly pampered. When you're feeling adventurous, your own duckie awaits to carry you on an exhilarating ride on the rapids! We'll gather to celebrate the connecting stories of our individual spiritual journeys. Your hosts will guide you through reflective activities based on our trip book, “When the Heart Waits”, by Sue Monk Kidd. Along with the spontaneous conversation that comes from deep, genuine connection with others, these prompts gently open thought to the freedom of greater self-awareness.

Itinerary

This is a sample itinerary to give you an idea of what the trip will be like, and some of the key experiences along the way, but we’ll go with the flow - literally - and allow each day to unfold.

The day before your trip

Before the Trip

We’ll gather the trip group for a Zoom call the month before we leave for introductions, trip goals, important logistics and time for questions. It's always a fun time!
We also invite you to read Sue Monk Kidd's book, When the Heart Waits, prior to the trip. It's a beautiful guide through an individual journey of spiritual rediscovery which will open inspired dialog during our time together.

DAY 1

Day 1 - Arrival

Arrive in Green River, Utah Sunday, July and check in any time after 2:00pm at the River Terrace Inn where our group will be staying.
We’ll meet at 8:00 pm for an important briefing with our river guides, who will also provide waterproof bags to pack your belongings in. Enjoy a welcome gathering with our HHJ hosts and meet your travel partners for the week. It’s always exciting to look around the room and realize that you’ll be returning home with a whole new set of sisters!

If you're flying into the SLC Airport, we will arrange a single shuttle for those arriving that day. (Check the Travel FAQ for more info.)

DAY 2

Day 2

The short, early morning flight to the put-in is breathtaking, with views above Tavaputs Plateau to the river canyons below, spectacular in the morning light! Tales of the rich history of the canyon's formation and the tribes and pioneers who've lived along the river will make you eager to find your boat crew and begin the journey once we land at Sandwash.
We’ll stop to enjoy a delicious lunch served along the river's edge, then mid-afternoon we’ll settle into camp. Take a short hike, visit with new friends, or enjoy some quiet time before dinner.
After dinner, you’re invited to gather for our first evening together, a perfect time to discover themes of deep connections with the other women

DAY 3

Day 3

It's your first morning on the river and you’ll wake to the smell of coffee brewing and breakfast cooking as you marvel at the stunning sun-drenched cliffs and prepare to journey deeper into the beauty of the canyon with new sisters beside you.
Allow yourself to relax, and take in guided inspiration and movement on the beach before launching on calm water. As we row around Peter’s Point and Lighthouse Rock, today is a great time to hop into an inflatable kayak and paddle through our first mild rapids and hike to ancient Fremont cultural sites.
We'll dive deeper into themes from our shared readings during our evening circle time. We also imagine you'll be making your own inspiring connections with others!

DAY 4

Day 4

You’re getting the hang of things, and everyday life seems so far away. Embrace it!
Today, we’ll wander around the historic Rock Creek Ranch, where Butch Cassidy’s Wild Bunch camped, and spot granaries (ancient food-storage structures) in the canyon walls. The exhilarating rapids at Chandler Falls and Cow Swim beckon us.
This evening, we’ll explore the ebb and flow of a woman’s life and embrace the journey of NOW.

DAY 5

Day 5

What would a canyon trip be without a hike up to capture the expansive canyon views? You're invited to join in on this longer, optional hike, which is well worth the view to the river below!
Along the way, you'll appreciate a solo experience. Clarity and peace come as we look up at the stars, embrace the insight and fullness of solitude and intentional space to align with the divine. You’ll be given journal prompts to support your discovery.

DAY 6

Day 6

As Desolation Canyon’s walls soar into the sky, we converge with Grey Canyon, which has a beauty of its own. There’s whitewater fun at Wire Fence, Three Fords and Coal Creek rapids and an opportunity to explore the ruins of a surveyor’s cabin just downstream.
There's power within the art of listening and being aware of the presence and voice that we give others. Are we aware of the energy we bring into a room and the gift of how we make others feel, which is so central to establishing thriving relationships with others? Let's explore this idea!

DAY 7

Day 7

We’ll spend our last morning relaxing at camp and celebrating the lessons and breakthroughs we’ve experienced together. Afterwards, we have the option to swim through some fun rapids in our life jackets as we near the take out.
We will take out after lunch and be shuttled back to our hotel in Green River between 3-4 PM.
After a welcome shower, you're invited to grab a casual dinner with us in Green River and share highlights and gratitude.

DAY 8

Day 8 - Departure

A full hot breakfast is included on your departure morning. Checkout is by 11:00AM.
If you're departing that day, we'll arrange a single shuttle to the SLC airport for those departing from there.

DAY 9

Continued Community

Your Honest Heart journey continues even after you arrive home. We'll host a follow up call for our new trip community to share inspiring take-aways and continue with additional opportunities to stay connected with new friends, and with us. And, perhaps we'll see you on another trip!

And we hope you'll follow the Honest Heart Podcast, which dives into the kinds of discussions around women's changing lives that we explore on this trip. We want to continue to grow together!

The Experience

What's unplugging?

It means leaving the to-do lists at home, turning on your “out of office” notifications, turning off your phone, saying goodbye for the week and trusting all is well as you give yourself permission to be fully present with your own thoughts and embrace new experiences, connections and growth that lift and nurture you and give you greater clarity as you move forward in life.

Our Trip Book

Blending her own experience with an intimate grasp of spirituality, Sue Monk Kidd relates the passionate and moving tale of her spiritual crisis, when life seemed to have lost meaning and her longing for a hasty escape from the pain yielded to a discipline of “active waiting.” Full of wisdom, poise, and grace, Kidd’s words will encourage us along our spiritual journey, toward becoming who we truly are.

How do we guide growth?

Each morning you're invited to gather for gentle stretching or yoga on the beach, or a brief morning walk in the canyons. After dinner, we'll gather to delve into insightful guided journaling and small group sharing around themes in the readings we've chosen specifically for this trip. We promise light-hearted gatherings and enjoyable, thoughtful reflection. You'll never be put on the spot. Growth comes with an invitation, and you choose how! We're not here to tell you what or how to think or grow, but rather, we host your own discovery and unfoldment.

What's the difficulty of activity?

The beauty of our experiences is that they offer moderate activity levels with more advanced options available. Our guides are flexible according to need. You'll be able to choose how you want to navigate the river - whether riding "Princess" atop the oar raft as your guide navigates the waters with ease, or taking on either rapids or calm waters by yourself in an inflatable kayak. You can do it all! As for hiking, there's a 1 mile trek down to the water's edge at the put-in and various brief hikes to stretch your legs and explore along the way. We'll offer one two mile trek up toward the rim toward the end of the trip where you can catch the expansive views.

What’s camp life like?

Our guides will set up camp with a kitchen and group gathering area on the beach along with comfortable, portable toilets discreetly hidden and clearly marked - and often with fabulous views! You'll have your own cozy tent complete with a comfortable sleeping pad and pillow and the soft glow of your own solar lantern to keep you company at night. Or, feel free to sleep out under the stars with the lulling rush of the river nearby. You’ll awaken to views of sun-kissed cliffs and the aroma of fresh coffee and breakfast.

What's the food like?

Think fresh! Melons grown to perfect sweetness in the local arid climate, curried wraps piled high and delivered to you as you lounge in the sun, and salmon or Southwestern flavored steaks on the grill are just a few of the delights. Somehow, though, nothing beats the peanut butter and jelly sandwich bar. It's a perfect addition to every meal, something fun we don't do regularly at home, but that tastes oh so good on the river! Delicious, fresh, colorful meals will be prepared daily, and our guides give special attention to your dietary needs.

What's the weather like?

The Desolation and Grey Canyon area is arid, sunny and warm in June, with temperatures ranging from the high 80’s during the day and potentially into the mid 50's in the early morning hours. The water, though silty, is incredibly clear and clean, and wonderfully refreshing for a mid-day float or an evening dip under the stars!

What do I pack?

Be sure to pack a few good pens, which you’ll use daily for journaling. You can view the packing list in the FAQ's section below. Reach out if you have any questions!

Hosts

Heather Barron

You belong here. You are ready. You are not alone. These are the three powerful and comforting truths that came to Heather on a harrowing climb to the summit of Mt. Rainier in 2005. Those guiding truths led her into a lifetime career of coaching teens, adults and, more recently, couples, who are facing wilderness moments in their lives. She’s been an Integral Coach since 2007, and a certified Ceremony Celebrant and Wedding Officiant since 2010, as well as a grief counselor, a certified Community Building Facilitator, an inspirational speaker and conference emcee.

All these roles have been for the purpose of carrying forward that Mt. Rainier message to hurting and hungry hearts everywhere. Heather’s mission is to mirror back the innate wholeness we all contain and to help each client hear their inner teacher speaking (beneath all the static and noise of the world). She’s devoted to creating and nurturing spaces that empower us all to embrace our true power in order that we may bring our much-needed unique gifts into this world.

Heather grew up in Central California but fell in love with the Arkansas River Valley when she was in her teens. She lives in the glow of her favorite mountain, Mt. Princeton, with her chef hubby and beloved pup Lucy-Lou. She feels deeply rooted in the mountains but has the heart of an explorer – both spiritually and physically – and has wandered the world from the Himalaya to the Australian Outback, Trinidad to Greece, and most recently to Ecuador, the Galapagos Islands, Panama and Patagonia.

Both the Green River and our Utah trip book, When the Heart Waits, have long been sanctuaries for her own growth and reflection, and she’s thrilled to share them with other women!

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Jennifer Dale

Jen loves celebrating and encouraging the beauty she sees in others. She's a gatherer and builder who naturally nurtures community and hosts safe environments for meaningful connection. She believes in our inherent wholeness and need for ongoing discovery, growth and relevance.

After pursuing careers in dance and design, Jennifer recognized that she thrives most nurturing people. She spent almost two decades developing and facilitating programmed trips and events for youth and families, including helping develop a national servant leadership program for teens as director during several of its formative years. As dean of girls at a midwestern boarding school, Jen heard a calling to nurture the kind of sisterhood that defies current cultural stereotypes and expectations. Honest Heart Journeys was conceived during long conversations about strong, gracious womanhood with a sister friend during COVID lockdowns. Jen loves exploring timeless women’s topics in her blogs and on her Honest Heart Podcast hosted on Spotify. Travel has always been a passion of hers, and she’s seen firsthand the powerful impact of intentional experiences facilitated within correlative environments and universal themes found in literature. Thus, the birth of Honest Heart Journeys!

This Utah trip was the first experience Jen adopted for HHJ because of the profound impact she'd seen it have on the students in the programs she directed. She understood how much women also need experiences that leave their daily lives behind and truly unplug them in nature to refresh and restore!

Wherever Jen's gone, her 'sisters' -- wonderful women with whom she’s built teams, programs, and deep friendships – have been steady, supportive companions. This kind of quality sisterhood is woven through the HHJ experience. It encourages others to give time to nurture their spiritual hearts and gently holds them accountable to seeing and living their fullness, which of course blesses others.

Jen lives in Colorado and Florida with her husband, Bill, and is mother to three beautiful adult children who have blessed her with the new role of "Nani."

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FAQs

Trip Registration

You may reserve your spot through our website. We require a 50% deposit with full payment due 120 days prior to the departure date. We welcome payments via credit card, check, or Zelle (jen@honestheartjourneys.com). We're happy to work with you to establish a payment plan as well.

If you have ANY questions, we'd love to talk with you! Reach out any time at info@honestheartjourneys.com.

Cancellation Policy

A deposit of 50% of the HHJ trip cost is required to reserve your spot on the trip.

If a cancellation is made prior to 180 days before the trip date, the entire deposit will be refunded less a $500 per person service charge. If a cancellation is made from 180 to 90 days prior to the trip departure date, 50% of the deposit will be refunded. If a cancellation is made within 90 days of the trip departure date, the entire trip fee is forfeited. All cancellations must be received in writing to info@honestheartjourneys.com.

It is highly unlikely that we will cancel a trip, but we do reserve the right to cancel due to weather, natural disasters, emergencies or a lack of sufficient reservations. If we cancel a trip, a full refund of the trip deposit and any final payment will be given.

Trip insurance

HHJ strongly recommends that you obtain travel insurance in case of cancellation, unexpected circumstances, or the need for evacuation. We want you to make a decision that meets your needs. Though we do not recommend specific companies, travel industry colleagues have recommended the following companies: AIG Travel, Alliance, Seven Corners, Travelguard, and WorldNomads. Booking protection is offered through the registration process on our website. You might also see what your credit card offers, and many airlines now offer travel insurance.

Also, if you are bringing expensive cameras, binoculars, or other items, we suggest you have insurance coverage for them (commonly available through homeowners policies). In the event of a loss, Travel Guard will not cover those items.

Planning Guide

The planning guide that we provide all registered guests who are paid in full includes a full trip itinerary, packing list, supportive travel information, release forms for you to review/sign/return to us, information on our trip book and other supporting materials, and a link to a guest survey that collects your important information.

Travel Information

Fly into:

Moab (CNY) - 30 min drive
Grand Junction (GJT) - 90 min drive
Salt Lake City (SLC) - 3 hour drive
Denver (DEN) - 5.5 hour drive

Shuttle Service from Salt Lake City:

Salt Lake Express Shuttle: Please book Salt Lake Express as soon as possible to guarantee a seat, they are selling fast!

Shuttle Service from Grand Junction or Moab:

Moab Express Shuttle - please visit website or contact us to schedule this shuttle from Grand Junction airport. It also services the Salt Lake and Moab airports, but Salt Lake Express is more economical from those, if it works with your timing.

Take the train:

Amtrak's “California Zephyr” train stops in Green River. Please note that Amtrak often runs late, so you’ll want to arrive a day early.

Drive:

If you drive in, vehicles can be parked at our river expedition outpost free of charge for the duration of the trip.

If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to us at info@honestheartjourneys.com or 720.308.6659.

Gratuities

We partner with a top trip provider company that attracts the best guides in the business, and they love making your trip unforgettable. A major part of their compensation is tips, and it is customary to tip guides, especially if you feel they have been instrumental in the success of the trip. If you feel you received great service, the industry recommends tipping approximately $20-30 per day on the river. You may give your tip directly to the lead river guide, and they will distribute amongst their team.

Reviews

I loved the genuine interaction among all ages. This inspires me to cast off limits

Jean

I felt surrounded by nature's beauty and the spirituality that comes with that. Sharing, laughing and being vulnerable with amazing women. But mostly, my heart felt broken open in a way it hasn't been for years. Joy, delight, love...helping me crawl out of the swamp that I've been in. What's still stuck with me is the Layers in the rock. Keeping that in my thoughts as I move through life. Choosing to honor each layer of myself, even the messy ones, and growing from there.

Megan

I'm still reveling in Utah refresh. I have been able to carry the calm and space I got on the trip back into the chaos/busyness at home, and it is proving to be a stabilizer and peace-giving force in my life. I am grateful. Also I loved ALL of the offerings that people brought. All so very thoughtful, very much a piece of themselves, and very heart-warming. I experienced firsthand the power of 'waiting' when I let go of preconceived ideas of when the waiting should be over. I had decided the waiting was done and now was the time for the next step. As soon as I released that, the freedom/clarity I was looking for started to take some shape.

Lori

Heather is an amazingly gifted instructor and facilitator. She listens deeply with her whole self...heart, soul, body and mind. She is calm and easy and so very good in her own skin. Her authenticity and use of self makes all the difference in her skilled facilitation. There was a lovely balance of group process, attentiveness and substantive material offered. She weaves the group's comments masterfully into a coherent "framework" that fits our topic and offers rich resources to anchor it. She offers just the right amount of resources too...not too much, not too little. This course is a masterpiece.

Seanne

Heather is the Best! I feel Heather is very professional, experienced in most of the life issues women face and deal with, and very knowledgeable about most aspects of counseling and coaching. Also, even more important, very caring - her heart is so in this work and her perspective on life as a woman is truly inspiring! and FUN! Her energy really lit up everything we did!

Linda

Heather has managed to open a whole new chapter of my life for me - called Changing What I Thought I Was Stuck With. All the parts and pieces of myself that I chalked up to "unfortunately, this is how I am" have been revealed that they are merely ebbs and flows of my personal growth that I can, and want to, work through and better myself while doing so. I have told Heather many times that if everyone worked with her, wouldn't the world be an amazing place? I'm so lucky to know Heather and to have experienced and benefited from her infinite wisdom.

Molly

Working with Heather I learned about boundaries and how to set them, and how to have difficult conversations about them. I re-found my inner child and learned how to engage that part of myself through play. I'm so serious! And learning how to play has brought balance to my life.

Allison

Utah Unplugged - Green River Reflections

Overview

Highlights

The BEST time to be on the river

New sisters who support your journey

Balanced time for connection and reflection

Itinerary

Before the Trip

Day 1 - Arrival

Day 2

Day 3

Day 4

Day 5

Day 6

Day 7

Day 8 - Departure

Continued Community

The Experience

What's unplugging?

Our Trip Book

How do we guide growth?

What's the difficulty of activity?

What’s camp life like?

What's the food like?

What's the weather like?

What do I pack?

What's Included

What's Included

What's Not Included

Gallery

Hosts

Heather Barron

Jennifer Dale

Tickets

1 adult - double occupancy

FAQs

Trip Registration

Cancellation Policy

Trip insurance

Planning Guide

Travel Information

Gratuities

Reviews

Add Ons

Hotel single occupancy

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Utah Unplugged - Green River Reflections