sandals/watershoes for the river

Jeff,

I use my Keens on the river. They're heavy, of course, and I wouldn't want to swim far with them, but you'll be wearing a PFD at all times on the water during your Scout trip, so you won't have to swim hard, much, if you stay out of the drink. If you go in, however, having toe protection is great.

In fact, having toe protection while you're hiking side trails off river is outstanding, and I find my Keens are much better choices than my otherwise beloved Teva "river sandals".

I wear NRS Sasquatch's for kayaking. They are very comfortable and easy to swim in. They run about $40, but you can find them for $30 sometimes. If you want to spend a little more money, I'd go with the NRS Attack shoes. They run about $80.

I avoid shoes with straps on the water. The straps can get caught on gear causing you to get trapped.

I have experienced this and I know others have as well.

There is a reason why most white water paddlers wear the smooth strapless shoes when they paddle.

I picked up a pair of these at REI.
I’ve been trying on shoes for the past several months- I have a narrow heel and a very wide foot (especially for a woman)
I was just browsing in the shoe department and the REI person suggested these. Wore them on a 5 mile backpack yesterday and had to come back earlier than expected. I wore them with darn tough socks. No blisters, they handled rocks and sand equally well.
These are built to handle water.
Here is a link
Olukai

I don't think there are any scorpions and in fact now that I think of it, I don't think scorpions exist in any part of Utah.

Snakes yes, but snakes are rarely an issue. The common rattlesnake in the area notify you when you get near. They tend to hang out in rocky areas, sleep in the open in the day and crawl into the rocks at night.

The only people that get bit by them are almost always people who play with them.

http://www.wildernessutah.com/learn/scorpions.html

hey Jeff, I did the exact same trip about 15 years ago — Moab to Lake Powell thru Cataract Canyon in mid-July. Awesome trip. I wore Tevas and never had a problem. In fact, they were perfect. Everyone on my trip cowboy camped every night. Never saw a scorpion or a snake, and I don't remember mosquitos being an issue at all. Bring plenty of sunscreen, and never stick beans up your nose !!

That article is interesting. In all my tips to southern Utah, I never had issue with scorpions and the locals never mentioned them. Maybe more south east four corners area?

They can be really annoying further south into Arizona.
If you camp in scorpion country, don't walk barefoot at night. Sleep in some kind of bug net as they crawl around at night.

I know some people cowboy camp in scorpion country and rarely have issue, but there sting can be really painful and last for days, similar to the worst kind of honey bee sting.

"I don't think there are any scorpions and in fact now that I think of it, I don't think scorpions exist in any part of Utah"

Well, that's just plain silly. Scorpions are everywhere. Are they anything to worry about more than getting stung by a bee? No.

I also wear Keens and recently did this to them to improve traction both on the trail and in the water:

http://www.tenkaratalk.com/wet-wading-with-sandals