
There are moments in life where time slows down — where the only thing that matters is the temperature of the river, the squeal of a tube scraping a rock, and whether your buddy remembered to pack the Costco tub of wet wipes. This past weekend, DeathJuice Nationdescended en masse (40 something strong, give or take a flip-flop) on the mythical yellow hills of Big Rock Candy Mountain, a place that sounds like a nursery rhyme but floats like a fever dream.
🐉 THE DRAGON COMETH
Our armada was equal parts tribal and absurd: half rubber tubes rented from the very kind and questionably sane folks at Big Rock Candy Mountain Resort, half inflatable chaos born of late-night Amazon orders and group chat dares. There were sleek blue rafts, flamingo-shaped inner tubes, and, towering above them all like a suburban Norse god, a massive inflatable dragon, tail whipping in the wind, wings that dared the sky, and an onboard crew of four snack-fueled maniacs who refused to paddle.
Big shout-out to the Resort crew not only did they rent us the tubes, they ran a tight shuttle game, herding our sunburned masses to the river launch like wranglers at an inflatable rodeo.
🌊 THE FLOAT: A CHLORINE-FREE BAPTISM
The Sevier River was exactly the kind of gentle chaos we needed. A liquid conveyor belt of sun and shade, rolling us between red rock cliffs and green cottonwoods, with enough twists to keep things interesting and enough calm stretches for the more Hawaii-jetlaggedmembers of our crew to just… vibe.
(Yes, four of our friends had just returned from life in Hawaii. Yes, they were still glowing like salted caramel mochi. Yes, we all question why you’d leave paradise for Utah)
There were moments of peace dragon drifting in meditative silence, and moments of sheer panic, like when three tubes got caught in a low-hanging tree that turned out to be a full-blown beaver dam. Nobody died. Everyone screamed.
🍗 THE INTERMISSION: WINGS AND WHIP
Around the halfway mark, we stormed the shores of Hoover’s like dehydrated pirates. Wet, wobbly, and slightly feral, we made our way into the restaurant still dripping river water and adrenaline.
We ordered chicken wings like we hadn’t eaten since Y2K and devoured Dole Whip in volumes that would make a Disney park blush. The staff either loved us or feared us. Probably both.
Someone suggested we just stay there and become river hermits. Another (possibly hallucinating from heat and sugar) claimed they could still hear the dragon whispering battle cries from the riverbank.
🏁 THE FINAL STRETCH: CABOOSE OR BUST
We re-launched with less dignity but more determination. The final leg was pure joy, floaters sun-kissed and full of fried poultry, our numbers holding strong as we coasted downriver toward the finish line at Caboose Park Holiday Home Rentals, where someone had the foresight to pre-position towels, Gatorade, and adult supervision.
By then, we were part water, part sunscreen, laughing too loud, shouting too much, and completely untethered from whatever stress we’d left behind in the cities we came from.
⸻
🎒 Takeaways from the Candy Mountain Collective:
• A giant inflatable dragon doubles as a spiritual anchor and occasional navigational hazard.
• Hoover’s wings taste better when eaten shirtless and barefoot on a wooden bench.
• Dole Whip can and will revive a sun-fried brain.
• Floating the river is the cheapest therapy you’ll ever get.
• Friends who tube together… clog every river exit and restaurant hallway together.
⸻
40 humans. 1 dragon. 3 hours on the river. One legendary day at the crossroads of Americana kitsch and aquatic absurdity.
This is why we do it. This is why DeathJuice exists.
Next time you see a candy-colored mountain in the distance, grab a tube, call your crew, and float like legends.