Our trip on a motorized raft through 188 miles (300 km.) of the Grand Canyon began the morning of Friday, April 18....and continued until Friday, April 25, 2014.
We entered the canyon at Lees Ferry and continued down the river until we reached a point just below the Bar 10 Ranch on the canyon's rim. From here we were helicoptered out about 15 minutes to the ranch, where we thoroughly enjoyed a hot shower before being flown by a small plane 30 minutes back to Page and our waiting car...and culture shock! But....I'm getting ahead of myself!
We entered the canyon at Lees Ferry and continued down the river until we reached a point just below the Bar 10 Ranch on the canyon's rim. From here we were helicoptered out about 15 minutes to the ranch, where we thoroughly enjoyed a hot shower before being flown by a small plane 30 minutes back to Page and our waiting car...and culture shock! But....I'm getting ahead of myself!
Getting ready to leave Lees Ferry!
All I can think about in this "post reflection" phase is that superlatives don't do justice to the experience that is the Colorado River on a raft. Spectacular, breath taking, amazing, gorgeous, awesome, timeless, intimidating, magnificent, unfathomable, imposing, rugged...all these and more apply to the trip. Journeying back in time up to 2.2 BILLION years - how to describe that experience? Words can't really do it justice, but I'll give it a try.
Instead of doing a 'day by day' breakdown of our trip, like I did with the cross Canada motorcycle adventure, I'll do my best to give you some of our overall impressions and hope that some of the photos I'll include help a wee bit to capture the experience. Here goes....
The people:
For me - it's always about the people first and foremost. The new friendships formed, the wit and wisdom of our travelling companions and the exceptionally interesting life experiences people bring to an adventure like this. We were two of four people who did the entire 8 days on the river, another five did the first four days with us and four others joined us half way through, while the first five hiked out of the canyon.
I should start with our 'crew'....Nate, Carrie and Brendyce with Wilderness River Adventures http://www.riveradventures.com. Never have we met three people who had so much fun at their job! Their laughter and camaraderie continues to be one of the things we remember most clearly. They truly enjoyed their work and each other. They kept us safe, cared for and well fed (more about that later) and shared with us a glimpse of their lives dedicated to this precious river. I will rely on their reading of this blog to correct any inaccuracies on my part!
Carrie, Nate and Brendyce - river guides extraordinaire! And lots of fun too as you can see by the selfie they took with our camera!
Often there are two rafts on these trips, with sixteen people each on a boat. We were fortunate to be the first boat of the season out and our group was small - something we really thought was a bonus! A bit about the people we shared the raft with:
Doyle...from North Carolina, former Dean of Medicine at Duke University, a gentleman farmer, founder of a medical school in Singapore, a singer and song-writer - lots of stories and laughter...a gentleman and a scholar...such a lot of fun too!
Alan...formerly from North Carolina (where he and Doyle were good friends), he and his wife now live in Seattle. Alan has had a colourful career, trained as a civil engineer, time spent in ministry, as a social worker, and recently retired after building a successful home renovation business. A poet and wit who regaled us with his exquisite wordsmithing after dinner some evenings.
Carlos and his grade 12 daughter, Carla, from New York and a family friend, Arianna, in Grade 10 from Connecticut. Originally from Ecuador, Carlos and his wife, along with their 11 year old son, run a cleaning company. Carlos' wife and son were to have joined us on the trip but had to cancel out as his son was recovering from a bone infection. Carlos was one of the happiest men I have met - so interested in all of us and pitching in whenever and wherever needed to make things easier for all of us. Carla and Arianna were delightful young women with great plans for their future - Carla wants to study to be a physician's assistant and Arianna wants to become a dentist - no doubt at all that both of them will be successful in their endeavours. We were impressed with how they pitched in to help and didn't engage in any teenage hysterics - thanks ladies! :)
Randy and his 14 year old son Grayson rounded out those in the boat for our first four days. Randy is an honorary Cannuck, having been born in Prince George, BC. He and his family now make their home in California. Father and son were like two kids together - playing and challenging each other to climb higher and farther and faster - and laughing all the while. They brought a wonderful happy energy to our group.
After four days, Carlos, Carla, Arianna, Randy and Grayson hiked out the strenuous Bright Angel Trail....we were so sorry to say goodbye to them and wished they could have stayed with us for the remainder of the trip.
Hiking down the trail while group one hiked out, were Masha, Eric, Wade and Debbie. They, too, were a great group to raft with.
Masha is a economist who currently lives in Boston and works for an investment banking company. She is originally from Russia and was thrilled to be able to be part of the raft adventure. Her quiet presence brought a lovely energy to the group.
Wade and Debbie, from Kentucky, along with their recent college graduate son, Eric, rounded out the group. Eric is one of three of Wade's and Debbie's sons, and as they had taken the other two on a solo holiday it was now Eric's time for a trip of a lifetime with his parents. Seeing them together as a family, enjoying one anothers company, was a pleasure to watch.
The land and scenery:
It's truly difficult to adequately describe the wonder that is the Grand Canyon as seen from the vantage point of the river. Soaring cliffs, 9 sedimentary layers of rock and 7 "supergroup" layers. Rocks that literally tell the history of the earth - from the "babies" mere millions of years old, to some in the Granite Gorge that are estimated to be up to 2.2 billion years old! It's hard to fathom. At one point we were one mile 'down' from the rim of the canyon - couldn't even see the rim.
To give you some idea of the size of the space, I'll quote from Colin Fletcher, author of The Man Who Walked Through Time, the story of the first trip by foot through the Grand Canyon. He said: "At its centre it is over one mile deep; if you build four Empire State Buildings in it, one on top of the other, they would not rise level with the rim."
To give you some idea of the size of the space, I'll quote from Colin Fletcher, author of The Man Who Walked Through Time, the story of the first trip by foot through the Grand Canyon. He said: "At its centre it is over one mile deep; if you build four Empire State Buildings in it, one on top of the other, they would not rise level with the rim."
The Granite Gorge
The 9 sedimentary layers of rock found elsewhere in the canyon can be remembered by using this phrase:
Know - Kaibab (marine limestone)
The - Toroweap (marine limestone)
Canyon's - Coconino Sandstone (coastal)
History - Hermit Shale (deltic)
Study - Supair Group (wescogame, manakacha and watahomigi)
Rocks - Redwall limestone (marine)
Made - Muav Limestone (shallow marine)
By - Bright Angel Shale (shallow, muddy marine)
Time - Tapeats Sandstone (coastal)
Throughout the canyon one sees black on the rocks, which I mistakenly thought was evidence of volcanic activity. Turns out this black coating is 'desert varnish' which forms when magnesium and iron oxide, along with bacteria, combines to form a black paper like film.
It is surprisingly green in the river valley - though why we were surprised I'm not sure! :) Lots of vegetation and easy to see where plants are finding water in the cracks...amazing examples of resilience when you see a plant literally hanging off the side of a cliff in full bloom! I especially liked the hanging red monkey flowers. They were very lush looking and clearly appeared to be associated with water drip marks...the porous layers of rock allow water from above to leech through and support lots of greenery.
The red rock in the canyon comes from the upper layer, which is rich in iron oxide and 'dyes' the canyon walls red as it runs down. In spots there were chunks of rock that had fallen away and one could see the grayish white rock behind the red.
We were constantly amazed at the power of nature to carve out the canyon over millions upon millions of years.
Between Glen Canyon Dam and Lake Mead, the Colorado River flows for 255 miles. It's maximum depth is 85' and the average depth is 35'. Water has been the sculptor and primary agent of erosion in the Grand Canyon for millions of years and continues to be the major factor today.
The Hikes:
#1 - Our first hike was on day two - a 2 1/2 mile hike into north canyon. Lots of up and down and scrambling over rocks. It ended with a pool at one end...it was kind of murky, but our intrepid father and son duo jumped in and waded chest deep to the end to climb out on a sort of rock slide. Imagine it would be something to see with the water pouring down the slide - then again one wouldn't want to be in the path of that much water I would expect!
(See the figure - far up in the photo -
again, gives an idea of the size of the formations.)
Grayson and Randy playing around!
#2 - Our second hike was on day three - where we saw the confluence of the Little Colorado River and the Colorado River. The two water colours are completely different....
The aquamarine colour is formed by calcium carbonate in the Little Colorado River. The area has a natural 'slide' in a small rapids area that was so much fun to 'float' (or toss and turn in my case!) down. While cold, it was warmer than its larger counterpart and since it was a hot day we thoroughly enjoyed the cool water. At the end of our playtime a few of us chose to 'float' down and join the others who had hiked down the path back to our boat. This was a real highlight of the trip for me...just lying on my back letting the water gently float me down the river.
some 'perspective' as to the size.)
#3 - The morning of day 4 we stopped at Phantom Ranch, where we said goodbye to Carlos, Carla, Arianna, Randy and Grayson and a couple of hours later said hello to Wade, Debbie, Eric and Masha. While waiting for our new travelling companions we hiked the short way in to Phantom Ranch, which is a lovely, rustic spot, complete with camping and cabins for those hardy souls who choose to hike into our out of the canyon. We had a coffee and wandered around and did a couple of small side hikes, as well as found a spot to have a quick sponge bath...the water so cold when I washed my hair in it that I got brain freeze! :)
(Brain freeze but clean hair!)
#4 - Black Tail Canyon - this walk wasn't a very long one, but it was fun to venture into another canyon, scramble over rocks and at the end feel totally isolated from the world. Nate sat perched on a rock and read us two stories about some of the early river runners - an adventurous and some might say foolhardy lot - amazing what risks they took and lived to tell the tale! Even though this may have been one of the less spectacular of our walks, I felt amazing energy in this canyon and found myself reluctant to leave...interesting!
#5 - Stone Creek Falls - this short hike brought us to a beautiful smallish fall where we enjoyed a shower! Cold, refreshing and definitely felt good to rinse off the sand and dust, even though we couldn't stand the cold for long.
Can you tell we found it 'slightly' chilly!?!
#6 - Deer Creek - about a four mile round trip hike that had the highest elevation change of all our hikes.
This falls is located at the 'start' of our hike.
About half way up, our first stop was "the patio"... the positioning of the people in the photo gives you some idea of the size of the place. We spent time here enjoying the sunshine, birds singing, and the antics of desert spiny lizards doing push-ups...apparently to mark their territory, assert their strength and impress the ladies! :) One of the guides told us about The Forbidden City - a village that was discovered in the canyon, completely preserved with cots, blankets, jewellery, baskets, etc. The Forest Service ended up burying the city to ensure it remained intact and away from curious onlookers. Some of the old time guides in the canyon know of it's existence and location but it's a closely guarded secret by those intent on keeping the site free from possible disruption.
About half way up, our first stop was "the patio"... the positioning of the people in the photo gives you some idea of the size of the place. We spent time here enjoying the sunshine, birds singing, and the antics of desert spiny lizards doing push-ups...apparently to mark their territory, assert their strength and impress the ladies! :) One of the guides told us about The Forbidden City - a village that was discovered in the canyon, completely preserved with cots, blankets, jewellery, baskets, etc. The Forest Service ended up burying the city to ensure it remained intact and away from curious onlookers. Some of the old time guides in the canyon know of it's existence and location but it's a closely guarded secret by those intent on keeping the site free from possible disruption.
We continued up through a meadow like flat part and started climbing again to reach "the source", i.e. the source of the spring that flowed downwards. We filled our water bottle and enjoyed a very pure and delicious gift from the earth. Near this smallish waterfall was a large grouping of rocks that guides have nicknamed the "throne room". Travellers have built large chairs or thrones from the rocks scattered around...here is King Harry surveying his kingdom!
Harry on his throne - of the regal not the OSCAR kind
(more about OSCAR shortly)!
(more about OSCAR shortly)!
#7 - Havasu Canyon - our final hike, again up a canyon with turquoise blue (calcium carbonate again) water. After about a half hour hike up to the 'pool' at the end we enjoyed wading and swimming...again warmer than the Colorado River but still very chilly! Initially we were the only ones there and it felt like we'd stepped into paradise. Soon several more groups arrived so it began to feel quite crowded. Most of the newcomers were continuing on the path, which is part of a longer hike (8 miles) into the canyon to Havasu Falls and the only remaining village located within the canyon itself. The Havasupai village has about 400 inhabitants. Lunch this day was on the raft floating leisurely down the river - sandwiches we had prepared for ourselves in the morning. Lovely and relaxing!
The camping:
There are 16 companies licensed to bring groups into the Grand Canyon. Additionally, individuals can apply for a permit to take a trip on their own down the river. Camping is on 'sand dunes'....think icing sugar sand that changes and shifts as the river levels are raised and lowered.
Camping is on a first come, first served basis so though a guide might have an idea of where they'd like to camp on any given evening, it may be that they arrive at their preferred stop and another group is already camping there. We were lucky and most nights were able to set up camp at the spot Nate had identified ahead of time.
The process was for all of us to form a line to help unload the boat...and you can not believe what came out of that boat! Sleeping kits, clothes bags, day bags and ammo cans (for personal items, not ammo! :)), dishes, pots and pans, propane tanks, tables, chairs, cots, tents, food...the list goes on. Reminded me of those clown cars that disgorge an unending supply of funny people! After unloading we all took our 'stuff' to a spot we'd selected for the evening and set up our cots and tents if we wanted them.
Sleeping under the stars was the preferred method for most folks - the view of the night sky with not a speck of ambient light was something to behold.
Camping is on a first come, first served basis so though a guide might have an idea of where they'd like to camp on any given evening, it may be that they arrive at their preferred stop and another group is already camping there. We were lucky and most nights were able to set up camp at the spot Nate had identified ahead of time.
The process was for all of us to form a line to help unload the boat...and you can not believe what came out of that boat! Sleeping kits, clothes bags, day bags and ammo cans (for personal items, not ammo! :)), dishes, pots and pans, propane tanks, tables, chairs, cots, tents, food...the list goes on. Reminded me of those clown cars that disgorge an unending supply of funny people! After unloading we all took our 'stuff' to a spot we'd selected for the evening and set up our cots and tents if we wanted them.
Sleeping under the stars was the preferred method for most folks - the view of the night sky with not a speck of ambient light was something to behold.
Part of the camping experience, of course, is the bathroom facilities...something I am sure each of us had some trepidation about. No need for worry...our trusted potty OSCAR (Outstanding Sh*# Can Around River, or less colourfully Ostensibly Superior Colonating Alleviation Receptacle) was set up in an out of the way spot - truly the most beautiful view any of us have likely had when using a restroom! Boys got to use the river in the way that boys do, and the girls got a special 'seated' arrangement beside OSCAR.
The animals:
We saw great blue Herons, mallard ducks, turkey vultures, big horn sheep (including some babies), a garter snake, frogs, toads and fish in a river so clear you could see to the bottom in spots. Rainbow trout have taken over the river and since they are not a native species they are causing lots of concern as the native fish are dying out. We came across some scientists who were tagging 'chub' in an attempt to see how they were fairing with the invasive species of trout.
We spotted several different kinds of lizards as they sunned themselves on rocks as we went by. Carlos heard snuffling and scratching under his cot one night - our guide told us it was likely a ring tail cat sniffing around to see if there was anything interesting nearby. The ring tail cat is apparently a smallish animal and nothing to be afraid of - good to know after the fact! :)
We spotted several different kinds of lizards as they sunned themselves on rocks as we went by. Carlos heard snuffling and scratching under his cot one night - our guide told us it was likely a ring tail cat sniffing around to see if there was anything interesting nearby. The ring tail cat is apparently a smallish animal and nothing to be afraid of - good to know after the fact! :)
Can you see the sheep???
We also saw "human" animals in the guise of other rafters - some in two person oared boats, some in four person oared boats, others in motorized rafts like ours, a couple in 'dories' (think fiberglass rowboat). We saw the person in charge on one oared raft go overboard, and his passenger appeared to panic, trying to remember in her fear what she was supposed to do - that would be PULL HIM IN!!! Luckily he made it into the boat okay, but not before passing perilously close to rocks, an occurrence that had all of us holding our breath! Going through the rapids in a motorized raft was challenging enough - didn't think we'd like to try it in an oared raft.
The food:
Who knew one could have five star meals on a river raft trip?!? The food was so incredible - everything from prime rib, garlic mashed potatoes and grilled asparagus, to steak and mushrooms, garlic shrimp, chicken, scalloped potatoes, pork chops, corn bread, spaghetti and meatballs, bacon and eggs, pancakes, hash browns, french toast, dagwood sandwiches, salads, corncob, fajitas, taco salads, macaroni and four cheese gooey goodness, the best coffee ever....and the list goes on. We even had brownies and a chocolate cake cooked in a dutch oven as well as cheesecake one day. Fresh fruit, granola bars, chocolate bars, trail mix - we were not at a loss for snacks at any time of the day or night. On Easter Sunday morning, we discovered the Easter bunny had even stopped at our campsite to leave shiny eggs and chocolate!
I can NOT believe I only took a single photo of the amazing food - was so busy gobbling it up I guess! Trust me though - five ***** dining!
I can NOT believe I only took a single photo of the amazing food - was so busy gobbling it up I guess! Trust me though - five ***** dining!
One of the participants on our trip thought she'd go home with a six pack from all the camp food and hiking - instead she found she may have gone home with an extra pound or two! :) We were unbelievable amazed at not only how quickly the food was prepared each day but how plentiful, fresh and just plain scrumptious it was!
Lunch each day was taken at a spot along the river, save for one day we ate on the boat when the 'lunch spot' was already filled with other boaters. Here is an example of a truly special 'cave' where we enjoyed chicken salad wraps, chips and cookies one day. I put two photos of this spot in - again so you get a sense of the enormity of the space when you see the people in the second one!
The rapids:
We journeyed through 67 rapids in all - ranging from ripples to class 10 rapids, of which there were four! 
This is a photo of the back of the t-shirt we got,
with a listing of the main rapids.
Passengers took turns sitting up front in the 'bathtub' (aptly named!). It was fun and scary and thrilling all at the same time. And very, very WET!!! Water temps were about 50'F (12 C) and it didn't seem to matter how tightly one had one's rain gear tied on - the water always seems to find a spot to enter so that often we were soaked top and bottom to the skin! Thankfully most days were sunny and we quickly dried off.
We took our turn up front and despite the wet and cold it was a ton of fun! Thankfully no one on our raft got tossed overboard. Mother Nature is certainly a most powerful force!
On our final day, we decided to take a final turn siting up front in the bathtub...me in my clothes and Harry with the great good sense to leave his raincoat on. Big mistake on my part, wisdom on his. We went through four or five various size rapids and managed to get thoroughly soaked from head to toe. Time to move further back in the raft and dry out - and then one of the big #10 rapids - Crystal Falls! Doyle and Alan bravely sat up front - it was a doozy and totally lived up to its 10 rating! We all got wet, no matter where we had positioned ourselves on the boat.
Final thoughts and overall impressions:
April was a great month to make this adventure, given the unseasonably warm temperatures this year at that time - not too many boats on the river and it wasn't overly cool or hot.
Wilderness River Adventures is a GREAT company to go with - especially if your crew is Nate, Carrie and Brendyce!
We were so happy we decided on the 8 day trip - four days would have just left us wanting more! Eight days was perfect!
The canyon is pristine - not a drop of garbage anywhere. It is said to be the cleanest National Park in the United States. The river guides are extremely proud of the park and we were taught from the get go to pick up every speck of food we dropped...not even the ravens can find any 'pickings' when campers leave the site. If 30,000 people a year, who travel this magnificent river, can manage to leave no trace of their passing, surely we can do that in the rest of the world. All it takes is a bit of time and attention to our footprint!
The canyon is pristine - not a drop of garbage anywhere. It is said to be the cleanest National Park in the United States. The river guides are extremely proud of the park and we were taught from the get go to pick up every speck of food we dropped...not even the ravens can find any 'pickings' when campers leave the site. If 30,000 people a year, who travel this magnificent river, can manage to leave no trace of their passing, surely we can do that in the rest of the world. All it takes is a bit of time and attention to our footprint!
Take limited clothing - they're right when they tell you you will get everything filthy! I'd also highly recommend a pair of flip flops for around camp ... sometimes the sand is very hot. Long sleeved, light weight shirts work really well (stop by your local thrift shop)...you can put a t-shirt or tank top underneath in case you get too hot, and the long sleeved shirt makes a nice draping on your neck and shoulders when hiking. Water shoes are a great idea for hopping in and out of the raft and for short hikes. Runners work good for longer hikes. Hats with wide brims and lots of sunscreen are a must. It gets cool at night so a hoodie is a good idea. We appreciated having our fold up lantern in addition to a flashlight for night time. We hardly had time to read but a journal and pen was a great idea.
Final view of the canyon on the plane back to Page!
The two bridges you may be able to see about a third of the way up
are at Marble Canyon.
Memories galore! How grateful and blessed we are...
life, is indeed, VERY, VERY good!!!
