Colorado River, Grand Canyon

It’s always hard to explain the Grand Canyon trip to people who have never been there.  In part because it involves a lot of family history, but also because it is such a slice away from usual life.

To begin, just before my parents (in this case, Dad and Bonus Mom Katherine) married 27 years ago they rafted the canyon with AzRA (https://azraft.com/).  They loved it so much that they have now been back eight more times.  Each time they book the trip to include as many of the kids, grandkids, assorted relatives, friends, and neighbors they can squeeze in.  The trip lasts anywhere from 2 to 3 weeks, and young children aren’t allowed (mostly because of the life jacket regulations).  So working around school and college schedules, jobs, etc means that it’s always an assortment.    

This trip was my third, making me the most frequent among the “kids”.  Bonus brother Gene came along for his second go.  Bonus sister Melissa came for the first time, making her the final kid to join in.  Five of the nieces/nephews were along, as were two cousins and various other Alaskans.  Four poor saps who didn’t know us took up the other slots in the trip, and the five guides and two assistants rounded us up to a healthy 27 people.

We launched four oar boats and a paddle boat from Lees Ferry and made our way down 225 miles of the Colorado River.  No electronics, no newspapers, no calls.  Wake up when it gets light at 5am and bed when it’s dark – about 8:30pm.  Sleeping out under the stars.  Bighorn sheep, mule deer, beavers, lizards, Kenab squirrels, and other wildlife.  Paddling and hiking and a bit of rock climbing.  Playing in the Little Colorado and Havasu Rivers – warmer than the dam released main Colorado water!  Bucketing through huge rapids with pourover rocks, holes, and wave trains.  Amazing vistas of geology, archaeological ruins, springs, skies.  There just isn’t anything like it.  The return to the “real world” with lights and air conditioning and showers is more jarring and unpleasant than you might think.  So of course, I am off to do some more hikes so I can avoid the blight of civilization for a few more days.

I wish I had the poetry to explain how the river makes you feel.  But the feel and the smell can't be captured by my meagre talents.  Since Dad is the official trip photographer, I don't even have the images to share yet.  But here's a little start.