I have been blessed to raft The Grand Canyon TWICE in my life!!! The first time was in 2004 when my father-in-law took my husband, myself, and my 13 year old step-son with him for his second trip down the river for 5 days/4 nights. That trip included a helicopter flight out of the canyon! The second time was last year, 2016, and this time our three children and our nephew were finally old enough to join too!! This time for a total of 7 nights and 8 days!! I was in heaven!!
Rafting the Grand Canyon with Arizona River Runners is a life changing experience!!! The Grand Canyon is untouched nature at its finest. There are thousands of moments on this trip where I was reminded just how small we are and how vast the earth is.
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This trip was so amazing I don’t even know where to begin. I’ll never forget the first time we rafted. We had only been loaded on the boats and rafting down the river for about 30 minutes. Every time we turned a little bend in the river I would say, “Oh My, This is the most beautiful place I’ve ever seen!” as I snapped photo after photo in complete awe. Then we would turn another little bend and I’d repeat my exclamations of beauty. This happened several times before my father-in-law looked over at me smiling and said, “We aren’t even in the Grand Canyon yet. This is still Marble Canyon”. Every moment after that just got better and better. With every mile of the river we would descend further and further into the Canyon. Deeper and deeper into the beauty of the landscape.
I have always been an outdoorsy, adventurous person and I have been primitive camping and reenacting the pre-civil war time period for almost all of my life. I love sleeping outdoors, cooking over a campfire, and just breathing the fresh air. The Grand Canyon is probably close to the most untouched land in the United States.
The trip starts with an overnight stay at the Desert Rose just off the Las Vegas Strip where the bus comes at 4:00am to pick us up. We spent the night before in Las Vegas having one last dinner at the MGM just down the road and a nice HOT shower. We flew in that morning with enough time to explore and show the kids around Vegas.
The Arizona River Runners sends a detailed packing list weeks ahead of time of items you are required to bring and a list of optional items you might want to bring along. Everything must fit in a small duffle bag. The rest of our luggage was stored at the hotel for the 8 days we are rafting. We then rode the bus with the other 19 people on this trip for about 3 hours to Lee’s Ferry in Marble Canyon with two short stops for any last minute supplies and/or alcoholic beverage of your choice.
Once we arrived at Lee’s Ferry we were introduced to our two boat captains, Jake and Tyler, and our boat hands, Marla and Holly. We were given a small waterproof day bag for the supplies we would need while rafting during the day and also a larger waterproof bag for our duffle bag, and supplied sleeping bag and pillow. Once the duffle bags are packed on the boat, they are not accessible till we stop to make camo for the night. Sunscreen applied, water bottles filled, life jackets donned and on rafts we were. Time to push off and get moving.
So most days we rafted about 5-6 hours. But, there was usually a stop in the mid-morning for a hike to a waterfall. Then a quick stop for the most amazing lunch at noon on a sandbar somewhere along the way. Then, another hike in the afternoon usually. After that, maybe another hour of rafting until we found a nice, unoccupied spot to camp that would be big enough for our large group. Overall we travel 280.5 miles from Lee’s Ferry to the Pierce Ferry take-out point. The 8 day trip was much more relaxing and less rushed than the 5 day trip in 2004. We were able to stop early a few days and enjoy time at the campsite before dinner.
The Food!!!! I remember thinking before our first trip that I would probably lose a few pounds on that trip with all of the miles of hiking we were going to do. Boy was I wrong!!! The Arizona River Runners have this cooking thing down to an art!!! We were feed like royalty! Pancakes for breakfast, fully-loaded sandwiches and wraps for lunch, lasagna and garlic bread for dinner, and a freshly baked chocolate cake for my father-in-law’s birthday!!! Every day was a new menu and new surprises. They passed out snacks all day while we were rafting to keep us satisfied and full of energy during the day. Steaks, brownies, salmon, cheesecake, chicken salad wraps!! All made fresh. Dinner was always served with some appetizers while dinner was cooking and there was always an abundance of vegetables.
Every night we slept under the stars. I have NEVER seen so many stars in my life and I’ve done a lot of camping out in the country away from the city lights. Tents were offered, but you don’t need them. Snakes and scorpions like the warm tents and will come in for a visit as we saw on our first trip down the river. One poor girl awoke with a scorpion on her pillow looking at her!!!
We were provided a cot to set up this last trip! On the first trip we only had a 1” small foam pad that could blow up just a little bit. Cots are MUCH better. The rafts would stop sometime in the late afternoon and the unloading process would begin. Everyone was required to help with the loading and unloading. We would make two lines from the boats up the beach to where the kitchen was determined to be. Then the “duffle shuffle” would begin. Every bag would be handed back and forth up the line until all of the bags were up on the beach. Sometimes there would be quite a steep climb up the banks, so this method works the best for everything. Next would be the kitchen supplies, pans, propane tanks, hand washing station, and cots. One piece at a time until both boats are unloaded. After that everyone starts the hunt for the best campsite!!! Since most our campsites were only large sandbars we were able to spread out and look for something flat with a little privacy if possible.
Let’s talk about the ‘Groover’… The ‘Groover’ is otherwise known as the toilet. During the day while rafting we were only allowed to urinate in the water. This is loads of fun when you are a woman, but by day 3 your modesty is gone and you stop caring who is looking at your bum while you drop your shorts and step in the cold water. Luckily the water gets warmer as the days progress. On every stop the boys are usually delegated to one side of the boat and the women to the other more private area if there is one. Once the boat was unloaded the ‘Groover’ was set up. Since our guides have been on the river for several years they knew at each campsite the best place to set it up. Usually way off to one side of the camp down a little path hidden from view, but with a full view of the river and other passing boaters. At the start of the path there would be a little canister of toilet paper and the wash station. The canister of toilet paper is the ‘key’ to use the ‘Groover’. So, it wasn’t uncommon for there to be a line of waiting patrons in the morning. Check out this scenic spot for one stop in 2004. So, let’s just say that the first few days were rough for everyone. Most of us are not used to standing in line in the morning to use the bathroom, nor are we required to have this done prior to the loading of a boat to raft down a river.
After breakfast and washing your own dishes, the loading of the boat began for the day. We packed up our cot and campsite and started the ‘duffle shuffle” in the opposite manner. Once the boats were loaded and the “Groover’ packed up tight, we hit the chilly morning rapids!!!!
The evenings were spent taking a little river bath in the freezing water and then getting to know our fellow travelers over dinner. The water is freezing the first few days of the trip but warms a few degrees every day luckily. You are not allowed to use soap or shampoo in any of the side canyons so you must do your daily washing in the evening while at camp. Plus there are only certain soaps that are allowed in the river. “The Solution to Pollution is Dilution”!!!! By the last night the water was tolerable for about 4 minutes. Brrrrr. The air is crazy dry there, make sure you bring your leave-in conditioner and a large bottle of thick lotion!!!
This is one of those trips where you really get to know your traveling companions on a deeper level. By the end of this 8 day trip I felt like I had 25 more family members. There is something about sitting with others in the evening, talking in such an amazing untouched place, under the vast sky that brings you closer to one another. There are no cells phones, no TV, no distractions. Just human connection. There was another large group of 19 people, all there celebrating Jon Olson’s 60th birthday, a father and son, and a solo adventurous traveler, from England. Twenty-five new life-long friends sharing the most amazing experience. It was magical to watch my children grow and develop on this trip, becoming more adventurous with each day.
The rapids on the river start very small in Marble Canyon and gradually get larger as we get deeper into the canyon. Some are downright scary Class 10 rapids when the water is high!!! But, luckily they work us up to those gradually!! Overall we hit over 100 different rapids!!! I am quite adventurous, but I could never go thru these rapids in some of the small boats we saw.
The waterfalls in the Grand Canyon are amazing!!! Lava Falls, Elves Chasm, Deer Creek Falls, Havasu Falls, just to name a few. One of my favorites is Elves Chasm. It’s a short mile hike from the river down a side canyon to Elves Chasm. Once there you can climb INSIDE the falls and jump out the middle into the little pool at the bottom!!! It’s scary, slippery, and nerve-wracking but fun!!! I jumped in 2004, but left my kids to the fun this last time. I took this time to snap photos and take a little dip in the warm pool to rinse off the dust and sweat from the hike.
It is really hard to decide of my favorite stops/hikes of the trip but two others really stand out. We were blessed with amazing weather last year, which also meant that the Little Colorado River was a brilliant turquoise blue!! In 2004, the river was pure mud from rains that occurred in the mountains upstream in the weeks before our trip. The pictures will never do it justice. It was such a warm, beautiful summer day with a short hike up the bank to good spot where we could float down the rapids with our lifejackets on our bums!! We put our legs through the arm holes and strapped in. This helped you stay a little afloat while you bounced down the river. SOOOO much fun!!! The beautiful color is from the limestone and travertine deposits from upstream. After the float down the river for a few yards, we rubbed the lovely white, soft, clay-like limestone all over our bodies for an impromptu mud bath!! It has to be good for our skin, right?
My second favorite spot in the Grand Canyon is the Havasu River and Canyon and definitely my favorite from our 2004 trip!!! It is one of the most beautiful places in the world!!!! We pulled the boats off to the side and strapped up to a treacherous cliff-side, in the middle of a large rapid, and climbed out with the help of our guides. We then hiked up the side canyon for some of the most spectacular views you’ve ever seen. Again, pictures do not do this justice. This place deserves its own blog, so stay tunes for further posts. But here’s a sneak peek of our day. Warm waters and fun times.
Words and pictures could never fully describe the sheer beauty of The Grand Canyon. What a surreal experience. I usually feel like that word is overused. But, every moment in the Grand Canyon is Surreal. As you float peacefully down the river, you are remind of the important things in life; family, friends, helping other, and just slowing down and appreciating life.
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