Rafting Grand Canyon, 2019

About to run a rapid with Craig on a
inflatable 2-man raft called “The Shredder.”

We rafted down the Colorado River for 226 miles (363 km) through the Grand Canyon for a glorious 16 days.  In total, there was 20 of us on a self-guided run.  Given the (thankfully) stringent permitting required to run the river there, we rarely saw others on the voyage, combined with the zero cell reception, it felt like all aboard the SS Minnows were happily alone under the Milky Way in our own private world.

Wes keeping us all safe and moist :)

It was unspeakably beautiful but also intense and dangerous.  The rapids were truly massive and could easily flip our rafts that weighed over 2,000 pounds (1,000 kg) when loaded.  A group that started the same day as us had a person drown and there were rescue helicopters circling us for a worrying amount of time.

The water was so cold that it is estimated that you can try to swim rapids for a max of 5 to 10 minutes before your body fails and you can’t function … meanwhile, outdoor temperatures can grow to a sweltering 110F (45C).  We had ‘drag bags’ behind the boat chilling drinks in the frigid waters – if you ever wanted to cool down, you could jump in the water for a second and then cuddle up to a case of your favorite beers.

226 miles (363 km) of some of the most
amazing geography our blue marble has to offer.

Each day we made a communal breakfast, packed up the boat and strapped everything down in case we flipped, ran rapids, took side hikes up the canyon, and then found a camping spot along the river shores.  There were no mosquitos so we could sleep on cots without the need for tents.  The next day usually began at first light or when the smell of coffee wafted your way.

It was a life-long dream of mine to do this run and it was icing on the cake to share the adventure with cherished old friends and newfound comrades.

Hiking up Horseshoe Bend on a side-hike. 
Look to the center-left to see how tiny our blue boats appear from this elevation.

Thanks so much to Stephen for putting in the hard work to make this trip happen and to the boat captains that kept us safe!
PS, thanks so much for the wonderful birthday wishes.  I had no internet for much of June/July so I was not able to express my gratitude in a more timely manner!

Goofing off at the surreal blue waters of a tributary feeding into the Colorado.  Evidently the waters are colored this way because of their talc content.  We hiked up this river on foot for a few hours and marveled at the technicolored dreamscape.

Matty showing no fear captaining one of our 5 rafts.  Fully loaded they weighed over 2,000 pounds (1,000 kg) which is about the same as my truck.  Some of the bigger waves could throw the boat in the air and then rip all the gear off in a matter of seconds if you approached it the wrong way.

Taking a frisbee break in a sandy cave that was much bigger than a football field.

The permitting required that you pack-in and pack-out everything and there were no services along our route.  As such, we had to pack-in all food and supplies and had to pack-out any solids we created along the trip.  That last part seems really gross, but you actually get used to sharing one portable toilet with the group pretty quickly and it sort of became a comical form of bonding.  As an added bonus, you get some of the best views you will ever find from a toilet and you get up to date on what Angelina Jolie is up to :)