Rafting The Grand Canyon
Cast of
Characters
'Swamper' Den
Shirley
Wendy
Kathy
'Boatman'Dustin
Lori
Joe
Wayne
Most people who visit the Grand Canyon drive by and look over the railing. Or they pay a fee to stand on that glass bottom platform (called the Grand Canyon Skywalk) and look down.
Either of these choices would have been nice & just fine with me. But no. Wayne thought we we needed to go by raft. So that’s what we did. We went by raft.
Those of you who know us personally, know that Wayne spares absolutely no expense nor effort when it comes to providing me (Wendy) with the most thoughtful, caring, & luxurious of vacations. When it comes to vacations, we go first class – no accommodation is too good. Best of husbands.
Well, this trip just about did us in. Amazingly, we are still married. Read on and see what you think.
The way we work things is this. Wayne comes up with the ideas and the plans. Then we talk about it. Then I do all the research to turn his ideas & plans into action. Of course there is a great deal of discussion & fine tuning in between. We have worked this way for a long time, and it seems to suit us well.
However, in this particular adventure, I don’t know what in heaven’s name I was thinking when I signed on here. Now, don’t misunderstand, it turned out to be a once in a lifetime experience for me – especially after we got home, and it was all said and done! But, without question, it was also the most physically taxing thing I have ever (ever) done. Even Wayne had to admit this was no walk in the park.
But we survived - other than my damaged knee & meniscus which required arthroscopic surgery when we got back. No big deal. They almost lost me (really) that one day when I walked down to the raft, slipped in the mud, banged into/bounced off the raft, & was nearly lost into the freezing, swift & muddy current – when one nearby fortunate soul at last minute grabbed my shirt by the neck & pulled me back in. Wow. A close one.
But it was a great trip. And as I said, we did survive, we did some wild & crazy things, and we got a bunch of great pics. Interestingly I seem to enjoy the trip so much more now that I am no longer dealing with scorpions & bats, drinking river water, getting up and ready for 5:00 am coffee, and peeing in the river.
I told Wayne he owes me - big time - for this one.
So, these are old, huge rafts. Old ex-Army pontoons (from the 1960s) are lashed to the raft – one on either side. An outboard motor is attached to the raft’s back, propelling us along in slow water. Each raft weighs thousands of pounds.
Some Facts About The Grand Canyon
Length: 278 miles
Width: 10 miles (average)
18 miles (max)
Depth: 1 mile (5,280 feet) average
6,000 feet max
Volume of Rock Eroded: 803 cubic miles
North Rim Elevation: 8,200 feet
South Rim Elevation; 7,000 feet
North Rim Precipitation: 25 inches/year
South Rim Precipitation: 20 inches/year
Phantom Ranch Precipitation: 8 inches/year
Source: modified from Belknap’s Waterproof Grand Canyon River Guide
We were a solo trip. The raft held 12 people & 2 staff. Wayne & I put together a group of 6 friends. So six of us were close personal friends, and the other 6 were strangers who turned out to be great river companions. We went with Wayne’s dear friend Dr. Joe – Wayne’s oldest & dearest friend. They have known each other for more than 50 years. Listen to this - same high school, same tennis team, same classes, parties, & friends, same college, same fraternity, same university for doctorates, & same city (DC) post doc. Plus Joe’s wonderful wife Kathy. Plus Joe’s sister Shirley who is as smart as Joe (that’s saying something & both neuro researchers). Plus dear friend Lori. What an outstanding group. Wow - we are most blessed to have such wonderful friends.
Again, there are 2 staff. One staff is the ‘boatman’ & the other is the ‘swamper’. Our boatman was Dustin. He was the very best – a slim, good looking, quiet 40 year old fellow who ran the river 2 months each year, and then spent the remaining 10 months as a full time, honest to goodness, real life cowboy who lived on his horse, tended cattle, and often slept under the stars. On our float trip he always (always) wore a big cowboy hat & big old cowboy boots. See the pics.
Our ‘swamper’ was Den – a slim, pretty, 28 year old single gal who was also the best. He and she worked like dogs the entire trip from approximately 4am to about 10pm. Swampers work for free – they are apprentices who are training to be a boatman. Two harder working people we can’t remember seeing. The boatman’s job (can be male or female) often runs in families and is sometimes passed down over time.
Dustin & Den, in addition to working incredibly hard for us, were also so very pleasant plus entertaining. Dustin, a wee bit shy, was full of all kinds of stories (from life on the river to life in the saddle). We only knew this because Wayne felt it was his self-appointed mission, intermittently & repeatedly, to encourage (and to pry out of Dustin) some of these stories while we floated the river or talked over campfire at night. And Dustin’s stories were the best. What a lifetime, so different from ours, and so full of adventure, most of it in the middle of nowhere. And some of his rafting ‘guests’ over the years were outright humdingers!
Our trip began when we flew into Vegas, our home base, and had a 45 minute orientation meeting at 8:00pm that evening. We were each issued our ‘river bag’. Next morning we were up & ready at 5:00am, dressed in our ‘river clothes’, and we boarded a bus for the 5-6 hour trip to Lees Ferry, Arizona, our jumping off point. At Lees Ferry, we donned our life preservers (worn & buckled all way up at all times when on the water –a very, very strict & inviolate rule), boarded our boat and shoved off. We were on our way. Wow & holy cow! So exciting!
We were on the water for 8 days. We rafted about 300 miles on the Colorado River from Lees Ferry, Arizona through the Grand Canyon in the Grand Canyon National Park to Pearce Ferry, Arizona. The entire trip was in Arizona. The elevation dropped 1,700 feet during our 300 mile trip.
At trip end we transferred mid river (yes, mid river) from our raft to a large, motorized pontoon speedboat which transported us across the calm headwaters of Lake Mead to Pearce Ferry, Arizona. At Pearce Ferry we transferred our gear, returned the river bags, and began the 3 ½ hour bus ride back to Sin City.
Some Facts About the Colorado River
Total length: 1,450 miles
Grand Canyon Length: 278 miles
River Elevation At:
Lees Ferry – 3,100 feet
Phantom Ranch – 2,400 feet
Grand Washington Cliffs – 925 feet (before Hoover Dam)
Elevation Change in Grand Canyon: 2,175 feet (before hoover dam)
Average gradient in Grand Canyon: 8 feet per mile
Average Width: 300 feet
Minimum Width: 76 feet
Maximum Width: 750 feet
Maximum Measured Depth: 110 feet
Average Depth: 35 feet (depth may change suddenly)
Average Annual Sediment Load: 168 million tons
Temperature: 46 – 50 degrees (Fahrenheit)!
River Speed: 3-4 mph (average)
10-15 mph (at steeper rapids)
How Far Does
River Drop: about 1,700 feet
about 8 feet per mile
about 25 times faster than Mississippi River
River Flow: - measured in c.f.s. (cubic feet per second)
- c.f.s. = the # of cubic feet of water passing a particular point at a given second
- 1,000 c.f.s.: lowest documented flow since construction of Glen Canyon Dam
- 92,000 c.f.s. = highest (1983)
- 240,000 c.f.s. = pre-dam highs (1800s)
Source: modified from Belknap’s Waterproof Grand Canyon River Guide
The geology of the Colorado River and the Grand Canyon is breathtaking to behold. Some of the Grand Canyon rock formations are billions of years old. The colors and strata and formation morphology are just fascinating. Our exceptionally well informed boatman explained to us and taught us a lot about all this. Can’t remember much about it now. But it sure was fun, informational, and exciting to hear and see it then.
The history of this area is rich in stories about all sorts of adventures through the Canyon along the river. Many different kinds of boats and flotation devices have been tried and used to make this trip. History is strewn with successes and more than a few catastrophes.
A fair number of deaths have occurred over time in navigating this river. Even today, sadly and surprisingly, there are a number of deaths each year in the Canyon. Usually they are from hikers. But a rafting company death occurred a few weeks before our very own trip. Hence caution, good judgment, and good planning are absolutely mandatory when adventuring here.
As we said, our boatman & swamper worked diligently and without stop throughout the entire trip. However, before the trip begins, it is agreed and understood by all campers that we campers have a bit (actually more than a bit) of work to do as well. It is just the nature of this particular adventure. This trip is not for the faint of heart. There ain’t no maid service.
Grand Canyon Geology:
I have read a bit about this. However, this is way too complex and confusing for me, a non-geologist, to understand. Therefore, I will share with you some facts about the rocks which compose much of the Grand Canyon.
Some Facts About The Rocks of The Grand Canyon:
Igneous Rocks:
- cooled from a molten state
- examples = granite, basalt, pegmatite
Sedimentary Rocks:
- deposited as particles by water (or sometimes by wind or streams)
- examples = limestone, sandstone, shale
Metamorphic Rocks:
- changed over time from a pre-existing rock type by heat, pressure, &
chemical activity
- examples = marble from limestone, quartzite from sandstone, &
slate from shale
Source: modified from Belknap’s Waterproof Grand Canyon River Guide
Each camper is issued a ‘river bag’. You put into this bag anything & everything you want for use during the trip. Before the trip the rafting company sent recommendations for clothes, supplies, etc. So we brought all this stuff. Then we receive this ‘river bag’ at orientation which is about the size of a grocery bag. Hello. All our stuff just does not fit in. They said to stuff it down into the bag. Stuff we did, but still it didn’t fit. So you take some things, and you leave the rest behind, hoping you have made the right choices. Each camper is responsible for his or her own bag. The bag is brought to shore each afternoon, opened & used on shore, then repacked & brought back onto the boat next morning. Also brought to shore each afternoon, opened & used on shore, then repacked & brought back onto the boat next morning is your sleeping bag and your cot. This is all done in a very organized way. And don’t be late when loading the boat in the morning.
The trip is not a fashion show. Most of us wore the same clothes for 8 days (repeat – pretty much all the same clothes for 8 days). We learned that some people just throw the clothes away at trip end. We did. Again, this is not a fashion show. And none of your rafting compatriots give a hoot what you look like. And good thing, too. It’s all and only about adventure and fellowship.
The rafts are huge. The bow is some 3 ½ - 4 feet tall. Getting on & off is something to see and to behold. Usually one needs a helper to get on and usually off. The group was family like in helping each other. A lot of heinies are pushed up and over. Shyness dissipates quickly.
We awake early. Coffee is served at 5:00 am – 5:20am. Yes, 5:00 am, no kidding. Breakfast is served at 6:00am – 6:15am. Don’t be late. After breakfast we break camp. Each camper repacks his/her own river bag. Plus we each have a cot and a sleeping bag – these need folding & packing too. The cots are about 18 inches off the ground so that the scorpions and the snakes can travel under us during the night. Bats fly very close to your face when you are lying on your cot watching the sky. We form a line each morning after breakfast to load our river bags, cots, & sleeping bags onto the boat. All done in a very orderly manner. And do not be late with your packed bag, cot, & sleeping bag – or the whole boat will give you a hard time! Again, a good bit more work than you might think. And again, don’t be late! Did I mention – don’t be late!
Each day late afternoon about 4:30 pm, after a long day on the water, we hit shore and make camp. Again we form lines to unload the boat. Very organized & again - much more work than you might think. The ‘beaches’ are very shallow. Hence each couple scrambles to find an acceptable ‘bedroom’. There are issues to consider (no joke): too close/far from main camp (carrying your stuff), too close/far from river (bathroom considerations), too many rock formations (too many snakes), and so on. Set up camp. Dinner. Lights out by 8:30 pm. Boatman & swamper always sleep on boat (repeat always).
Bathroom use is not for the faint of heart. All peeing (repeat all peeing, day or night) is done in the river. See a lot of naked heinies. Number 2 is reserved for a special can, which is carried off and on the boat. You can’t even imagine until you have participated. As they say, it is something to behold. Again, shyness disappears quickly. But it was a very respectful group.
Air temp is not bad. It’s the water temp (46-50 degrees) that gets you. Water is mocha chocolate brown (yes, chocolate brown) after the first 2 days. And this is your drinking water. Collect 2 large buckets at night, sit on sand, and let the sediment filter to bottom during night. It’s clear in the morning.
The rapids are great. Better be holding on well. Depending where you like to sit on the raft, you often get soaked. Water is 46-50 degrees! Wayne liked the front, and usually got soaked.
On shore, Wayne, inquisitive soul that you know him to be, often went rattlesnake hunting. But boatman Dustin was not too thrilled with this. He did not want Wayne getting bitten. Wayne was admonished, more than a few times, to find another shore time activity. A bite would have meant getting flown out from river – a huge & expensive production. But thank goodness – no bite.
Dehydration is a very big issue. It is not to be taken lightly. All carried water bottles, and all were firmly & repeatedly instructed to drink 2 gallons a day. Serious business – discussed multiple times daily. Occasionally we would beach the boat and take a mile or so hike into the desert (temperature 100 - 115 degrees). And we got to observe some neat stuff at end of hike – Indian artifacts, cliffs to climb, outrageous rock formations, or a special waterfall. At end of one desert hike (Wendy did not make it this far), see pic of Wayne in midair, one of the few who agreed to jump off a 2 story cliff – and not once, but twice. And then he/they had to climb a rope ladder up the cliff to get back to the top.
Again, hiking instructions. Don’t get lost! Don’t get dehydrated! Don’t go out on your own. Did I mention – don’t get lost, don’t get dehydrated, and don’t go out on your own. And don’t get hurt! Wear your hat. And stop, sit, and wait if you can’t make the journey in the heat. And don’t look for rattlesnakes. Wayne - don’t look for rattlesnakes. Do not pass out. There is no shade, no trees. So just sit & wait – we will pick you up on the way back. Wear your hat. I already mentioned - don’t get dehydrated.
Trip of a lifetime. Would we do it again? No way. But sure glad we did it once. Wayne would consider doing it on mule. But not me – not in a million years.
Enjoy the pics.