White Water Rafting In The Grand Canyon

When I was 10 years old visiting the Grand Canyon on a family vacation, I remember looking over the cliff at the South Rim mesmerized by the shiny green ribbon of water that weaved its way through the canyon far below.  As I got older, I remained intrigued by the stories people told about their great adventures rafting the Colorado River. These stories inspired me to pursue a Grand Canyon rafting trip in my lifetime. Timing is everything and now was the perfect opportunity to check this off my bucket list.

Five years ago at a class reunion, several of my high school girlfriends reconnected. We were all in the same place in our lives with children growing and leaving the nest, relationships changing, contemplating retirement for some, and nearing the perfect time to revisit old friendships and adventures.  We decided at that time that we would enjoy a girls’ weekend each year. Since this time, we have spent one weekend a year in different places and although the group of women changes slightly each time given other commitments, we always cherish this time together and have taken away many fond memories. It has been wonderful reconnecting with friends I have grown up with—friends who have helped shape my life today.  Revisiting my roots and reconnecting with old childhood friends has not only helped ground me but has shown me that I can always be myself, as these women are my tribe. There is always a sense of genuine and unpretentious honesty. Because 2017 is going to be a big year with many milestones for us, we wanted to plan a trip that represented the spirit of living and offered adventure while allowing us to celebrate this time in our lives. Several of us had envisioned rafting the Grand Canyon and had identified the trip as a “bucket list,” must do. As we  discussed several different options, it  seemed to always come back to rafting the Grand Canyon as our top choice.… at that point, I said, “LET’S DO THIS.”

Back in November, the plan started to materialize and the research began. We contracted with an adventure outfit company called Wilderness River Adventures. They were amazing from start to finish. Not only did they provide the equipment for both rafting and camping but they cooked meals along the way. We just had to determine the best time of year to go and for how long. We chose to go in September hoping that the canyon would not be as hot as it is in earlier months. We also wanted plenty of time to train for the required hike out of the canyon that would follow our 3 days of rafting. The 10-mile hike would occur on the Bright Angel Trail with an elevation gain of 4380 feet and a trail averaging a 10% grade. For all of us, we faced our own uncertainties and challenges. There were a few times as the trip drew closer to reality, we had to encourage each other to stay on task and remind each other that we could do this. As a bonus for the time of year we selected, we were able to sleep under a full moon. I couldn’t believe how much the moon illuminated the camp site. The guides kept telling us it was going to be like sleeping with a flashlight shining down on our camp, and they were right.

The 3 days of rafting lived up to what I expected. We were on a large pontoon motorized raft that held 12 people, 2 crew guides and all of our gear. For our particular adventure, we had a group of 27 people and two rafts. We became friends very quickly with the group members to which we were assigned due to being in such close proximity with them over the course of several days including sharing meals, drinks, and sleeping quarters. Each day started around dawn at 5:30 AM. We woke to a billowing voice of one of our guides yelling, “Good Morning Grand Canyon!” After we tore down our cots and bedding, we made our way to where they were serving  breakfast along with hot coffee and tea. Dry bags were brought down to the boats and secured, with the plan for us
to be on the river by 8:00 AM every morning. Those early morning hours on the boat were downright cold because it never failed that we hit rapids almost immediately from taking off from camp. Rain gear became normal in the mornings. Let’s just say when 50-degree water hits you in the face that early in the morning, the drenching from cold water provided a nice wake-up call if we were not fully awake or had not gotten enough of our morning cup of coffee. Honestly we took it with stride because we were so enamored with the beauty that surrounded us, just experiencing the sheer size of the canyon walls, the rock formations, the incredible colors between the canyon walls, water and sky along with the glimpses of wildlife along the shores, was enough to forget about being a bit cold.  We never realized how truly small we were in the world until we experienced a trip like this.
Of course with any outdoor wilderness adventure, there were certain gastrointestinal functions that had to be addressed and any sense of modesty went straight out the window. One of the first talks our guides gave us centered around how to use the restroom while rafting all day and upon arrival to camp. The adventure companies were very particular about anything we packed for camp—everything we took had to return with us to keep the National Park at its finest and to ensure others could also enjoy the park. They explained that #1 had to go into the river and #2 had to go in a bucket fitted with a toilet seat called Oscar. Every night Oscar was set up behind a rock or tree and we had very specific directions on how to use it appropriately. In the mornings, members of the crew drew straws to determine who would be on Oscar duty. It became a joke among us that we were riding on the turd boat since Oscar was secured in our boat’s lower storage area. We also carried all the booze in another lower storage area so it was determined we still had the cool boat.

Day 3 seemed to have the most adventure. On this day we stopped where the Little Colorado River meets the main Colorado River and hiked in about half a mile. The Little Colorado has the most aqua blue water due to mineral deposits and the water cascading down white rock was just stunning to view. The water was a bit warmer than the main river and most of us went in immediately. The area truly was nature’s waterslide allowing a perfect situation for friends to create a body train by interlocking legs with each other to ride the rapids down laughing and giggling all the way. We all spent time frolicking in the water soaking up the gorgeous surroundings.

Once we returned to our boat and continued rafting, we were told that we were about to meet the granddaddy of all rapids. From a technical standpoint, it was classified a 10 on a scale from 1-10. I had rafted before and have always heard these classifications but it wasn’t until this trip that they were explained to me. The rapid classification is based upon the technical skill needed to maneuver the rapids more so than how intense the rapids are for the rider. Once we started getting closer to Sockdolager Rapids we noticed that the canyon walls were closing in. We were in a much narrower strip of water, making it more difficult to motor through. As we started to slow down on our approach of the rapids we noticed our two guides, Kale and Shawn, were in the back of the boat brushing their teeth. We all were watching and laughing at this! They informed us of their tradition asking the universe for a clean ride. We wanted a clean ride too!

Well…..it was a roller coaster of a ride! The first wave included a huge five-foot drop and an intense amount of water swept over us and the entire boat. I was sitting towards the front on the left side of the boat and while watching and waiting for the next move, I noticed that the boat was getting awfully close to the canyon wall. I remember looking at Diane sitting next to me and questioned, “Are we supposed to be this close to the wall?” The answer was NO! The wave of water had caused the motor to stall and Shawn was intensely trying to get it started again while the boat was at the mercy of the rapids. As our boat was tossed about in the short time it took for Shawn and Kale to get the motor going, we did crash into the canyon wall causing the left front corner of the pontoon to bend straight up in the air. I couldn’t believe it didn’t crack but again these boats are built to withstand this type of beating. With our motor going again, Shawn was able to gain control of the boat and we made it safely through Sockdolager Rapids all intact, all staying in the boat and with a little bit of excitement to share with others.

Our last day on the river was in the books and we soon found our way to camp to set up for the evening to prepare for a long day of hiking that awaited us the next day. In preparation of hiking out of the canyon, we repacked our bags and day packs that would stay with us. Wilbur had told us he had to deliver our bags to the trailhead that evening so the donkeys could take our main load up the canyon. Morning came soon enough and the twelve us who were hiking out together were at the trailhead at Phantom Ranch by 7:00 AM. The strategic plan was to get the first 5 miles in to reach Indian Garden before it got too hot. We heard that the temp in the lower canyon was going to reach 120 degrees and it was 80 degrees at the South Rim. At least the weather was getting cooler as we climbed but still we had some intense heat to work through. Fortunately, after reaching Indian Gardens there were plenty of rest areas to take advantage of. Mindy and I arrived at the South Rim by 4:30pm and Flo and Cindy came shortly thereafter. I can’t even explain the gratified feeling of accomplishment that we all felt. Of course, we were all exhausted and feeling pretty stinky! The first order was a hot shower and then we enjoyed a big steak dinner with drinks. After dinner, we all enjoyed collapsing in an actual bed with pillows—ahhhh! The little luxuries in life following an adventurous trip are very special!

This trip was an amazing adventure that not only challenged each of us physically and mentally but it nourished us psychologically as we all had the opportunity to reflect, and gained insight to inspire personal growth. There is a bond that is developed between friends who embark on these types of journeys together and I am very lucky to have 3 incredibly strong women in my life—I feel closer to each one of them and know that we all have stronger minds, bodies, and spirits because of this trip. As Flo kept telling us during the trip, keep flying ladies!