If I Were Going...: Grand Canyon Rafting #1

Video grab: Scott Stevens

It’s been a long tease, but now I would like to write about out incredible rafting trip down the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon. The story of the rafting trip is long – and I jump around a bit to cover both what happened and my observations on the process – so, it is split into four sections.

We set out on May 15, 2018, a full nine months after booking the trip with Arizona River Runners (ARR).

That's some turbulence

We signed up for the six day/five night motorized raft trip that would take us 187.5 miles from Lees Ferry to Whitmore Wash, where we would be taken out of the Canyon by helicopter.

Helicopter at Whitmore Wash

During the course of that trip, we would pass through 85 of the Grand Canyon’s 103 rated rapids, beginning with the gentle Paria Riffle (not even rated) and Cathedral Wash (rated 2) in the first three miles and ending with Lava Falls (rated 10 – the fastest navigable water in the U.S.), Lower Lava (rated 4-5) and 185 Mile (rated 2) in the last seven miles.

Paria Riffles

Prior to the trip, we received an excellent pre-trip packet from ARR. I can honestly say that I truly understood what to expect and I was well prepared in terms of clothing and supplies (even if I did bring more than I needed).

On the day of the trip, we met in a small conference room in a gas station and convenience store next to the Marble Canyon Lodge.

We had stashed our cameras at the Lodge and parked our car across the street.

The meeting was the only misstep in the whole planning process – all our materials indicated that we were meeting across the street, not next door.

But, a different rafting company was meeting across the street. The hotel told us the day before where to go and I walked over early just to check. I sure didn't want to be late.

The initial meeting was a bit casual. I was never aware of the guides checking names off a list or making sure that we were who we said we were. But perhaps in the course of introducing themselves, the guides collected the information they needed. After all, they do this all the time.

We had four ARR crew members on our trip: Expedition Leader/Raft Driver Brie and her assistant, Riley; and second Raft Driver Timmy and his assistant, Calvin. All were friendly, cheerful and – as we learned throughout the rip – good cooks, great drivers, knowledgeable tour guides, good traveling companions, great story-tellers and jacks of all trades.

ARR Crew: Calvin, Brie, Timmy and Riley; Photo: Scott Stevens

After loading our bags in the ARR vans and a brief orientation, we headed for Lees Ferry. Well, we did have to wait while one traveler had to go back to her car to get her drivers’ license. Although ID was not needed on the river, it was (possibly) required for the flights back home.

Dry bags; Photo: Arizona River Runners

Lees Ferry, we were each issued a large waterproof bag that contained a sleeping bag, tarp, pillow and sheet. My sheet wasn't a sheet -- it was the sleeping bag cover that would normally be issued to the people on the three-day tour that finishes out the Canyon after the six-day trip. So, it was more of a sheet bag.

Everyone else got sheets -- in an assortment of colors and designs. Scott ended up trading with me because he didn't use a sheet, so I didn't have to mess with the bag the whole time.

Anyway, we stashed our duffle bags in the big bags and secured them. It took me a while because, even though I had a duffle bag the exact dimensions specified, it didn't fit straight in. A small duffle would be better. And, crushable is important.

Getting ready to launch at Lees Ferry

The big bags would not be available during the day; we would get them each evening when we stopped to camp. We put our hiking shoes in a special bag with everyone else’s shoes so that we could access them when we made stops during the day in the Canyon. We were also given a small waterproof bag for cameras and whatever we would need during the day.

Day bags clipped to the tarp; Video grab: Scott Stevens

Of course, the first time out, there was a little angst. What if we didn't have the right stuff in the day bag? We had been told in advance that this would be the configuration, so I had my stuff split up when I arrived. I had to make a few adjustments based on the orientation information, but it wasn't too difficult. And, I never missed anything during the day.

Trying to do all that while squatting in the Lees Ferry launch area wasn't easy, but we got it done.

Lees Ferry; Photo: Scott Stevens

Finally, we were given a life jacket, which we had to wear whenever we were on the water. The life jackets each had a “name” written in marker on the bag – to help us keep track of our jackets. I was “Big Dipper.”

Jackets with names

At the orientation, we had been advised to wear our full rain gear for the initial day on the river. The rationale was that we were not yet accustomed to the cold water and, since we were going to get wet, we would need the suit to stay warm. The water coming out of the dam is 46 degrees Fahrenheit. It gains a degree about every 20 miles, so we could never expect the water to be warmer than 57 degrees. It was cold, indeed. And, we did get wet every day.

Just watch this video that I created showing us being splashed and splashed and splashed.

Photo: Fellow Traveler Eric S.

I wore my rain gear that first day and everyday thereafter. And, as soon as we went ashore, I stripped it off, hung it on a tree to dry and then put it back on when we got back on the water. Scott didn't wear his rain pants the first day and he got very cold. In general, jacket, hats and hoods were de rigueur.

Photo: Scott Stevens

There were 25 people on our trip, traveling on two rafts. Most of them were in fairly large groups -- a father and his five adult kids with some significant others; three families that had been friends for a long, long time; a grandfather/son/grandson trio; a father/son duo; two doctors who had a long-time personal and professional relationship; and Scott and me. I think this is a trip that would be great with a lot of friends. When you are just a couple, you sometimes feel excluded.

Photo: Scott Stevens

The inflatable motorized rafts are approximately 25-feet long, with a central area attached to pontoons on the sides. The middle of the boat is a large well that holds all the gear and the waterproof bags, which are then covered with a tarp that is strapped down. Along the sides of the center are chests that hold supplies, drinks and snacks and served as our seats.

Photo: Scott Stevens

When riding a rapid, you hold on to the tarp straps and put your feet gingerly on the pontoons (sort of like riding a surfboard).

On the river

We strapped our day bags to the same tarp straps that we held onto and, when not rafting, we could also strap our life jackets there. It was important to tie everything down so that it wouldn’t blow away. During the course of the trip, a few hats blew off – but our excellent drivers were always ready to retrieve them.

Once, we passed someone’s water bottle floating in the river. Basically, the current is so fast that anything that falls in could be easily lost!

You might notice in some pictures that my camera was anchored to my life jacket. Our cell phones were in waterproof jackets with straps and our Go-Pros were on snug head straps with a carabiner. Sometimes those waves that hit us lifted us off our seats. They could take a camera in a heartbeat.

An unforgiving environment

The back of the raft has a well where the driver sits/stands to drive. Most of the time, the drivers stood, probably for visibility. They have to "read" the River as they steer. The drivers also have special life jackets. The jackets perform the way ours did, but also have a knife in an easily accessible pouch so that the driver can cut straps quickly should someone become entangled. In the long list of Grand Canyon deaths, entanglement plays a big role.

Driver Brie; Photo: Scott Stevens

Two chests at the back of the raft sit a bit higher and are referred to as the “princess seats” because they have a good view and get less splashing than any other seat. I sat there once but didn’t really like it because it was harder to hold onto and it didn’t get wet enough. Yep, I said that! Getting wet is part of the experience.

Primo seat

The front seat is by far the wettest with some pretty big waves slapping the occupant in the face.

I never took that seat but did sit in the seat behind it – that was my favorite.

The Arizona sun is hot and, if you leave your water bottle in it, it gets hot fast.

But, if you clip the bottle to a strap and let it hang down by your feet, the river water keeps it cold as it washes over. I was amazed at how quickly a wave of water chilled my bottle. Even though there was ice available, I didn't use it.

Similarly, because all the food is stored in the lower parts of the boat, it stays cold and fresh. And, cold drinks (provided by ARR) and beers (guest could bring their own) are hung over the side in mesh bags. Ice cold all the time.

Ok, that's a little bit about rafting. But, let's also talk about WHERE we were rafting: the Grand Canyon.

Grand Canyon from the North Rim, 2014

The Grand Canyon is 277 miles long, up to 18 miles wide and up to 6,093 feet deep. The narrowest part of the river is only 76 feet and the widest is 750 feet. Average depth is 35 feet, but the deepest part is 110 feet deep. The river drops from an elevation of 3,100 feet at Lees Ferry to 925 ft. at Grand Wash Cliffs, well past where we got out. The elevation at Whitmore Wash, our take-out point, is 1,604 feet.

Left, pool; Right, drop, video grab: Scott Stevens

The drop is not, however, gradual. Rather, the river is a “pool and drop” configuration, meaning that there are runs of flat water followed by steep drops within rapids. Often, the rapids occur right after a stream or river enter the Canyon.

Little Colorado River flowing into the Colorado River

The flow on our trip flow averaged 9,000 - 13,000 CFS (cubic feet per second). That's because the River is highly regulated. Before the Glen Canyon Dam was built, levels fluctuated significantly and maximum flow could exceed 350,000 CFS. As is obvious, erosion is a major factor in Grand Canyon geology. In an average year, the Colorado River carries 168 million tons of sediment out of the Grand Canyon. The amount present at any given time determines the color and clarity of the River.

We were lucky to have clear water

The Grand Canyon rates rapids differently that other rivers – on a scale from 1-10 instead of the traditional I-VI rating. The rationale is that the Grand Canyon rapids are more diverse. For the novice passenger, they actually seemed very similar to each other. They are fairly consistently choppy with very few exposed rocks.

The difficulty – and danger – is just that. Most of the rocks and holes are under the water and the driver must know how to navigate a pathway that is difficult to see. In other words, it’s a very technical course. How we perceive the rapid may not match the rating. Sure, the big ones with big drops have bigger splashes and jerk you around a bit more. But, even though these are very difficult rapids, I didn’t find them frightening. My other rafting trips had some terrifying rapids. Of course, being in a large raft rather than paddling a small raft makes a huge difference.

Photo: Scott Stevens

On the typical I-VI scale, a rapid rated at VI is impassible. However, in the Grand Canyon, all the rapids are passable. That’s good news because I saw few places where a portage would be possible. And, it would be impossible with those big rafts.

Photo: Scott Stevens

Because the level of the Colorado River can change based on weather or – more importantly – dam releases, the ratings of the rapids can change from day to day.

Rapids from the North Rim just days after we were there

The Canyon and Rim are contained within Grand Canyon National Park, the Kaibab National Forest, Grand Canyon-Parashant National Monument, the Hualapai Indian Reservation, the Havasupai Indian Reservation and the Navajo Nation. As I said, our trip covered 187 miles through Marble Canyon and the Grand Canyon within the park. The spot where we helicoptered out was on the Hualapai Indian Reservation.

Canyon wall

The Grand Canyon is known for its size and colorful landscape. Nearly two billion years of geological history have been exposed as the Colorado and its tributaries cut through layers of rock as the Colorado Plateau uplifted. This carving occurred about 5 to 6 million years ago.

While not the deepest canyon in the world (Kali Gandaki Gorge in Nepal is 2,000 feet deeper), it is geologically significant because its layers record much of the early geologic history of the North American continent.

The uplift of the Colorado Plateau is uneven, making the North Rim about 1,000 feet higher than the South Rim. Almost all runoff from the much wetter North Rim flows toward the Grand Canyon, while much of the runoff on the plateau behind the South Rim follows the tilt of the Plateau away from the Canyon. The result is deeper and longer tributary washes and canyons on the north side and shorter and steeper side canyons on the south.

South Rim view

The base of the Grand Canyon is Vishnu Schist and Zoroaster Granite. The Schist is extraordinarily hard, so in the areas where the Schist is exposed, the Canyon walls are exceedingly steep – sometimes rising straight up from the river.

Above that “basement” level are 25 distinct layers of rock; the bottom nine severely tilted.

Layers

This is the result of multiple periods of sedimentation, pressure, uplift, ocean inundation, drainage changes, volcanic eruptions and erosion. The major geologic exposures range in age from two-billion-year-old Vishnu Schist at the bottom of the Inner Gorge to 230-million-year-old Kaibab Limestone on the Rim.

There is a gap of about a billion years between the 500-million-year-old stratum and the level below it, which dates to about 1.5 billion years ago. This large "unconformity" indicates a long period for which no deposits are present.

Ancient lava

Many of the formations were deposited in warm shallow seas, near-shore environments (such as beaches) and swamps as the seashore repeatedly advanced and retreated.

Layers also indicate sand dune and other non-marine deposition.

Weather conditions during ice ages increased the amount of water in the Colorado River drainage system; the river responded by cutting its channel faster and deeper.

The base level and course of the Colorado River changed 5.3 million years ago when the Gulf of California opened and lowered the river. This increased the rate of erosion; nearly all of the Grand Canyon's current depth was reached about 1.2 million years ago. Between 3 million and 100,000 years ago, volcanos deposited ash and lava over the area, sometimes completely obstructing the river. These volcanic rocks are the youngest in the canyon.

A raft floats by a giant lava rock in the Colorado River

There is a lot of human history in the Canyon, but I am not going to cover much of that because it’s not really relevant to our trip – except Major John Wesley Powell’s exploration of the Canyon.

Born in Mount Morris, New York, in 1834, Powell served in the Civil War, where he lost his right arm at the Battle of Shiloh. He was a soldier, scientist and explorer. After an 1867 expedition to explore Colorado, he led two exploratory trips down the Green and Colorado Rivers -- in 1869 and 1872.

On May 24,1869, 35-year-old Powell started with nine men, four wooden boats and food for 10 months in Green River, Wyoming.

John Wesley Powell

They passed through or portaged around a series of dangerous rapids, traveling down the Green River to its confluence with the Colorado River, near present-day Moab, Utah. They traveled almost 1,000 miles through uncharted canyons.

They completed the journey on August 13, 1869. Only six of the original company made it through.

One man quit only one month in and three abandoned the mission in what is now called Separation Canyon. They were convinced they would die in the dangerous rapids ahead of them. Ironically, the remaining men in the party made it through the Canyon the very next day and the men who left disappeared.

Oh, and it was the 1860s -- no need to forgive the fashion.

Powell's Expedition

Powell took meticulous notes, some of which he had to leave behind when the three men left him. In 1871, he first used the term "Grand Canyon;" previously it had been called the "Big Canyon."

Depiction of Powell Expedition

President Theodore Roosevelt visited the Grand Canyon in 1903 and established the Grand Canyon Game Preserve in 1906. He designated the Grand Canyon a National Monument in 1908 and, after overcoming objections from land and mining claim holders, Congress made it a National Park in 1919.

Teddy Roosevelt at the Grand Canyon

The Canyon’s 7,000-foot elevation change creates five of the seven life zones and three of the four desert types in North America, the equivalent of traveling from Mexico to Canada. There are more than 2,000 plants, 63 of which have special status from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Deer Creek

Of the 90 mammal species found along the Colorado River corridor, 18 are rodents and 22 are bats. We didn’t see a lot of wildlife – the most common were Desert Bighorn Sheep along the shore and cliffs. I saw one Rock Squirrel and a few bats at sunset.

Left, Desert Bighorn Sheep; right, Rock Squirrel

Only 48 bird species regularly nest along the River, while others use it for migration or winter habitat. We saw several groups of Common Mergansers and some Canada Geese -- often swimming through rapids.

Common Mergansers taking off

Later, we saw swallows moving so quickly that I never could figure out what type they were. As we moved down the River, the swallows were the replaced by American Dippers that swooped and skimmed the water.

American Dipper Chicks

While hiking in National Canyon, we encountered an American Dipper nest in a slot canyon cave by a waterfall.

We had a momentary glimpse of a California Condor high above the Canyon and we saw three Peregrine Falcons on the cliffs.

All were either far away or fast, so without the proper cameras, I didn’t get many photos. I didn't even try. This was a sightseeing trip, not a wildlife tour!

There are approximately 41 reptile species in Grand Canyon National Park, of which ten are considered common. I saw three types: Common Side-Blotched, Desert Spiny and Collared. And, on the last morning, an unidentified toad.