Grand Canyon Rafting

[T. Rush]

Planning a rafting trip in 2010. Anyone have any experience with this. There are 10 or 12 of us interested, with kids, ( ages 20 and up) and there's a ton of info about riggers out there. Mostly thinking of a sit back and enjoy type of trip. Most of us are too out of shape to oar so looking for a motor raft company.Would like to do the entire canyon. Eight days or so. Thanks for any info and or 1st hand experience.

tod

[Randimus Maximus]

Would like to do the entire canyon. Eight days or so.

No FHE, but you'll need more than 8 days to do the entire canyon.

A friend of mine did a trip with their teenage daughters last summer.  Let me see what I can find for you.

[triangleforge]

As Randimus noted, oar boats typically take around 18 days from Lee's Ferry to Diamond Creek, but motor rafts make the trip a lot faster (not like that's necessarily a good thing). We're a couple of hours southwest of Flagstaff, so a lot of Canyon guides live here in Prescott; I'll ask around to see if any of them can offer semi-objective recommendations about a commercial company. Semi-objective, as they've either worked for them and/or been fired by them...

After three trips in the past two years (kayaking, with raft support) that I was scheduled for but wound up missing, I'm going to be in the GFC in 2010!

[T. Rush]

Thanks for the reply's. In doing more research I now realize that 8 days won't get us through the canyon but never the less, still sounds like a blast. I'm kind of jumping in to help organize this trip with a friend who has walked down into the canyon and has spent a night or two? at a ranch/inn type of place and thinks we can launch from there. Any new info is greatly appreciated.

tod

[akmnstr]

Motor trips suck.  If you go with a guided trip you won't have to worry about getting into shape, the guides do all the work.
I've been on the list to do the Canyon for about 12 years now.  30 years of whitewater and still haven't done it.  I'm saving it.  It is whitewater Nirvana and should not be spoiled by mass consumption and outboards.  It ain't Disney land.  Take your time and make it something more than your annual 8 day vacation. 

[triangleforge]

Thanks for the reply's. In doing more research I now realize that 8 days won't get us through the canyon but never the less, still sounds like a blast. I'm kind of jumping in to help organize this trip with a friend who has walked down into the canyon and has spent a night or two? at a ranch/inn type of place and thinks we can launch from there. Any new info is greatly appreciated.

You're talking about Phantom Ranch, a simply splendid spot on the earth, reachable only by foot, mule, boat (several days downriver) or helicopter. One option that a lot of commercial trips offer is a half-canyon jaunt -- one set of paying passengers from Lee's Ferry down to Phantom Ranch (a week plus) where they get off & walk several hours up out of the canyon, to be replaced by a second set of passengers who've walked down to Phantom & make the trip from Phantom to Diamond Creek (again, over a week). But I'm with Akmnstr -- doing this as a once-in-a-lifetime trip that involves nearly a month mostly out of communication with the world is really something special.

Another option if you want to get a taste of the canyon this year, while you're arranging your life to take a month away is the "Diamond Down" trip. We're in the process of planning a trip for Fall or Winter 2010 from Diamond Creek down to Lake Mead. Permits are a whole lot easier to get, the scenery is still the Grand F-ing Canyon, it's a LOT less crowded, and can be run without feeling rushed in four days or so (we're planning on ten, for lots of time to explore side canyons & the river). The rapids aren't as storied, but are plenty brutal, especially a brand new one exposed in just the past decade as long-term drought drops the level of Lake Mead; Pierce Ferry used to be the take-out for Diamond Down trips, but now there's an additional 17 miles of river that simply wasn't there with the lake at full pool. Now, it's Pierce Ferry Rapid which never existed before and is Class IV-V and getting better (steeper, harder, scarier  ) every single year.

Lots of good info -- aimed mostly at private boater trips, but still good reading -- is at the American Whitewater site:

http://www.americanwhitewater.org/content/River/detail/id/114/#zzqo2glu2aicl9pRiverMainGadget28

[triangleforge]

Things I've learned about white-water rafting:
- No women (children are not even a consideration but the same applies; expect children don't pregnant dog)

Not all women are going to be a whole lot of fun on a whitewater trip, but I'm here to testify that boater chicks kick ass -- both figuratively and (if you're not so lucky) literally.

Is that photo from Cataract Canyon? Nice shot!!!

[Monsterlover]

Not all women are going to be a whole lot of fun on a whitewater trip, but I'm here to testify that boater chicks kick ass -- both figuratively and (if you're not so lucky) literally.

Is that photo from Cataract Canyon? Nice shot!!!

Fixed that for you

[akmnstr]

Whitewater women are the best there is.  Love to see em row a big raft or paddle a kayak down a big drop.  Love
the way they look after a week long boating trip without a shower.  Grease and sand in their matted hair.  Changing cloths on the side of the road at the take-out or put-in like they are one of the guys.  I used to think there was nothing sexier than kissing a soaking wet and cold river woman.  Awe, those were the days.

[T. Rush]

Thanks akmnstr and triangleforge for the reply's. Yeah I know motor rafting may be the pits but that seems to be the option everyone is taking. I physically can't do nearly as much as I used to due to lung surgery and such but I still have the spirit. And many of the folks that will be going on said trip are in the same boat, so to speak. And yes strong smelly women doing anything excellent kick ass. Some will of those women will be coming with us. So please any info that you think may be helpful or not, keep it coming.

tod

[IZ]

Michael posted pics and the route from their rafting trip this past summer in the Hoover Dam Bridge thread in AZDRA.

When I was going to Northern AZ Univ. in the mid-90's, I wanted to kayak down the river.  10 YEAR WAITING LIST!! 

Check out Into the Wild and you'll see!!  That guy did it when around that time.  I'm sure the wait is longer now!

Post up pics when you get back!!

[akmnstr]

I think that the Grand Canyon segment was made up for the movie and didn't really happen in the book.  And as you may recall he didn't bother getting a permit. 

[Randimus Maximus]

Heard back from my friends who went rafting in the Canyon this past summer.

They went on a 7 day excursion with Western River Expeditions ( http://www.westernriver.com/ ) that used motorized rafts.  They went with two teenage daughters and absolutely loved the trip.

As I mentioned before, no FHE from me.

[T. Rush]

Thanks Randimus Maximus. Will look into westernriver.com.