Kayaking down the Grand Canyon

[grahamfitter]

I'm excited! This weekend I'm starting a 16 day kayaking trip down the Grand Canyon. The group I'm going with are all dirtbag boaters by conviction but the combination of permit lottery and trip logistics make a DIY trip pretty much impossible for the majority of people and so for once we're going in style. We've signed up for a commercial raft-supported trip run by Canyon Explorations/Expeditions.

Logistics and good food aside, there are other advantages to going with a rafting company. Primarily the guides know their way around down there so we won't miss out on any of the interesting wet and dry hikes in the many side canyons. Or wander blindly into one of the rather large rapids that lurk down there.

I normally paddle steep, narrow, shallow creeks that have a few hundred CFS (cubic feet per second) flow and drop 200 or so feet per mile. By comparison the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon has many thousand CFS flow and over the 220 miles drops an average of 8 feet per mile. There are stretches of flatwater tens of miles long that will probably seem much longer, but I for one will be happy soaking up the scenery, hiking, and surfing the occasional large, fast, glassy wave. And hopefully enjoying the rapids when they happen.

Did I say I'm excited? Oh yes, I'm excited!

Cheers,
Graham

p.s. No, we didn't pay for the string quartet option. We are doing the longer hikers special trip though

 

[flywgn]

It should be a grand (pun intended) trip.

There's a chance that one of your guides will be Jim (J.D.) Toney who, with his wife Kelly, ran the sweep boat on our trip down the Middle Fork of the Salmon River this summer. If so, you're in for a treat. JD is a super person. He mentioned that he was doing a trip later with CE and kayaks. Hope so.

Have a great time. Let us hear. Our trip on the MFotS was fantastic.

Allen R

 

[outsidr]

Are you hard boating or Rafting. If your paddling kayaks, bring a periscope....beware the box....Have a safe trip! I have been in the lottery for a long time..totally agree on the raft support for logistics, can you say vegetables with steak!:wings:

 

[blupaddler]

Congrats on the trip!
It should be quite the adventure.

It should be a grand (pun intended) trip.

There's a chance that one of your guides will be Jim (J.D.) Toney who, with his wife Kelly, ran the sweep boat on our trip down the Middle Fork of the Salmon River this summer. If so, you're in for a treat. JD is a super person. He mentioned that he was doing a trip later with CE and kayaks. Hope so.
Allen R

I know this sounds a bit wierd, but was J.D. a really tall, auzzi or kiwi?

 

[kcowyo]

Sounds like the trip of a lifetime.

Check back here after you get home and dry out. Be safe - :beer:

 

[flywgn]

...I know this sounds a bit wierd, but was J.D. a really tall, auzzi or kiwi?

No.

Allen R

 

[grahamfitter]

Are you hard boating or Rafting. If your paddling kayaks, bring a periscope....beware the box....Have a safe trip! I have been in the lottery for a long time..totally agree on the raft support for logistics, can you say vegetables with steak!:wings:

Hard boat - old Pyranha Blade - long enough to be fast and comfy and catch big waves but short enough to have fun surfing. The only ends I'll be throwing will be as a passenger in a hole I didn't miss!

Reminds me - I need to buy some nose plugs...

Did I say I'm excited?

BTW I was on the waiting list with a different group of paddlers for over 15 years and nothing happened. We're in the lottery now but I'm not holding my breath. Of course it will probably happen next year now I've spent the big bucks for this trip.

Cheers,
Graham

 

[ZooJunkie]

I'll wave at your when you float by on the river.

I'm heading down there myself to hike 9/27-9/30, South Rim.

 

[grahamfitter]

I'm back, struggling to adjust to flush toilets and no sand in my bed. It was a truly amazing experience on all levels with some old friends and some new friends. Big wave surf nirvana tops the bill.

There are several rafting companies operating in the Grand Canyon. We went with Canyon Explorations & Expeditions and I would recommend them without hesitation.

Cheers,
Graham

 

[kcowyo]

Are you really gonna make me ask for pics.....? :littlefriend:


Glad you survived and had such a wonderful trip. Sounds like it was one you'll never forget.

 

[grahamfitter]

Are you really gonna make me ask for pics.....? :littlefriend:

Glad you survived and had such a wonderful trip. Sounds like it was one you'll never forget.

Its looking like my aged fishbowl G3 iMac will need to be replaced before any photos see the light of day. Don't hold your breath!

A Grand Canyon river trip really is unforgettable. Now I've seen it close up I'm already seriously thinking about a repeat visit with my family. And wondering what I'd need to sell to make that happen. G3 iMac anyone?

Cheers,
Graham

 

[grahamfitter]

Photos from the trip are here: http://picasaweb.google.com/grahamfitter/

There are two albums - highlights has twelve pictures that tell the story from my viewpoint, exposed has the whole lot. I haven't got too many paddling pictures because my camera isn't waterproof but there are some.

Cheers,
Graham

 

[flywgn]

Looks like you had a GRAND adventure.

From the photos I'd say your group was extremely amicable.

Good whitewater shots. Any details for us? Lava? Crystal?

Allen R

 

[grahamfitter]

Looks like you had a GRAND adventure.

From the photos I'd say your group was extremely amicable.

Good whitewater shots. Any details for us? Lava? Crystal?

Allen R

The water was very different than I expected, especially the funky eddylines and whirlpools all over the place in the calm water. Most of the big rapids were straightforward wave trains with huge breaking waves and truly amazing surfs. We also played in some friendly but scary looking holes which took some guts to drop in.

The more complicated rapids with multiple lines between and around huge holes definitely got our attention and most of our group tended to take the widest channel. I normally looked for interesting sporty lines which went fine until I found a large hole in the left side of Dubendorf. I was lucky and looped out rolling quickly so it ended OK but I was expecting a beat down.

Crystal I went through the horns and threaded several holes leftish ending at the river left eddy where Slate Creek comes in. Lava we all took the bubble line right of the ledge hole through the mix master where most of us got mixed. I got a short but epic surf on the massive wave directly below it which made my day.

The one incident we had in the kayak group was in one of the inner canyon sections when the late afternoon sun was right in our eyes and we couldn't see anything ahead of us. I was running sweep and because of the blinding sun didn't see the chap in front of me flip in an eddy line and swim behind me. Fortunately everything worked out OK - he got his own boat and we grabbed his paddle as it floated past the eddy we were in a hundred yards below but the canyon walls and slippery rocks meant it took ages to reunite the two.

The paddling was great, so was the environment, but as always the people made the trip. I knew a few of the kayakers already but met so many new friends among the other rafting guests and the crew. The best thing was everyone has so wildly different backgrounds and stories and we all got on fine.

Cheers,
Graham

 

[kcowyo]

Those were great! :clapsmile

Right up to the freakshow in the neon green Borat-banana-sling-thing....


But awesome pics from the adventure of a lifetime. Looks like the perfect getaway, some choice paddling and fun folks. Thanks for keeping this thread updated.