Add This Stop to 1-Day Rafting Trip

Historic Route 66 is the road you take to do a one-day whitewater rafting trip in the Grand Canyon, why not add on a stop at the quirky town of Seligman AZ, full of all that fun kitschy stuff from a bygone era when cars were king and driving Route 66 was the way to go across the country. Step back in time in this friendly town and throw in a entertaining tour of the Grand Canyon Caverns. Seligman is 30 miles from Peach Springs where you start the one day rafting trip and the Caverns is halfway between the two.

Hula Hooping in Grand Canyon

Grand Canyon Hula Hoop from Nedperry on Vimeo.

Maj. John Wesley Powell: A Famous Butt Pgymy's Quotes

“We are three quarters of a mile in the depths of the earth, and the great river shrinks into insignificance as it dashes its angry waves against the walls and cliffs that rise to the world above; the waves are but puny ripples, and we but pigmies, running up and down the sands or l0st among the boulders. We have an unknown distance yet to run, an unknown river to explore. What falls there are, we know not; what rocks beset the channel, we know not; what walls ride over the river, we know not. Ah, well! we may conjecture many things.”

“You cannot see the Grand Canyon in one view, as if it were a changeless spectacle from which a curtain might be lifted, but to see it you have to toil from month to month through its labyrinths.”

“The wonders of the Grand Canyon cannot be adequately represented in symbols of speech, nor by speech itself. The resources of the graphic art are taxed beyond their powers in attempting to portray its features. Language and illustration combined must fail.” “The glories and the beauties of form, color, and sound unite in the Grand Canyon - forms unrivaled even by the mountains, colors that vie with sunsets, and sounds that span the diapason from tempest to tinkling raindrop, from cataract to bubbling fountain.”

“The elements that unite to make the Grand Canyon the most sublime spectacle in nature are multifarious and exceedingly diverse.”

A rafting trip through the Grand Canyon is an amazing life transforming experience, with plenty of time for quiet reflections both on the water and off. Most people are unaware that the river is over 95% smooth water, so the rafts spend most of the time quietly floating past stunning scenery, beneath towering cliffs and buttes that make it clear that art imitates nature. The cliffs seem to encase Balinese statues, Egyptian pyramids and Roman amphitheaters within their escarpments that embrace the river.

The whitewater becomes more of a great way to cool off and experience one of nature most daunting features at the same time. Although, intimating, the rapids of the Grand Canyon are actually the least likely place one will get hurt on a trip. The most common injuries occur in camp and at night and a study done in the 1980’s found that rafting on a Grand Canyon trip is more dangerous than bowling, but safer than golf! So make sure you up date your life insurance before your next golfing excursion!

Camp lends itself as well, to many opportunities to get off by ones self and contemplate the flow of the river and nature. Even on hikes you can ask to stop off part way and photograph or draw. Some companies even encourage getting off by yourself and listening to the sounds of silence in the bottom of some of the mysterious side canyons, after informing your guide where you plan on wandering of course.

These days many people are enjoying these trips well into their 70’s and even older, as long as one is in decent shape and had the ability to negotiate on uneven terrain it is a trip anyone can do.

Single Travelers Shine on Grand Canyon Trips

Having guided since 1982 in the Grand Canyon, I can assure you that it is very common to find single travelers on these amazing trips. Also, there is never any single supplement fees or charges! People who come by themselves find that there are some great advantages to traveling alone on a multi-day rafting trip. Number 1 being, you never have to discuss with your traveling companion where you might camp each evening in camp. Those "I want it my way" discussions such as, "I don't want to be by the river" or "that camp site is too close to the path to the porta- potty" just don't come up. The I want to do the 3 mile hike all the way to the waterfall and other wants to stay on the beach and sunbath with you, issues are non-existant as well. Singles find that it is easy to get to know the guides faster, as they have more time to socialize with them in the evenings, often learning those more entertaining and colorful 'not told in large groups' stories.

River trip groups quickly become a small tribe of people working together to make the trip a good experience for the whole. It is more of an expedition and requires teamwork in many instances. Whether it is giving someone a helping hand on a hike, making a dinner together as a group on a night when for some reason the rafts got to camp late, putting up a tarp together or helping each other with a tent in a rainstorm, the small pod of river adventures quickly bonds and often become friends for life. Singles excel in this kind of situation I have found. Take lots of photos and keep a good journal and you may find that many of your friends will want to join you the next time, but it will be a different experience. Check out this site http://www.ehow.com/how_4511365_book-grand-canyon-raft-trip.html for more information on how to go about finding a Grand Canyon rafting trip.

From River Wild to Wheelchair: Kelley Katafadich's Story

Kelley Katafadich, who was the stunt double for Meryl Streep, in the River Wild, came down with Transverse Myelitis two years ago and is now struggling to walk again. Kelley is one of the kindest and friendliest people you could ever meet, with a penchant for river exploration and wild river trips. She was one of 3 women in the first expedition to self support river board the Grand Canyon. In the middle of winter no less! See her story at:

Record 187-Mile Standup Paddle thru Grand Canyon by Hawaii’s Kalepa

New sport for Grand Canyon Adventurers. Stand Up Paddling. I predict it will only be a matter of time, from when I saw my first stand up surfer in the Grand Canyon to when we will be seeing this as a regular sport down in the Big Ditch. I saw Laird Hamilton paddling along on a private trip about 3 years ago and at the time didn't know he was one of the most famous big wave boarders and surfboard developers in the world. It just looked like a cool way to go down the canyon, not to mention there was a damn good looking guy attached to the board. Unfortunately, Laird hiked out at Phantom Ranch, only 1/3 of the way down the canyon, and did not make it as the first to stand up paddle through the chasm. We were disappointed when we lost our entertainment as well as glimpses at such a well put together athlete . Now it appears we have a first with Native Hawaiian Archie Kapela
Record 187-Mile Standup Paddle thru Grand Canyon by Hawaii’s Kalepa

Return from the Chasm

Topside in the unreal world, trying to make sense of why I am back to computers, phones, bills and responsibilities, after 15 days of blissful isolation. Life is simpler on the river, it flows downstream and you go with it. When stopping along its pristine beaches and taking in stupendous scenery, you find that time flows with the sun, stars and the moon. Companionship and meals together take precedent, as your world shrinks to the basics. Friendship, food, shelter, wonder and humility all conspire and inspire one to place their priorities in order. The river reminds one that, life is simple, so enjoy it, respect it and never stop being amazed by it. Redwall Cavern along river at mile 33 in the bottom of the Grand Canyon is one of those places that evokes those feelings.

A Fish Story Resolved

Pete Liptrot, from the Aquarium Service Officer at www.boltonmuseums.org.uk has solved my mystery. It is probably an "Awaous banana. This is a diadromous species which behaves in the way you describe". Diadromous means utilizing both fresh and salt waters in its life cycle.

A Fish Story

Rio Pacuare 6, originally uploaded by firesika.

In 1978 to 1983 when doing exploratory rivers as a young river guide in Costa Rica, I came across an unusual fish in the mountains on the Atlantic Side of the country. I consider myself a keen observer of nature and a very good birder, but I know little of fish (my only fish studies was a college Marine biology course)and I have always wondered about this unusual fish and its behavior. I think I have determined it was some sort of Goby (Cling fish) but I'm not sure. One February, I came across a small dead fish in the Rio Chirripo Alantico, at between 3000-4000ft elevation, it is a fast moving river with lots of large rapids. This fish was about 5 inches long, mostly tan, but had some bright blue markings, very smooth skinned and had a large mouth (which at the time I recognized as Goby like), but most unusual was the suction cup on the ventral side where the pectoral fins met.

The next year, about a month earlier, I was exploring the river to the north, called the Rio Pacuare. I was at a somewhat lower elevation, but still a clear, fast moving rocky river with large rapids, we were camped below a large cataract and I noticed large schools of minnow sized fish (1-2 inches) moving determinedly upstream. There were millions of these small brown fish and they appeared to be a smaller version of the dead fish I had found the year before, except no blue color. There were two nonstop lines (both morning and through the night) of these tiny fish, with the smallest fish very near the shore, in water about 4-12 inches deep and another line of the larger fish (the 2 inchers) in water about 2 feet deep. There were lines of fish on both sides of the river. Once they got to the large volcanic boulders that formed the rapid they would swim (more like swarm) up in mass over boulders near shore, which had intermittent and varying flows of water over them, the elevation the fish had to go up in this rapid was at least 20 feet and the boulders were jumbled, many with vertical faces, that the fish were climbing. Many of the individual boulders they clung to had approximately 5 foot vertical faces. When the surge of water over a boulder backed off they would tenatiously cling to the rock face and each other, with their suction cups on their bellies, in mass groups entirely covering the rock in places, many losing grip and falling back into the torrent. The ones left on the rock face would hold very still and wait. When another surge of of water came over the rocks the fish would in mass swim like mad up the face and the rocks would appear to be wiggling. The optimum surge appeared to be 1-3 inches of water. I spent hours that evening and the next morning observing them and scooping up handfuls of these little fish that were filling the small pockets of water beneath these boulders and catch the ones falling back in my cupped hands and move them above their obstacles. The tiny pools of water just below the most difficult boulders were brimming with these little guys, more fish than water in some cases, as they all jostled and squirmed to get in position to make the leap up the boulder while awaiting the next water surge. This was a fascinating moment in my life and I have always wondered if anyone else has ever seen this?

How did Randy's Rock Rapid Get its Name

To find out from someone who was there, go to http://kevinnelson.wordpress.com/2009/09/11/randy-breckenridge-and-a-true-story-of-the-colorado-river/

Hiking to Mooney Falls

Hiking at Havasu Canyon on a Grand Canyon River trip is almost a guarantee on every trip, motor or oar, but hiking to Mooney Falls, an 11 mile round trip hike is certainly not. On my last river trip, my 149th, we had 21 people do the hike. A record, there are only a handful of times that I have even seen this as a hiking option at Havasu. We had to camp close to Havasu Canyon and afterward camped early to pull this spectacular hike off!

Overview of Moab Activities

For information on rafting and other great outdoor pursuits in spectacular Moab.

Hiker dies today in Grand Canyon

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2009/08/13/us/AP-US-Grand-Canyon-Fatality.html?ref=global-home

Lizard Fishing

A sport for those with time on their hands and a perverted sense of curiosity.

Solo Hiking in the Grand Canyon Combined with Inexperience Can Lead to Tragedy

azdailysun.com Top Stories
Applying for a GCNP back country permit may have prevented this boys demise.

Which River Trip is Best For Me?

Grand Canyon Heli Crew Recieves Awards

Photo from video by Brandon Torres, NPS.
This is the image everyone remembers: Helitack crew members from Grand Canyon National Park wait to receive two members of a stranded rafting party, whom a helicopter is lowering to shore.

GRAND CANYON, Ariz. – A short-haul rescue of 16 stranded boaters on August 17, 2008 has garnered Grand Canyon National Park’s helitack and search-and-rescue crews the Igor I. Sikorsky Award for Humanitarian Service. Crews accepted their award on Feb. 23, at the Helicopter Association International Heli-Expo Awards Banquet, “Salute to Excellence.”
In August of last year, Havasu Canyon, a popular side canyon of the Grand Canyon, flash flooded as a result of heavy, localized, monsoon rains. The floodwaters necessitated the evacuation of almost 400 people and washed the boats of a private rafting party that had gone ashore downstream. Havasu Canyon, which includes the Village of Supai, is located on the Havasupai Reservation, approximately 75 air miles west of Grand Canyon Village.
To rescue the rafting party, the National Park Service deployed a helitack search-and-rescue team consisting of a Papillon Grand Canyon Helicopters pilot, five members of Grand Canyon National Park’s helitack crew and a park ranger/paramedic. The rescue team found the group stranded on a ledge more than 30 feet above the floodwaters at the confluence of Havasu Creek and the Colorado River. The team used a short-haul rescue technique, suspending group members beneath the helicopter. Moving members two at a time, they transported the group from the ledge to the shore of the Colorado River. Once on shore group members boarded a helicopter that flew them to Hualapai Hilltop. From there, a bus transported them to a Red Cross Shelter in Peach Springs, Ariz.
Each year, Sikorsky Aircraft sponsors the Igor I. Sikorsky Award for Humanitarian Service in honor of its founder. It presents the award to those who best demonstrate the value of civil rotorcraft to society by saving lives, protecting property, and aiding those in distress. According to the awards program, the evacuation required “precision flying under difficult conditions due to the tight canyon and the need to hover for prolonged periods in close proximity to the canyon wall.” According to Jay Lusher, the park’s helicopter program manager, having to work and land next to rushing water increased the challenges because water movement can prove disorienting to pilot and crew.
Sikorsky Aircraft honored seven individuals for their efforts during the rescue:
Jay Lusher, helicopter program manager
John Yurcik, helitack squad leader
Sean Naylor, seasonal helitack crew member
Nate Becker, seasonal helitack/paramedic
Ali Ulwelling, seasonal helitack
Brandon Torres, ranger/paramedic
Bryce Barnett, helicopter pilot, Papillon Grand Canyon Helicopters
“It just says Grand Canyon Helitack on the award,” Lusher said. “But to us it includes our vendor (Papillon), …all the people who work for them and all the people who work for the National Park Service. …[W]e see ourselves as one giant crew that works together to accomplish all the missions we have.”
Other nominees Sikorsky Aircraft considered for the 2009 award included the Orange County Fire Authority Air Operations, STARS Aviation Canada Inc. and the Manaus Squadron of the Brazilian Air Force.
Previous winners of the award include aircraft involved in Hurricane Andrew and Hurricane Katrina air operations, the Government Flying Service of Hong Kong, the U.S. Coast Guard, the Turkish Armed Forces/Red Star Helicopter Association, the South African Air Force Rescue Crew and Soviet Union aircrews involved in relief efforts following the Chernobyl nuclear power station accident.
This is the most prestigious award received in the 36-plus-year history of Grand Canyon National Park’s aviation program, according to Michael Ebersole, interagency unit aviation officer Congratulations Grand Canyon helitack and search-and-rescue crews and Papillon Grand Canyon Helicopters on a job extraordinarily well done.
To see the video footage of the rescue, go to www.nps.gov/grca/parknews/short-haul.htm. To learn more about the park’s helicopter program, contact Lusher at (928) 638-7921; and to learn more about the park’s search-and-rescue program, contact Ken Phillips at (928) 638-7792.

Article by Shannan Marcak, public affairs specialist, Grand Canyon National Park

Family Fun

A family of three recently posted their experience of the 1-day rafting trip, on their Blog about their vacation to the Grand Canyon. Check out http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Arizona/Hualapai-Reservation/blog-413736.html

Grand Canyon One-day Raft Trip

You can do a section of the Grand Canyon in one-day. Watch this video for a complete overview of a fun and full day!

Rafting Grand Canyon from Bessie Hyde on Vimeo.

Western Section Grand Canyon Rafting

There is a 3-4 day motorized rafting trip in the Western section of the Grand Canyon. In addition, there are a few oar trips for this section; however, because there are only seven oar trips that launch per season in this section, which means they are often booked over a year in advance. Most trips in the Western section include a night at the Bar-ten Ranch a working family dude ranch in the remote Arizona strip area of Arizona, near the rim of the canyon. This section has frisky, wet rapids and the scenery is gorgeous, however, it is sometimes called the “Introductory section” of the canyon, as the more famous rapids are upstream, as well as longer hikes up spectacular side canyons. All these trips conveniently begin and end in Las Vegas and include a helicopter ride into the canyon. Prices range from $967 -$1459 for the motorized trips and there are several trips discounted this season! This video is a nice overview of the trip done by a person who did the trip.

River Trip Safety in The Grand Canyon

Often people wonder about how safe a Grand Canyon River trip is, they talk about maybe even taking out a life insurance policy for the their trip. Often these same people have been bowling or played golf, but they never consider taking out a life insurance policy for these activities. Maybe they should, because the rate of injury and death, for one five year study period, for all Grand Canyon river trips, found that it was slightly more dangerous than bowling, but safer than golf!

For a brief overview of the study and information by Dr. Tom Meyers, one of the researchers for the study, see his interesting article or read the book on the study Fateful Journey: Injury and Death on Col0rado River Trips, by Thomas Meyers, Lawrence Stevens, and Christopher Becker

Things You Might Do On Your River Trip

Two days to Mulege! A nice walk on the beach yesterday afternoon revealed a huge ensemble of colorful shells, dark silca based sand and a varied assortment of petrochemical based products.

Break Down on Diamond Creek Road

What to do when you have a drive shaft break on Diamond Creek road after a 15 day river trip. Call in the big truck and drink a beer.