Rafting the Colorado River, Part III

Mile 62. The mineral laden turquoise water of the Little Colorado River, a mile or so upstream of its confluence with the main Colorado River.

This third installment continues the story and photos of my trip down the Colorado River in May of 2022.

What is a typical day like when rafting on the river?

The river guides who staffed the boats doubled as the camp crew and were up early making coffee and then breakfast for our entourage. Around 5:30 each morning, the sound of a conch shell announced coffee was ready. Mornings were busy for me: I was simultaneously striking camp, exploring the area for photo opportunities, and eating breakfast. In the past, the crew would invite those clients so inclined, to assist them in meal preparation. Currently, however, to minimize any chance of spreading illness, only camp staff were allowed to do so. Staff was adamant that everyone wash their hands often. After each meal, however, we were asked to help with clean up and washing dishes.

We were traveling with Canyon Explorations/ Expeditions, based in Flagstaff, Arizona. The company provided tents, chairs, sleeping bags, sleeping pad, bag liners, and a tarp for each person or party. Each person was assigned three dry bags to stow gear. The sleep kit (sleeping bag, pad, bag liner and tarp) would go in one 55-liter bag. A second 55-liter bag was for our clothing and personal items not needed for the day. These two larger bags, would be strapped to the boats and not available until we reached camp later that evening. Into a third smaller 20-liter dry bag, we would put whatever items and clothing one might need for the day. These would be accessible to us, secured to the boat with a locking carabiner. Tents and chairs went into their own communal and extra-large dry bags. After breakfast, all the bags were stockpiled on the beach, the guides would go to the boats, and then call out for whichever item(s) they were ready to load next. The rest of us formed a “bag line” much like a bucket brigade to hand the bags and gear down to the awaiting boats. In the evening, the bag line process was reversed as the boats were unloaded and gear was distributed at the next camp site.

Mile 68. Tanner Beach is one of the widest, largest campsites along the river. To the east, Comanche Point is a prominent landmark, visited here by the Moon.

On this particular trip there were five oar boats, one paddle boat and two inflatable kayaks. The larger 18-foot inflatable oar boats accommodated our gear plus one oarsperson, and three to four passengers. Passengers in the oar boats had only to sit back, hang on and enjoy the view. The paddle boat was staffed by one guide and up to six passengers, looking for a more exhilarating experience. Passengers here were required to paddle. I chose the oar boats so as to be freer to photograph as we floated down the river. The kayaks were available to those who passed a competency test, which included rolling the kayak and righting it. The guides needed to ensure one could maneuver the kayaks safely. These were deployed typically in calm water or no worse than mild rapids.

According to the company’s literature, and the guides themselves, we were encouraged to pick a different boat each day to rotate among the staff, rather than form “fixed” cliques with particular guides. Over time, I found waiting until morning to ask if a particular guide had room on his boat came at a disadvantage. It seems, reserving a spot on a boat became almost a competitive sport, with people securing “reservations” often the day before. Eventually the guides stopped promising space on their boats the day before, thereby giving everyone a fairer chance in the morning. For some of us, myself included, the concern was we didn’t want to be forced to accept a ride on the paddle boat, if all spaces on the oar boats were already spoken for.

The boats were tied up side-by-side along the shore. Once loaded and ready to go, the boats would shove off from shore, in zipper- like fashion with the downstream boat leaving first, followed by each succeeding upstream craft. On this non-motorized trip, we were carried by the current, which averages four miles per hour. The oars and paddles were used largely to steer, and not for propulsion. We covered the 225 river miles from Lee’s Ferry to Diamond Creek Beach in 16 days. Because our trip was billed as a “hiker special” we would be covering fewer miles each day to allow more time to explore side canyons by hiking. But for the hikes, our journey would otherwise be completed in 15 days.

If one doesn’t have two weeks to spend on the river, one can opt for a trip that covers either just the upper canyon, or the lower canyon. The dividing point is at Phantom Ranch.

Those opting for the upper canyon, will end their trip at Phantom Ranch, and then have to either hike or ride out. Conversely, a lower canyon trip starts at Phantom Ranch. Another alternative, is a motorized trip. Compared to our inflatable 18-foot boats, the larger, motorized inflatables passed us like an aircraft carrier. These vessels can make the full canyon trip in a week. But one has to listen the drone of the outboard engine echoing off the canyon walls all day.

In fairness to these motorized craft, one literally saved our bacon. By about the fourth day, our guides realized that one of the two propane tanks we carried, which were used to cook with, was leaking. Our trip leader got on the satellite telephone and informed the company office of our predicament. Soon another propane tank was loaded onto a motorized boat, about to depart from Lee’s Ferry by a rival company. Within a few days, the boat caught up to us and delivered the replacement tank. Thus, starvation (and cold bacon) was avoided. There is a camaraderie among the river guides and companies to assist each other, rather than see each other as rivals.

Communication within the deep and remote canyon is very limited. There is no cell phone service. If and when communication with the outside world is needed, the leader has a satellite telephone for this purpose. Canyon

Explorations/Expeditions asks its clients to not bring cell phones (the exception was their use as a camera) or other communication devices, such as SPOT emergency locators. This is to prevent false alarms from summoning emergency responders – it has happened! On another day, the satellite telephone was used – this time to summon a helicopter for a medical evacuation. One of the passengers on our trip came down with, what we learned later, was a severe ear infection and could not continue. On the day of the evacuation, we were on a wide sandy beach near Mile 68. Fortunately, of all 15 campsites we occupied, this one was the easiest for a helicopter to approach and land. Like a scene out of MASH the copter circled and then landed in the zone we had prepared for it, while we were hunkered down some distance away, along to shore, to avoid injury should the rotor wash fling sand and small pebbles at us. The evacuee was flown to the south rim, and from there transported by ambulance to a hospital in Flagstaff.

The number of stops we made varied with the number of side trips we made each day. Some days we explored side canyons to get to waterfalls, scenic grottoes, rock art or a major tributary (Kanab Creek). One of the main takeaways I got from this trip was how different much of the river was than my expectation. Probably 97% of the distance we traveled was on placid leisurely moving water. But the marketing of river raft trips often emphasizes the thrilling white-water rapids. Although most of our elevation loss occurred in the relatively short rapids, most of the distance traveled was by way of calm smooth water. Until this trip, I didn’t realize how much of the river is so calm and peaceful.

I’ll continue my story of a typical day on the river in a future issue. Stay tuned for more adventure!