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Jack & Pam, daughter Lynn & husband Jacob, daughter Robin & fiance Steve joined 19 other rafters & 5 guides for an absolutely great time. Cousin Sue was supposed to join us as well but ended up in the hospital (and another couple also had to cancel). We missed her the whole trip!
Our trip from RM (river mile) 0 thru RM 187 included 38 of the 47 major rapids between Glen Canyon Dam & Hoover Dam.
A "normal" trip with Western River Expeditions is two J-rig rafts with a boatman and a swamper on each raft. One of the boatmen is the designated TL (tour leader) who to no one's surprise leads the tour. The swampers are there to do whatever needs to be done (details later on in this discussion). Additionally there are 28 rafters (like us) on the tour.
Our guides were Tom, Greg Newton (aka Newty), Craig Lutke (aka Lucky), Jeremy, and Nate Tubbs. Tom (aka Wolverine and Lt Dan) and Nate were the swampers. Lucky & Newty were the boatmen who maneuvered us through the rapids. On paper, Newty was the Tour Leader (TL) and would be continuing the trip when we left and the new group came for the remainder of the trip to Hoover Dam, but Lucky actually assumed that role while we (and he) were there because of his seniority. Because of the cancellations, Jeremy (a friend of Lucky & Newty) was able to come and he contributed a lot to the trip.
And here's the 25 rafters (plus Nate). Lucky took the picture at the end of the trip and posted it to http://mywestern.westernriver.com/mywestern/view_thumbs.php?trip_id=21675 to encourage us to all post our pictures. I'm sure Newty, Tom & Jeremy were all off working. It's amazing how easy they make everything seem.
Day by day Journals:
Day 1 - Tues Jun 9 RM (river mile) 0 Lees Ferry to RM 38 Tatahasto. Roaring 20's, Redwall Cavern
Day 2 - Wed Jun 10 RM 38 to RM 65 Carbon. Mine Shaft, Bert Loper's boat, Little Colorado, Chuar Butte (aircraft collision)
Day 3 - Thurs Jun 11 RM 65 to RM 81 Grapevine. Carbon Canyon - Lava Canyon hike, archeological sites
Day 4 - Fri Jun 12 RM 81 to RM 119 Big Dune. Passed Kaibab & Bright Angel suspension bridges, Big rapids (Horn Creek, Crystal, Sapphire). Waterfalls - Shinumo Creek, Elves Chasm. ABC party.
Day 5 - Sat Jun 13 RM 119 to RM 137 Poncho's Kitchen. Ribbon falls, xxx falls, narrowest part of Canyon (76'), Deer Creek falls.
Day 6 - Sun Jun 14 RM 137 to RM 176 Below Red Slide. Matkatamiba Canyon, Havasu, Captains Dinner
Day 7 - Mon Jun 15 RM 176 to RM 187 Lava Falls Rapid, Whitmore helipad, Bar 10
Comic Recap (Spoiler alert - this is best read AFTER you've done the trip. You'll enjoy it much more then).
TEN BEST WAYS TO PREPARE FOR A RAFTING TRIP ON THE COLORADO RIVER
Professional Pictures - taken by Jack's college friend who took a 21 day private trip through the GC in Oct/Nov 2009
Things we learned
- There are no resupply stations. All supplies (food, fruit, vegetables, meat, ice cream) are on the boat day 1 and must last not only for the initial 6 days (mile 0 on day 1 10 a.m. thru mile 188 on day 7 10 a.m.) but also for the follow-on 2 day trip (day 1/7 10 a.m. to day 3/9 noon) to Lake Mead. Also, all refuse, recycling, etc. is carried out as well.
- This is desert. Pack light as your clothes will dry quickly.
- Plan on swimsuits rather than underwear. Women might want a large tee shirt, skirt, smock that they can change under.
- There will be blowing sand. Contact wearers may want to consider just wearing their glasses.
- Western River will tell you this, but we'd second it. Do get the Belknap's Waterproof Grand Canyon River Guide and annotate it with your notes as you travel down the river. There are multiple versions labeled "All New Edition". The latest we are aware of is inclusive of the campsites.
- Also, get good carabiners (large enough, well made enough) as it will make it much easier to snap on/off your waterbottle, day bag to the raft.
- When you gotta go, how do you go?
- So you camp without a tent?
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