Upcoming Grand Canyon river trip

[sirena]

A couple of months ago, I was chosen to participate in a volunteer trip working with AZ Game and Fish and USGS on a fish survey. I will be hiking in Bright Angel and meeting the trip, then working for 12 days and taking out at Diamond Creek. I've been excited about this for months, but really busy organizing the fundraiser, and now all of a sudden it's a week away! My gear is already on the boat- which left Lee's Ferry on Friday, so I get to hike down with only a daypack. I can't wait to see the Canyon from a completely different perspective. It's going to be amazing.

[tibber]

@sirena

I get to hike down with only a daypack

that will be NICE!

Have a great and wonderful trip. I am sure it will be beyond amAZing! Stay safe and have fun!!!

[KwaiChang]

AWESOME!! Wow a nice trip down the river - what a great opportunity!!!

Have fun!!

[joebartels]

Wow that is a long time. Others that have done similar, babble up a storm. Bet you bring home some more memories for life!

[azbackpackr]

Oh, hey! I was at Lee's Ferry on Friday. Could have checked your gear for you, ha ha! Well, let us know how it goes! I'm looking forward to July 24 put-in for full trip.

I'll be putting in at Diamond Creek this coming Monday morning, but I think you will still be upriver from us, so I guess I won't run into you. We are doing 3 day "Diamond Down" next week, an NAU class I'm taking.

Well, have a great time, don't work too hard! ;)

[sirena]

I returned late Saturday night- 12 days on the river just flew by! What an experience to see my favorite place in a completely different way. The fish survey was interesting and I learned a lot. It was a small trip, only one other volunteer, three scientists, and four very experienced boatmen for two big boats and two smaller sportboats. The river was running pretty high and the rapids were a blast! Managed to get several small but fun hikes in- I'll do a proper triplog and pictures once I sort through all of them.

[Sredfield]

Wow, sounds exciting!

[Sun_Ray]

What an experience........... good things happen to good people!

[azbackpackr]

Sounds great! Looking forward to your triplogs. I'll be heading down the river for 18 days starting July 24. Can't wait! The Diamond Down I did 2 weeks ago with NAU was fun, but lasted only 3 days.

[azbackpackr]

Woohoo! Going to the Ferry today, and we launch on Sunday morning. We should be able to get going pretty early because we'll be having our orientation the night before. (The person who does the private trip orientations is also a member of our group going down the river, and wants to do the orientation the day before so we can start rowing by 8 or 9 a.m.)

Can't wait!

[paulhubbard]

WAY jealous!!! Have a great time!

[sirena]

Yay- you are going to have the most awesome time!

[azbackpackr]

Once upon a time, in October of 2002, to be exact, I stood with my son at the bottom of the Tanner Trail, where we were planning to spend a couple of nights, having hiked down with some friends. Now, I am not an emotive person, at least when it comes to crying. So, there we stood, looking at the river. A yellow raft floated by, and got into a small rapids there. On the raft were three or four people. They waved. We waved back. Immediately, the tears started flowing down my face. My son looked at me and said "Mom?" I said, "I really really want to go!"

I didn't have the funds, and also never seemed to have that block of time that is necessary, but the following spring, on my 50th birthday, I went on my first rafting day trip, on the upper Salt. Since then have done several more of those, plus the "Intro to Multiday River Guiding" class at NAU, in the lower Grand Canyon, a Glen Canyon kayaking trip, a whitewater kayaking class at NAU followed by a Class I & II Verde river day trip in a creek boat. Also many hours spent in the tandem boat down in Yuma, and a kayaking class there as well. But I am still a newbie. There is a lot to learn, and I often don't have time for these extended trips.

As for the Tanner Trail, with my old awkward and top-heavy external frame pack, that trail was a real bear. I swore back then that the next time I went to Tanner Beach it would be in a raft. Looks like I will keep that promise to myself! (Although with newer, lighter, better gear, the Tanner would no longer be much of a problem for me.)

I'll have internet for a day or two more, and then off we go, DOWN THE RIVER!!!

Incidentally for those of you wanting a cheaper trip, try looking for the various private boater associations such as GCPBA, and maybe you can get in on a private trip as I have done. Better yet, get your own permit, as I have for 2012, and post on those websites. You will suddenly have a lot of new friends who are boatmen. You don't need to know ANYTHING. All you need is the permit, the time to do the trip, and about $1000. Fall trips are best, at 21 days to Diamond Creek, plus you can then add several more days from DD to Pearce Ferry. The private permits are via a lottery put on by Grand Canyon National Park river office. Easy to find on their web page. Good luck!!!

[azbackpackr]

I'm baa-aaack! Had a great time. Flipped in the ledge hole in Lava at 26,000. What a swim that was! Learning to row, I rowed quite a bit, but nothing really big. More later about the trip when I load the photos. Hope Joe will allow Youtube link to video of flip in Lava. It's truly spectacular!

We did some hiking, but not a lot--it was pretty warm down there. Stopped at most of the biggies: Havasu, Saddle Cyn, Matkat, Elves, Blacktail, etc. We had a layover at Hermit, so I hiked up to the backpacker campground and swam in the swimming hole there. We did a night float last night from 220 to Pierce Ferry, making for a 60 mile day. 281 miles altogether, Ferry to Ferry.

[PLC92084]

Welcome back, River Girl!! Lookin' forward to those photos!

[big_load]

Flipped in the ledge hole in Lava at 26,000.

[sirena]

Welcome back! Can't wait to see your pics and hear the stories.

[azbackpackr]

I posted the video of the spectacular flip in Lava on my facebook page and also the HAZ and AZH facebook pages. The person who took the video has so far only put it up on FB, so I can't provide any link to it, yet. Hope he will post it on Youtube as well.

I learned a lot about the Canyon since the boatman I floated with had done over 100 backpacking trips in the Canyon, including most of the N. Rim below the rim, climbed Vishnu, Cheops and other temples, and had made his way on foot to the river in many dozens of places. He knew a lot of history, geology, archaeology, etc.