Best Mom Ever! - Rafting the Grand Canyon

My mom is awesome! For her 60th birthday, she wanted to do something special so on her request, the whole family met up in Las Vegas. This was not to hit the strip, but to venture down the Colorado River in a raft for three days with Western River Expeditions. Let me put this in a bit of context. My mom is very outdoorsy and the opportunities Angela and I had to spend our childhood skiing, camping, hiking, and at the cottage in Northern Ontario significantly influenced my passion for my current outdoor pursuits. As a kid, mom taught me how to J-stroke a canoe, run rapids, windsurf and waterski. She is definitely the water lover in our family! When she suggested rafting the Grand Canyon for her birthday, I was surprised, but not shocked. She wanted to do something special that the whole family would enjoy and remember forever and try something new at the same time!

Running rapids on the French River with my mom back in 2007

We all met in Vegas the night before the trip but spend the evening eating way too much mexican food and packing before passing out around 9 pm (7:30 for Kyle). It was a 6 am departure the next morning. The logistics of getting into the Grand Canyon are complex, but the Western River Expeditions staff made the whole ordeal run like a well oiled machine as we were shuttled by bus from Vegas to a small plane in Boulder City, followed by helicopter transfers from Bar 10 Ranch to Whitmore Wash where we met our guides and rafts.

Boarding our charter flight from Boulder City to Bar 10 Ranch

Aerial view of the Hoover Dam and Lake Mead

Birthday girl looks out the window at the Colorado River below

The huge airport and airstrip at Bar 10 Ranch

Boarding the heli for the short flight to Whitmore Wash

It was unseasonable hot for April with temperatures in the high 80's. We spent the remainder of the morning on the beach at the side of the river getting briefed on safety and an overview of how the trip was going to go. After a quick shore lunch, it was time to board the rafts! There were about 24 guest on our trip plus the 4 river guides. We were split into two groups on two rafts, but we traveled down the river together and stopped for breaks and to camp in the same places. The other guests ranged from having never camped before to experienced outdoors people. The only 2 people on the trip that had ever been down into the canyon before were in our party - Kyle and Connor (who had done a private raft trip last year and knew the river really well)!

Excited to get on the river

We had flown into the canyon to meet the rafts at Whitmore Wash. The guides had been on the river since Lee's Ferry with another group of rafters that were just finishing a 7 day trip from the start of the canyon. As we unloaded the heli, they loaded in to head home, while the guides stayed behind to continue down the river with us. Our trip three day trip would travel from Whitmore Wash (mile 188) to Pearce Ferry (mile 277) in three days thanks to the motors on the back of the huge custom-built rafts.

Day 1 was mostly mellow water as we got used to life on the river. It was quite relaxing motoring down the river (you could barely even hear the motor) and checking out the amazing scenery from the bottom of the Grand Canyon. We passed through a few small sections of rapids but stayed mostly dry, which was lucky because despite the warm weather, the water was COLD!

The first of many splashes

After a few hours on the river, we arrived at our campsite for the evening. The wind had picked up through the day and the fine sand that lined the waters edge was picked up in gusts, sandblasting us as we set up camp. As one of the guides said early in the trip, "embrace the sand." Through the rest of the trip, I often reflected on these words as sand carried by the wind filled my eyes, nose and toothbrush. Newty's recommendation was simple, "just grab a handful of sand, put it in your pocket and you will be good to go."

All the tents and sleeping bags were provided and you had the option to sleep out under the stars on a cot. We all opted for the under the stars experience and set up our camp as the guides (Newty, Joey, Parker and Ben) got to work on dinner.

Camp for night #1

Cots set up under the sky

We went for a wander up the big wash by our camp. Our guides told us that if you kept following the wash, you would end up in Salt Lake City! We didn't make it that far, but we got some amazing views of the high walls of the canyon and beautiful colours as the sun was setting.

Exploring up the wash from camp

Who invited these two along??

Amazing light on the walls as the sun goes down

After a delicious dinner, we went to bed. It was a restless night with strong gusts of wind. We were woken by the sound of the trumpet signalling that coffee was ready shortly after 5 am. There was sand in my hair, teeth, and sleeping bag and I did't feel like I had slept much. Nonetheless, we quickly packed up our camp and joined the group for a breakfast of eggs, bacon, and fresh baked muffins straight out of the dutch oven.

The crew loaded up the rafts and we were back on the river. Everyone was appropriately dressed in rain gear and splash jackets in anticipation of the larger rapids we would encounter through the day.

Day 2 - ready for rapids!

Parker and Ben getting the rafts all set up for the day

Drowned rat after a big slash

Staying dry on the cooler seats

Kyle is ready for some more rapids

Splashes for everyone!

Photo-bombed by Newty

Someone is having a great birthday!

The wind on the river was cold and despite the layers, we were shivering as we pulled ashore for lunch. That didn't last long because as soon as we were out of the wind we were cooking. Our clothes dried instantly as we hung out on the beach for lunch. After lunch, we stopped at Travertine Grotto. A short walk up some ladders in the canyon brought us to a beautiful warm waterfall we enjoyed a good rinse in the falls.

Taking a shower at Travertine Grotto

Mom and Dad at Travertine Grotto

Through the day, we passed numerous other groups of rafters. There are a limited number of trips down the Grand Canyon every year and the majority of the trips are will commercial guiding outfits, like Western River Expeditions. The minority are private trips. It is difficult to secure a permit and it requires entering a lottery every year for a small number of private groups. A trip down from Lee's ferry can take about 3 weeks and requires a lot of logistical preparation. The smaller rafts are rowed and it can be a struggle to fight the strong winds in a boat loaded down with camping and cooking gear. In addition, you need to pack all your food in, and all your waste out - including your human waste. There are very strict rules about all the little details of paddling in the Grand Canyon to allow the area to be enjoyed for years to come.

We had our motor and passed the private groups with ease. I did not envy the river runners that had to paddle the whole way and it was a nice change that we hadn't had to do any of the research, organization or prep for the trip. Our guides were fabulous, telling us stories about different historic characters in the Grand Canyon story, pointing out the various layers of rock in the canyon walls and sharing folklore about the rapids and beaches along the way (what was fact and what was fiction was difficult to discern).

Our rafts vs. their rafts for scale

Big waves ahead! Mom was frequently front and centre on the raft through the biggest rapids

Our second night was spent on another beach and we were treated to a fancy dinner of shrimp cocktail and steak, followed by two types of birthday cake! The guys pulled out their instruments and provided a sing-a-long as night fell. We were in bed early and were treated to magical views of the stars overhead and a much calmer night than the one before.

Camp for night #2

A poop with a view

The final day started early again to the sound of the trumpet. We broke down camp and hit the river again for a few final rapids before the flat section of river before Pearce Ferry. We were met by a jet boat that sped us down the last 40 miles of flat water to Pearce Ferry, where we were met by a bus that shuttled us back to Las Vegas. It was surreal after spending 2 days in the quiet, remote canyon to leave the National Park and enter the Hualapai Reservation. Suddenly there were numerous helicopters, tourists on the edge of the river and visitors high above us on the Grand Canyon Skywalk!

Blueberry pancakes with Newty and Joey

Family photo!

Happy Birthday Mom! What an fantastic way to celebrate the amazing lady who continues to inspire me to explore new places, try new things and celebrate the importance of family. I love you Mom, this has been a trip we will never forget!