Floating down the Colorado River. Photo: Rebecca Parsons
The heat is oppressive. It presses in, triggering lethargy and beads of sweat that trickle down my forehead. But the water is refreshing and the canyon walls beautiful, making the minor discomfort well worth it. One of the seven wonders of the world, the Grand Canyon lives up to its name. It is one of the most impressive natural landscapes I have ever laid eyes on.
A Trip Through Time
Floating down the Colorado is like a trip through geological history. The canyon walls tell stories of the Earth’s evolution. The tale begins at the bottom of the canyon and moves forward in time as you ascend to the rim. As you float the length of the canyon, the layers and variation in the rock are evident. One of the most striking features of the canyon is the Great Unconformity: The bottom layers of granite and schist date back to the Precambrian era (pre-life), while the upper layers of limestone and sandstone are interwoven with fossils, showing evidence of earlier species.
The canyon also pays testament to the people that first inhabited it. The slot canyons are lined with petroglyphs, drawn by the Ancestral Puebloans who once called the canyon their home.
A trip through geological history. Photo: Rebecca Parsons
A former raft guide, my fiancé is always eager to get out on the river. When a friend won the lottery and secured a permit for a 16-day float down the Colorado River, he was all too eager to put our names on the roster. Six months later, we found ourselves riverside, prepping and stocking our rafts under the sweltering Arizona sun.
Rafting Through the Grand Canyon
On day one, our group of sixteen gathered at Lee’s Ferry, eager to get on the river. While most river’s rate their rapids from class I to V, the Colorado rates rapids from one to 10, with one being the most mellow and 10 the most challenging.
The majority of the day was spent floating on calms waters, getting comfortable with our raft and our companions. We pulled out an inflatable paddleboard and had the chance to practice running smaller rapids. We floated for twenty-some miles, then set up camp on the side of the river, drifting off to the sweet sounds of the small rapids.
SUPing on the Colorado River. Photo: Rebecca Parsons
The Roaring 20’s
On day two, we entered “The Roaring 20’s,” a 20-mile stretch of river with non-stop rapids, which proved to make for an exciting morning. Around lunchtime, we eddied out at Silver Grotto and hiked into the slot canyon. The red walls contrasted with the brown water made for a unique aesthetic and the short hike consisted of climbing, jumping, and sliding down rocks faces into pools of water. From there, we continued to Red Wall Cavern, a giant cave on the side of the river, where we cooled off in the shade and played volleyball. When we reached camp, we quickly set up our kitchen and enjoyed a hearty dinner after a long day on the water.
Volleyball at Red Rock Cavern. Photo: Colin Brayton
Nankoweap, Phantom Ranch, and Elves Chasm
On day four, we floated to Nankoweap camp, where we opted to take a lay day and enjoy some rest and land activities. We hiked to the Nankoweap granaries, built by the Anasazi People in 1100 AD, which they used to store seeds and food. After learning about some of the history of the region, we spent the afternoon lounging on the beach and playing volleyball with a makeshift net.
The granaries. Photo: Rebecca Parsons
On day six, we detoured to the Little Colorado River and on day seven, we hit our first big rapids, making for an exciting day. On the morning of the eighth day, we arose early and floated to Phantom Ranch, where we mailed postcards, enjoyed cold beers from the mini market, and greeted hikers who had walked down from the rim.
From there, we hit three big rapids in succession: Horn Creek (8), Granite (8), and Hermit (8). A virgin river rafter, I didn’t know what to expect, but found I thoroughly enjoyed the thrill of the big river waves and welcomed the cool splashes that came with them.
On day 10, we made a pit stop at Elves Chasm, a picturesque waterfall set in a slot canyon, where we enjoyed swimming and cliff jumping. On day 11, we hit a number of fun rapids, with a near flip at Bedrock Rapid, which got the heart pumping.
The beginning of Havasu Canyon. Photo: Rebecca Parsons
Day 12: Havasu Canyon
After nearly two weeks on the river, we reached Havasu Canyon on day 12 and eddied out for a long day of hiking. If you’ve ever seen pictures of Havasu Falls, you know the allure of Havasu Creek—Gatorade blue waters contrasted against red canyon walls. Havasu Falls sits on Havasupai Tribe land and requires a visit, so we were unable to visit the famous falls.
But, we were about to hike in roughly five miles to Beaver falls, which was a wide blue waterfall with a large swimming hole and plenty of cliffs to jump off. The hike was what I had been most looking forward to on the trip and while the water wasn’t as blue as it sometimes gets due to a high rainfall year, the hike was incredible and the falls were stunning.
Running a rapid. Photo: Colin Brayton
Day 14: Lava Falls
On Day 14, nerves were high as we reached our biggest rapid of the entire trip: Lava Falls (9). After scouting the falls, our boats took turns running the rapids and after all six successfully made it through, we pulled over at “Tequila Beach,” where bottles of booze were pulled out and toasts were made all around. While the stars had been incredible the entire trip, that night the river was especially peaceful and the sky was littered with a spattering of stars and that for an amazing end to an incredible day.
One of the many waterfalls. Photo: Rebecca Parsons
The Final Days
The final two days of the trip mainly consisted of flat water, with a few stops to cliff jump and standup paddle along the way. On the final day, our group eddied out at Diamond Creek where we de-rigged the boats and loaded into the van for the return trip.
16 days and 225 miles later our journey down the Colorado River came to an end. The trip was filled with stunning views, incredible hikes, exhilarating rapids, and peaceful nights spent under the stars with friends. While the trip was incredible, it was physically demanding, and I was eager to return home to take a shower and sleep in my own bed. The Grand Canyon is a special place, and I am grateful to have experienced its glory.
Mornings at camp. Photo: Rebecca Parsons
Gear We Loved
When I first began planning for this trip, I assumed it was a lightweight, minimalist deal, but turns out 18-foot boats can hold a lot. When you’re spending 16-days on the river camping, it’s nice to have some extras to make your trip as comfortable as possible. We had a lot of gear with us, but these are some of our favorite items that we packed.
–NRS Thrive Inflatable Standup Paddleboard: This board packed down small but was stable and so fun to paddle both in flat water and on the rapids. An avid standup paddler, I really enjoyed having this board on our trip.
–Sea to Summit Hydraulic Pro Dry Pack: Having a dry bag on the river was essential and I loved that this one was roomy and had a zipper instead of a roll top, so it was easy to access my stuff.
–Sea to Summit Hydraulic Packing Cubes: These were perfect for keeping gear separated and organized.
–Sea to Summit Pocket Shower: A dirty river shower is better than no shower. This shower was compact and was easy to fill. Plus, having hot water for a shower was dreamy.
–NRS Boater’s Gloves: These were critical in helping prevent blisters after miles and miles of paddling. Especially for a newbie like me.
–NRS Guide Shirt: My fiance loved this shirt for stylish sun protection. Perfect for date night on the river.
–NRS Endurance Pants: These pants are great for when it’s chilly and you don’t want to get wet. Or, if you think submersion is a possibility. They are incredible waterproof.
–NRS Rev GORE-TEX Pro Dry Top: Same as the pants, it’s nice to have something to keep you dry up top as well.
–NRS Super Paco Sleeping Pad: Having a thick, comfortable pad was great for both sleeping and sitting on the boat and NRS makes the best ones in the game. They also double nicely as a floaty for the river.
–Patagonia Capilene Cool Daily Hoody: My fiance and I each brought one of these and loved the thin, long sleeves and hood for sun protection.
–Patagonia Capilene Cool Long Sleeve Daily Shirt: This was so lightweight and breathable and perfect for sun protection.
–Patagonia Barely Baggie Shorts: The perfect pair of boardshorts for the river and hiking.
–Patagonia Hydrolock Boardshorts: My fiance loved these shorts as they were super secure and dried quickly.
–Garmin InReach Mini 2: This was such an awesome piece of equipment for communicating with the family back home. And although no emergencies arose, it would be critical to have if something were to happen.
–Astral BlueJacket PFD: PFDs are required on the water and this one has everything you could want and more.
–Astral Webber Sandals: These were great sandals for hiking and the river.
–Goal Zero Nomad 10 Solar Panel: This was so great for charging all of our gadgets over the 16 days.
