Floating the Grand Canyon

Rose,

You need to do it. I have done the Guadalupe River, the San Marcos River. You feel so good going down the rapids, as long as you are not alone!

Rose--loved the article.   And, if you want to do this--go for it!    But, pick a rather calm river.   Some years ago, before bc, I had a best girlfriend at work talk me into a white water rafting trip with her down the Arkansas River in Colorado.  It WAS incredibly awesome experience and beautiful........(and, at that time, the Grand Canyon was off limits...though that has changed in recent years)

She chose to go on a raft where the people actually oared and worked....I chose the "guided tour"......

and, damned if I wasn't the first inujury this tour group had ever had to deal with....our guide is telling us to hold on, we're hitting a suckhole (a place in the river where you're going really fast and this suckhole just stops your raft)...well, maybe partly because I was half froze to death on the 4th of July or for whatever reason, I was catapulted head-first into an oar as the steersman was pulling back on it (it was a little stunt to give the tourists a little thrill......)  his pulling back on the oars and my flying forward--well his left oar caught me on the left side of my head and KNOCKED ME OUT COLD!!

When I came to, they had beached the raft and had me laying in the river, no ice, so hoping the cold river water would help minimize swelling.   They only had a first-aid kit onboard that had band-aids and aspirin...and, bless their hearts--they'd been in business for years and never had anyone injured.   It was a trip we still laugh about!

I had the biggest black eye, jaw as a result!   We were on a tour bus and the driver is the one who gave me some knock-out drugs to get me back home!

But, go--it was a wonderful experience except for the black eye!

junie

May I recommend a book?   It's called "Writing Down the River, Into the Heart of the Grand Canyon".

Photographed and produced by Kathleen Jo Ryan.   She handpicked 15 women writers to raft down the Colorado river and write about their experiences.   Participants include Linda Ellerbee, Denise Chavez, Gretel Ehrlich, Brenda Patterson, Leila Philip.  I bought the book years ago and pulled it from my bookshelf again today when I saw this thread.   It's a fantastic, uplifting, inspiring book with amazing photos.  

I've always wanted to tackle a river and with my diagnosis it seems that all of my goals have become more urgent.  

Anyway, just thought I'd toss this out there for anyone interested.