Grand Canyon of the Colorado River

Granite Gorge

I did something really fun, with great people, in a beautiful place.

Grand Canyon of the Colorado

Twenty-one magical days were spent exploring the Grand Canyon of the Colorado River, one of America's last great wildernesses.

Glen Canyon Dam

Our journey began fifteen river miles below Glen Canyon Dam at Lees Ferry. When construction was completed in 1963 the monstrosity flooded and destroyed one of the most majestic canyons of the Colorado. By controlling the natural flows of the previously free-flowing Colorado River the wild character of the canyons below was also impacted  Fortunately, proposals to dam Grand Canyon itself were stopped thanks to the advocacy of David Brower and other conservationists of the time. Today, a journey down the Grand Canyon between Lake Powell and Lake Mead remains one of the greatest wilderness adventures in North America.

Lee's Ferry with Moenkopi River Works

Organizing a twenty-one day and 226-mile river trip with sixteen people is daunting. The great folks at Moenkopi River Works, however, made the process simple and affordable. In addition to five 18-foot oar rafts, Moenkopi provided all our food and group gear.

Marble Canyon

Named by John Wesley Powell during his legendary first decent of the Grand Canyon in 1869, the rock walls that form Marble Canyon are actually polished limestone. 

Oarswomen Anneka Door and Amy McCarthy

I shared a raft with my wife Amy and Anneka Door. We took turns rowing and paddling. Anneka Door rowed our boat through most of the harder rapids freeing me to paddle/swim them instead.

Jeny Meinerz, Tanner Wash

The eroded limestone in Marble Canyon provides some the canyon's best opportunities to explore narrow slot canyons.  Tanner Wash was the first of many side trips.

North Canyon

The lower non-technical section of North Canyon was our next diversion. While no technical climbing was required, thermal protection was helpful for navigating one large cold pool.

Roaring Twenties

Marble Canyon contains numerous fun rapids. Especially notable is a long series of rapids known as the Roaring Twenties. Still early in the trip this section was a great opportunity for pilots of both big and little rafts to hone their skills and build confidence.

Camping within the Redwall Limestone 

With five big oar rafts carrying 21-days of equipment and supplies our camps were luxurious relative to my previous desert packrafting and canyoneering adventures.

Shinumo Wash

Our first technical canyoneering objective was located in Shinumo Wash.

Silver Grotto 

Commonly known as Silver Grotto, this steep side canyon contained multiple rappels, many swims, and a whole lot of fun. 

Limestone Water Slide

Descending the exquisitely beautiful water-polished limestone is nothing short of raw childish pleasure.

Tatahatso Canyon

Our next major canyoneering objective was Tatahatso Canyon. 

The last of of Eight Rappels

Similar to Silver Grotto, Tatahatso is a gorgeous limestone slot canyon with many rappels and countless swims.

Approaching Nankoweap

"The limestone of the canyon is often polished, and makes a beautiful marble. Sometimes the rocks are of many colors - white, gray, pink, and purple, with saffron tints." - John Wesley Powell

Granaries at Nankoweap

While John Wesley Powell was likely the first to navigate the Grand Canyon by boat, he was by no means the first to explore it. Some of the first canyoneers included the Ancestral Puebloan or Anasazi who from 900 A.D. to 1300 A.D. called the Grand Canyon home.

Mike Fiebig

Mike Fiebig joined us last year on a packrafting traverse of Wyoming's Southern Absaroka Mountains. As a professional river advocate and guide his skills and knowledge were invaluable. 

Nankoweap

Below Nankoweap Canyon, the river enters a layer of 505 million year old Muav Limestone.

Cape Solitude

At the confluence with the Little Colorado, the 3,200-foot walls of Cape Solitude stand sentinel over the canyon. Currently the Navajo Nation in partnership with Lamar Whitmer is proposing to construct an aerial tramway and mega-resort at the confluence. If successful, the wild untrammeled and natural character of this section of the river would be destroyed.

Lava Creek

On our sixth day we completed a fun loop hike that connects Lava Creek with Carbon Creek.

Prehistoric Artifacts

Along Lava Creek evidence of the Grand Canyon's early inhabitants was found in the form of highly colorful pot shards and projectile points.

Hilltop Ruin

Other evidence of human habitation is found in the stone structures built by the Ancestral Puebloan peoples.

Anneka Door

In addition to rowing our raft through many of the hardest rapids, Anneka Door's skills as a climber and mountain guide where invaluable when descending technical slot canyons.

Granite Gorge

As the river carves its way through the ancient 1.75 billion year old Vishnu Schist Formation, the canyon takes on an ancient, dark and somber character.  

 Hance Rapid

“We have an unknown distance yet to run, an unknown river to explore. What falls there are, we know not; what rocks beset the channel, we know not; what walls ride over the river, we know not. Ah, well! we may conjecture many things.” - John Wesley Powell

Mark Oates

I first met Mark Oates in 2013 when I traveled to Tasmania to hike the Overland Track and descend the Franklin River. While quiet, humble, and unassuming, Mark was one of the most skilled paddlers in our group.

Buthchart Falls, Clear Creek

Clear Creek enters the canyon from the North and provides a delightful non-technical side hike rewarded with a cold and refreshing shower in Butchart Falls. The water fall is named after legendary Grand Canyon explorer Harvey Butchart.

Moe Witschard

Moe Witschard and I have been on many adventures together. Reminiscent of a cartoon character, Moe's humor and river expertise always earns him a spot on my short list of who to do trips with. Never underestimate him.

Garden Creek

photo by Mike Fiebig

One of the most memorable technical slot canyons we explored was Garden Creek. Aptly named, Garden Creek is lush with vegetation and requires descending multiple running waterfalls. 

Scorpion

Other than the elusive Mountain Lion, the Grand Canyon lacks large dangerous predators. There are, however, other smaller species of wildlife to be leery of including scorpions and rattlesnakes. Shaking out clothes, sleeping bags, and watching where you step and sit is prudent. 

Shimuno Creek

One of the last holdouts of the endangered Humpback Chub, the lower narrow section of Shimuno Creek provides a fun and scenic side canyon to explore.

Elve's Chasm

The lower section of Royal Arch Creek, know as Elve's Chasm, is a popular diversion for river runners. And for good reason; it's otherworldly.

Blacktail Canyon

Our next technical slot canyon was Blacktail. This was a relatively easy and short adventure that finished by being serenaded by Tom on a guitar and Kalen on a viola.

Mike St. Pierre

As an ambassador for Hyperlight Mountain Gear, I have known Mike St. Pierre (HMG's founder) for several years. This, however, was our first of what will no doubt will be many adventures together. Mike provided us all with the new HMG Canyoneering Pack. Constructed of woven Dyneema the packs proved indestructible.

Alpacka Raft and Aire BAKraft

It's estimated that we had over 30 packrafts on the trip that included boats made by Alpacka, Feathercraft, Supai, and the Aire. It was fun trying out the many different lightweight boats. Two of the more popular were Mark Oates custom made self-bailing Alpacka and the soon to-be-released Aire BAKraft, also self-bailing. I, like others, prefer not having to mess around with complicated spray decks. I found the BAKraft very responsive yet amazingly stable. I look forward to testing the next version that will be constructed from a more durable urethane coated Spectra material.

Rich Rudow

As a one of Outside Magazines's 2012 Adventurers of the Year, Rich Rudow has a well-earned reputation as one of the world's most accomplished canyoneers. Rich has explored more than160 slot canyons in Grand Canyon National Park, including over 100 first descents. A walking encyclopedia of route beta, his passion and enthusiasm is infectious.

Conquistador Aisle

The first explores of European ancestry to witness the grandeur of the Grand Canyon were Spanish Conquistadors led by Francisco Vázquez de Coronado. Searching for for gold and the fabled "Seven Cities of Cibola" the expedition reached the South Rim of the Grand Canyon in September of 1540, presumably in the vicinity of Desert View.

Amy McCarthy

Amy and I recently celebrated 10 years of marriage and my anniversary gift was a trip down the Grand Canyon.  While Amy's preference is to travel and explore on foot, on this journey I witnessed a growing enthusiasm for river running.  Amy bravely piloted both our big oar raft as well as a packraft through many of the canyon's large rapids.

Deer Creek

A popular destination for both backpackers and river runners, Deer Creek contains a well-maintained hiking trail.

"The Patio"

After traversing along narrow ledges above a slot canyon Deer Creek opens up into broad limestone terraces.

Surprise Valley

Tom Turiano washes off sand and sweat in a natural jacuzzi in Deer Creek's Surprise Valley. 

Throne Room

Further up canyon a small waterfall flows into a natural amphitheater know as the "Throne Room."

Brad Meiklejohn

Brad Meiklejohn is the Alaska representative of the Conservation Fund, president of the American Packrafting Association, and one of Alaska's most accomplished hikers and packrafters.

Ascending Kanab Creek

Also popular with both hikers and river runners is the long and majestic Kanab Creek Canyon.

Descending Kanab Creek

Amy and I found delight in navigating these non-technical yet exciting and tremendously beautiful side canyons.

Whispering Falls

Exploration of a western tributary of Kanab Creek led to a fantastic cavern complete with a spring-fed waterfall and wonderful swimming hole.

Tom Turiano

For over two decades Tom Turiano has been a regular packrafting, peak bagging, and ski partner. Tom's passion for exploration coupled with an unsurpassed combination of navigational and technical skills found bliss in the depths of the Grand Canyon or what John Wesley Powell called the "The Great Unknown."

Matkatamiba Canyon

Our biggest canyoneering adventure was in a tributary of Matkatamiba Canyon known as Panameta.

Mark and Jen Oates

In order to protect their drysuits from abrasive rock, Mark and Jen wore coveralls over them.  

Panameta

Many of the Grand Canyon's slot canyons are unique within the Colorado Plateau in that they are formed in limestone not sandstone. Panameta is one such slot that cuts 500 feet into the Redwall Limestone. Descending it requires eight rappels and many cold swims.

Havasu Creek

Havasu Creek is a must-stop when running the Grand Canyon.

Magical Waters

Havasu's aquamarine waters, travertine pools, and many cascades and waterfalls form an inimitable desert oasis.

Tuckup Canyon

We spent three nights camped at the mouth of Tuckup Canyon where we enjoyed both technical and non-technical canyoneering objectives.

"Sistine Chapel"

photo by Rich Rudow

One of my favorite canyon adventures of the entire trip involved an ascent and decent of the East Fork of Tuckup Canyon. Near the head of the slot canyon is a fantastic feature known by the few that have seen it as the "Sistine Chapel."

Upper Dome Pocket

Our second day at Tuckup Canyon was spent exploring a western tributary known as Dome Pocket. While half of our group descended the lower technical section, the other half of our group hiked to the head of the canyon and onto a large plateau of Esplanade Sandstone and enjoyed panoramic views of one of America's last great wildernesses.

Esplanade Sandstone

A member of the Supai Group, Esplanade Sandstone was deposited approximately 300 million years ago during a period when oceans advanced and receded across North America.

Lava Falls

Legendary Lava Falls, like all rapids contains a constricted river channel (increasing velocity), an uneven river bed (increasing turbulence) and an elevation drop (increasing both velocity and turbulence). Within the Grand Canyon rapid-forming constrictions and unevenness are created by debris fans deposited in the river from side canyons. Lava Falls is the canyon's largest rapid and is the product of flood debris exiting Prospect Canyon.

Mike Curiak

I first paddled with Mike Curiak in 2012 on the "Salmon River of Return" trip, when the idea of our Grand Canyon trip was born. A member of the Mountain Bike Hall of Fame, Mike is a humble yet highly talented athlete. Mike paddled the entire 226 miles of the Grand Canyon from Lee's Ferry to our take out at Diamond Creek, including all the rapids. He was the only member of our crew that made it through Lava Falls in a packraft without swimming.

"Tequila Beach"

Below Lava Falls is what is known to river runners as Tequila Beach. As the name suggest this is a traditional stop to celebrate surviving Lava Falls.

Spring Canyon

Below Lava, Spring Canyon offered another fun out and back canyoneering adventure. Like the East Fork of Tuckup, I found the difficult route-finding and challenging free climbing through an enchanting limestone slot highly rewarding.

205-mile Camp

Below lower Granite Gorge the canyon opens up revealing big views of the canyon rim, mesas, and buttes that tower 5,000 feet above the river.

205-mile Rapid

Next to 205 camp is a super fun Class 3 rapid (Grand Canyon 6) that provided both evening and morning entertainment.

"Big Air Pierre"

Mike St. Pierre ran multiple laps over the rapids big waves living up to his recently acquired nickname "Big Aire Pierre."

Rich Rudow

At 20-mile Rapid Rich Rudow got a chance to test his packrafting skills in big yet safe whitewater. Having used packrafts primarily for access and egress during canyoneering missions his previous packrafting had been limited to paddling flat water and small ripples in a Sevylor Trail Boat and more recently in a 1.5 pound Supai. Rich was highly impressed by our modern whitewater boats and the skill of our crew that successfully packrafted the canyon's big rapids and competently self-rescued when necessary. 

"Diving Board"

Another entertaining diversion is a sandstone ledge that juts out over a deep and calm section of river providing the intrepid a 35-foot plunge.

Trail Creek

We spent our final two nights camped near Trail Creek.

Tarantula

That night Amy and I were visited by one of the local inhabitants.

Two Hundred and Nine Mile Canyon

While most of our crew rested, read and swam, Mike St. Pierre, Brad Meiklejohn, and I completed an exciting 20-mile canyoneering, trekking and packrafting loop that linked Trail and Two Hundred and Nine Mile canyons.

Twins?

One of the highlights of the adventure through the Grand Canyon was spending time with such a highly skilled and fun crew of old and new friends. I estimate the group's mean age and resting heart are both in the low 40s.

Rich Rudow, Anneka Door, Mark Oates, Jen Oates, Marlena Renwyck, Jeny Meinerz, Mike Curiak, Amy McCarthy, Mike St. Pierre, Brad Meiklejohn, Kalen Thorien, Jim Harris, Moe Witschard, Michael Fiebig, Forrest McCarthy, & Tom Turiano




video by Moe Witschard


“Benedicto: May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view. May your mountains rise into and above the clouds. May your rivers flow without end, meandering through pastoral valleys tinkling with bells, past temples and castles and poets towers into a dark primeval forest where tigers belch and monkeys howl, through miasmal and mysterious swamps and down ...into a desert of red rock, blue mesas, domes and pinnacles and grottos of endless stone, and down again into a deep vast ancient unknown chasm where bars of sunlight blaze on profiled cliffs, where deer walk across the white sand beaches, where storms come and go as lightning clangs upon the high crags, where something strange and more beautiful and more full of wonder than your deepest dreams waits for you -- beyond that next turning of the canyon walls.” 
― Edward Abbey