Rafting through the Grand Canyon

This was a great adventure: two weeks floating down the heart of the Grand Canyon with about 25 others, in three inflated bridge pontoons, camping on sandy beaches each night, running enormous rapids each day... what more could you ask for?  

The trip was organized by The Sierra Club, and came with a knowledgeable guide, seasoned raft handlers, and best of all a cook to prepare all our meals.  Our rafts were WWII rubber bridge pontoons.  We rode the currents during the day, and slept on sandy beaches at night.  We saw no one else the entire trip.  

The trip began at Lee's Ferry, and ended at Lake Mead, about 300 miles downstream.  In between are about 150 major rapids, including a few Class V monsters.  On our first day we encountered only moderate rapids; in fact, we were given the opportunity to swim through some.  As we approached our first Class III rapid, however, our raft handlers told us we could have an exciting ride if we sat on the pontoons, which we all did.  Surprise!  Class III is Big!  As soon as we entered the rapid, the pontoons flexed, and we were all launched overboard, to be picked up downstream by our raft handlers, who were thoroughly entertained.  My goodness we thought: if that was a Class III, what must a Class V be like?  

It turns out that we were not permitted to find out: instead, we disembarked at each Class V rapid, and watched from the shore while each raft handler rode through alone, backwards, tied to his raft, with hus outboard motor for steering.  Even then, one handler got bounced so badly he broke a rib.

Other activities included hiking to the rim and back, investigating petroglyphs and marine fossils, and buying beer at Phantom Ranch (You can work up a terrible thirst in the Grand Canyon).  The last day and night we motored through Lake Mead, where we faced our final challenge: how to urinate discreetly in a crowded bridge pontoon.