THE CANYON

"Those who love it call it "The Canyon" --the canyon-- as if there were no other such topographic feature on the earth's face." -Edward Abbey

There's lots of stretches of the Colorado to ride on in it's 1,450 mile journey from source to sea. Well it once went to the sea but now the last 100 miles rarely sees any water at all as we have damed and irrigated away all of the naturally flowing water.  Maybe someday when we've embraced other power option the Colorado will hit the pacific ocean again.  Regardless of the politics of letting rivers flow free, the section from Lake Powell to lake Mead still remains free flowing from dam to reservoir. We were lucky enough to float the 236 miles from Lees Ferry to Diamond Creek.

 

It's easy to complain about the dam but while we were there they had a scheduled controlled release that was maybe a little lower than we would have liked but allowed for us to have clean green water the entire time. Not until the very last day did we see the chocolate milk looking water that is traditional for the Canyon with side creeks and higher flows turning up the sediment in the water.  We were lucky to see the water in the Canyon like this.

The canyon is much more of an awesome camping trip and much less of an whitewater rafting trip.  Every night getting to pull into a different beach, usually with hardly on footprint on it, and pull out all the conveniences of rafting.  It's hardly camping when you have a full kitchen, included the kitchen sink, a BBQ, camp chairs, ice for cocktails and a toilet with the best view in the world! Every night falling asleep on my raft under a full sky of stars I realized there was no where I'd rather be putting my head down at night.

The side hikes in the Canyon provide a nice way to break up the day.  We hiked 1 or 2 side canyons everyday, often to find some much needed shade and a few refreshing waterfalls.  It's impressive to hike through the desert only to find a waterfall gushing out of the rocks and a lush green oasis created on all sides.  

We left as 8 strangers, returned as 8 friends.  It was a trip of a lifetime to say the least.  I hope to continue my luck of making it a habit to return to the canyon every 5 years or so for some fun, relaxation and personal sanity time.  It is not surprising that when you spend 16 days away from technology and the routine of everyday life, you come back with a better sense of who you are and what you want from life. I am now ready for a summer of working with First Descents and making the most of all my time off in between. Now after two trips, I feel so lucky to have spent over a month of my life in The Canyon.  I call that because I now love it too!

I'm challenging myself to write this blog to keep track of myself and so that family and friends can hear about my experiences in a seasonal summer lifestyle! In doing so I also hope to spread the word about an amazing organization that provides free outdoor adventure programs to young adults (18-39) with cancer. If you enjoy reading about my adventures I know you'll feel great knowing you helped change someone's life with a small or large donation to First Descents. Thank you!
http://teamfd.firstdescents.org/2013/fd/bennydubs/