GRAND CANYON RAFTING ON THE COLORADO

We survived the Grand Canyon rapids!!!!! (88 to be exact!) 

This was a trip I had booked two years in advance (booked in 2019 for 2021), but one that I had been looking forward to for more than a decade– since I first heard the recounted river tales that my parents told me about their magical trip down the Colorado about 15 years ago. I had vowed that I would take my son when he was old enough, and so when he turned twelve (the age that most of the river rafting outfitters require a child to be at minimum), we were going!!!

This is the type of trip though that gets booked at least one year and usually two in advance, so if you have certain dates you’d like to go, you should plan & book this particular trip well ahead of time. We wanted to go in July, when the kids were off from school, and when the weather would be very warm, so as to offset the extremely cold temperatures (40 degrees) of the Colorado River.

The aspect I was probably most excited about, other than seeing unbelievably exquisite landscapes, was being completely and utterly off the grid for a whole week! Cisco and I wanted this so much too, for our kids, whom like most kids out there, are constantly absorbed by a barrage of mobile device and screentime over-stimulation on a daily basis. Having us all be blissfully unplugged for a whole week seemed like a dream, and a dream come true of connecting with nature and each other in a wonderfully adventurous way.

I researched companies, and ultimately decided to go with Western River Expeditions. A friend of mine had worked for them for 17 years, and raved about their company history, ethics, safety protocol, and guides. I couldn’t imagine that anyone would willingly work for a company for that long if they didn’t love it, so upon further research and many reviews read, I decided they were the ones I wanted to book with. And I am so glad we did!!!

Everything was meticulously organized, the guides were wonderful, funny, clever, and terrific with our kids, and we couldn’t have felt more safe, riding on Western River’s sturdy, motor-powered rafts. Plus, they are the only River Outfitter with the five fingers at the front of the rafts, which allow all the rafters to ride the rapids like the bull-riding cowboys we all secretly wish to be for a hot second in our lives.

One thing to note: Before you leave for this trip, make sure you set up your auto out-of-office email replies and voicemails, because once you enter the Canyon, you will be entirely off the grid for the duration of your rafting trip. That meant no cell service or wifi for us for a week. I mentioned before that it was blissful, which it was! But you should set yourself up prior ahead of time, so you won’t be stressing about any make-or-break business deal phone calls that you won’t be able to take for a while.

And while we had no cell service, Wi-Fi, or devices, I still had my cameras! 😬 

And along with some pretty epic shots, we also had plenty of stories to share…

• 188: total miles we rafted in the Grand Canyon
• 88: number of rapids we rode/braved 
• 6: amount of nights under the stars
• 4: pit stops to splash in waterfalls 
• 1: the number of scorpions that stung me 

We had the privilege of seeing the Grand Canyon from a vantage point that very few people in the world get to see. The almost 2 billion year old geology was utterly amazing. And our crew at Western River Expeditions navigated us through it flawlessly….

They cooked every delicious meal for us, entertained us day and night, and taught us the fascinating history of the Canyon and all those who explored it before us— some successfully, some not. 

They also took us to some pretty epic off-the-beaten-path spots. The many waterfalls we got to visit, were my favorite.

Every evening we set up camp in a new beautiful spot. We slept under a blanket of millions of stars, shooting stars, and even saw satellites moving slowly through the sky. And we only had a brief storm twice, which cooled off the 90+ degree Canyon to comfortable temps. Western River provides all the tents, cots, and sleeping gear, like sleeping bags and sheets, so even though it was raining, we stayed dry and comfortable, and enjoyed the sound of the rain beating down outside. But most nights, we set up our cots outside, so that we could enjoy the night sky above us.

We saw Big Horned sheep, a tiny kangaroo mouse, hawks, and I wish I had seen the scorpion I stepped on. 🦂 !!! (I should not have been walking in the sand barefoot, as I had been warned not to for this specific reason.)

Havasu Canyon, with its gorgeous aqua water, was the most special place. We ‘docked’ there for several hours, hiking through the canyon, jumping off of mini waterfalls, poking through rock tunnels, and soaking up the warmer degree and bluer waters.

While Havasu Canyon was a clear aqua oasis, the rest of the river looked like chocolate milk from all the silt due to the flash floods recently throughout the canyon, but it also meant more raging rapids. Adrenaline was high, the rapids were sometimes higher, and we all bonded over stories of the day and past adventures too. Our kids made fast friends with the other kids on the trip, and before long they were their own little gang. 

We ended the trip with the most bad-ass rapid of them all— Lava Falls, a 10 on the Grand Canyon 1-10 rapid scale. It was a crazy bumpy, but crazy fun, wild ride, and we didn’t lose a single person! Although it was a close call!

And yes, that is actually Cisco, front and center, riding these crazy overhead waves like a champ. ’Suck rubber’ (if you ever happen to hear it on a rafting trip and start wondering), is what the crew calls out when the front raft riders have to fold forward because otherwise the rapids will most definitely knock them off.

It was an exciting adventure and one that the five of us will be talking about forever.  

After our last night of grilled steak and chilled shrimp and waking up to a beautiful sunrise, we got airlifted out of the floor of the Canyon by helicopter…. 🚁 😳 

Which didn’t suck. Lol. 

I don’t think the kids have any idea the extent of the specialness of this trip. Maybe one day, it will hit them…. like a cold rapid, to the face. 😉

Until next time…. Aloha, Grand Canyon!

*This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you buy something through one of those links, you won’t pay a penny more, but I may earn a small commission, which helps me keep this website running. So, thank you!!!

DAPHNE’S MUST-HAVE’S FOR A GRAND CANYON RAFTING TRIP:

1. Waterproof River Pants: I bought two pairs- one for me and one for Lucas. You will NEED these.
2. Water Leggings: My favorite mermaid water pants are made by a local company (she doesn’t have a website), but Honeygirl also makes great ones with awesome prints. But the Amazon choice I listed first, are great too!
3. Neoprene Booties for the boat: Not everyone in our party had them, but everyone wished they did! The water was 44 degrees. And my feet never felt cold!
4. Water Shoes: These were perfect to wear around in camp, in the river, and when we hiked to waterfalls and in the waterfalls. They can be worn without socks or with.
5. Gloves: So important, because you will be grabbing onto ropes the entire time when riding the rapids. And with 88 rapids, your hands will thank you! I loved these, because you could easily pull a few fingers out to work your camera or iphone camera when needed.
6. Waterproof Jacket: Did I mention the river is 44 degrees? And with lots of rapids that splash you no matter where you’re sitting? You’ll want your rain gear for going through rapids, but also for when it rains. Which it did. It’ll help keep you insulated and dry. Because even though the canyon can be extremely hot at times, it can also be very cold, riding on the water with more water coming down on you. This is the one my 12 year old son used.
7. Merano Wool Long Sleeve Shirt: This keeps you warm when you need to feel warm, but also keeps you cooler when needed.
8. Merano Wool Socks: I bought these to keep my feet warmer, and so they wouldn’t smell, but I ended up wearing my neoprene booties whenever we were on the raft because the water was so cold. But the merano socks came in handy when we did our little hikes at the campsites.
9. Sun Block: Lots of it. Temperatures can rise up to 90+ degrees and the sun can be strong. There’ll be times that you’ll want to shed layers, and having sunblock handy will help.
10. River Hat: This is one of the best things you can have for the trip! It keeps the sun out of your eyes, your head cool, and it dries quickly. I wore mine everyday, on the boat and off. This one was given to my son and I as a Christmas gift, and is a little on the pricier side, but if you’ve got the dough to spend, it will be well worth it! If you want to go cheaper, this looks like a good alternative.
11. Polarized Sunglasses: They don’t have to be polarized, but it helps, being on the water so much. It cuts the glare.
12. Head Strap for sunglasses: If you like the sunglasses you have you’ll definitely want these to help keep them on your head! Rapids can knock sunnies right off your face!
13. Waterproof Camera: I have a GoPro as well, but bought this camera for the trip, so that I could shoot RAW and edit the photos after. I’m glad I had it, as it withstood all the silty river water hurled at it through each rapid. And it took some killer photos! It’s a bit on the pricey side, but it is basically drop-proof, shock-proof, freeze-proof, and you can take it underwater, so it’ll continue to be a great investment when your next outdoor adventure takes you scuba diving in the Maldives. 🙂
14. Small Flashlight or Headlamp: You will definitely want this for the campsite, for going to the loo with a view in the middle of the night. There are no street lamps in the canyon. Lol
15. My over-all favorite lightweight all-purpose small day-backpack. I’ve used my Patagonia one for years, and LOOOOVE it. This one is the same size with all the same conveniences, for 1/4 of the price. While they give you a small waterproof day bag for the boat, you might want your own for when you do little hikes through Havasu canyon, etc, since the day bag they provide isn’t a backpack.
16. Duffle Bag to carry all your stuff to the river: They give you a waterproof day bag and two water bottles, along with a large gear bag, which holds your sleeping bag, sheets, plates and cutlery (all which they provide), and it also has enough room to fit your personal duffle, which is what you’ll bring to the river with your personal clothes, toiletries, gear, etc. I used this one, and loved it. My son, used this one.
17. Inflatable Pillow and Pillow Cover: I bought two-packs for these, one for me & one for my son, and we both found this made our sleep way more comfortable and takes about 10 seconds to blow up or deflate.
18. Flip flops: Trust me– you’ll want a pair of easy slip on sandals when at the campsites. Most camp sites have sandy ground, and you wont want to be pulling your water shoes on your sandy feet to run quickly to the kitchen to fill your water bottle, or fiddle with shoes in the middle of the night to go tinkle. And you won’t necessarily want to go barefoot even on the sand, as there can be tiny sand-colored scorpions hidden below. Ask me how I know that. :/
19. Biodegredable River-friendly Soap: There are no showers in the canyon. At least none that I found, unless you bring your own portable one (which they do sell, incidentally). But, for the rest of us non-glampers, we all bathed in the river. And you’ll want to wash of the sweat from the day. This soap is environmentally friendly, and the bottles are travel-size.
20. Travel Guide: You don’t need one of these, as the people guides are awesome, and will give you some history, geology, and even folklore tales, but if you’re a bit of a geek like me, this book was awesome to delve a bit deeper into all of it! PLUS! It shows a play-by-play of all the rapids, so you have an idea of what’s coming up around the bend, what level, what its name is, and how scared you should be! Lol
21. Carabiners: Bring a BUNCH of these!! You will want to clip your day bag, each of your water bottles, and some other items to the boat when you’re going down river. I was sooo happy we had these!