Grand Canyon Rafting Tours?

[gkk]

Hello:

Our family has pretty much decided that next summer (2016) we want to spend some vacation doing a rafting trip at the Grand Canyon. Family = my wife and myself, 11 y.o. daughter, 9 y.o. son. We are all athletic and like the outdoors, though the kids have not yet done "real" backpacking. I started looking into outfitters but quickly realized I have no idea how to evaluate, so thought I'd throw it out to hear about your wise and hopefully first-hand advice and referrals.

We're thinking of something of about 1.5-2 weeks long? Not interested in "glamping" but not having to cook for ourselves would be nice. This outfit seemed to offer something like what we're looking for, but no idea of how to evaluate them versus the others. Canyon Explorations

Anyone have any tips, recommendations, what-to-look-out-fors?

Thanks!

/Greg

[Jonathan]

Garro is your man on this kind of day info.

[Mabouya]

Not a huge number of reviews, but there's some info on Yelp, which I find to be generally reliable for hotels and restaurants.

Yelp | Search Businesses In Grand Canyon Village, AZ 86023

Edit: I just plugged in "Grand Canyon" - there are probably other locations in the area that will also give you results for outfitters.

[znfdl]

Garro recommended this company: https://azraft.com/dates/2016-raft-adventure-dates/

If you do the facebook thing, then you should friend Brad Dimock, who leads a trip with a dory. A dory is a replica of the boat used by John Wesley Powell.

[gkk]

Thanks all for the suggestions so far! I will see if Garro chimes in on the thread and if he doesn't I will try PM. Much appreciated!

/Greg

[ericpmoss]

What dates were you considering? Mid July is insanely hot below the rim (>110F at 2pm, 100F at midnight when I was there). Even the rattlesnakes were pissed off.

[Greg Costello]

I have a staff member who has run the canyon and rivers in Utah and Arizona for years; I'll reach out and ask him. My organization (Wildlands Network) may even run a trip next year summer....

[Greg Costello]

That was quick - Arizona Raft Adventures - same as Garro, same company we will use for a trip as my colleague spent years guiding for them.

[gkk]

What dates were you considering? Mid July is insanely hot below the rim (>110F at 2pm, 100F at midnight when I was there). Even the rattlesnakes were pissed off.

Great info, just the sort of stuff I wouldn't know. Thanks!

[ericpmoss]

I'd time any trip to hit the peak flower season wherever you are going. That's a great rule of thumb for temps and photos.

[steve garro]

Hello:

Our family has pretty much decided that next summer (2016) we want to spend some vacation doing a rafting trip at the Grand Canyon. Family = my wife and myself, 11 y.o. daughter, 9 y.o. son. We are all athletic and like the outdoors, though the kids have not yet done "real" backpacking. I started looking into outfitters but quickly realized I have no idea how to evaluate, so thought I'd throw it out to hear about your wise and hopefully first-hand advice and referrals.

We're thinking of something of about 1.5-2 weeks long? Not interested in "glamping" but not having to cook for ourselves would be nice. This outfit seemed to offer something like what we're looking for, but no idea of how to evaluate them versus the others. Canyon Explorations

Anyone have any tips, recommendations, what-to-look-out-fors?

Thanks!

/Greg

You can't go wrong with:

AZRA

or

O.A.R.S.

Those are the companies I would trust, and I know people at both of them personally, I worked building the frames and gear for these rafts that are used in the GC and worldwide, my boss invented them, Bruce Helin, PRO river gear.

Any time of year is great but winter is COLD, so cold……….many days you will not see the sun and you will be covered with 43*F water.

This is why winter trips are longer, everything is harder, thaw the ropes & all that……….

Summer can be HOT - I have seen 118*F in the shade at Phantom Ranch *but* you are on water, so as the saying goes "If you are hot, you are stupid"

OPTIMUM conditions are ~ April >> May or Sept >> Nov for (almost) guaranteed good conditions.

I like the summer heat & monsoons, personally.

Anyone can do a guided trip, anyone.

Some are more focused on hiking = ask!

And "average" float without motors (I will not do a motor trip) is 16-18 days as it's almost 300mi full distance.

And questions, just ask!

June trip:

coconino cycles custom bicycles 928 774 7747 www.coconinocycles.com: Back from the Grand Canyon!

November trip:

coconino cycles custom bicycles 928 774 7747 www.coconinocycles.com: Back from the Grand Canyon!

- Garro.

[gkk]

Garro:

Thanks for posting, I was hoping you would chime in, this is awesome info!

Most of the websites for these outfits have a minimum age of 12 years old. Do you know,is that a hard-and-fast, lawyers-and-insurance rule, or is it worth a call to see if our particular younger kid would be OK or way over his head?

(Snip lots of great stuff)

Anyone can do a guided trip, anyone.

(Snip)

- Garro.

Thanks for dropping the knowledge,

/Greg

[steve garro]

Garro:

Thanks for posting, I was hoping you would chime in, this is awesome info!

Most of the websites for these outfits have a minimum age of 12 years old. Do you know,is that a hard-and-fast, lawyers-and-insurance rule, or is it worth a call to see if our particular younger kid would be OK or way over his head?



Thanks for dropping the knowledge,

/Greg

ONE THING

It is an expedition

24 people died in the GC last year.

I've been scared as hell & saw D. take a trip to the bottom of the river.

It's cold, wet, shitting in a can, sleeping on the ground………and the most awesome thing you can ever do……….look at my pics!

That being said, of the three or four people I know who have died running rivers one was because they were frail, got hypothermic in the river and succumbed, one from drinking & drowning, and two slip & falls = no healthy people in safe rafts.

Know your risks, knowledge is power.

The three rules of Grand Canyon rafting are:

Stay in the boat
Stay in the boat
Stay in the motherfucking boat!

- Garro.

[ericpmoss]

24 people died in the GC last year.

I may have been one of them. Or maybe that was wishful thinking given the temps that day.

Stay in the motherfucking boat!

That is excellent advice. I didn't want, as a noob, to sound all nervous-nellie, but when I got to the river at Phantom Ranch the year before, the helicopter was carrying away a strong young swimmer who dove into shallow muddy water and paralyzed himself. According to the ranger, it took two people to pull his head out of the mud before he suffocated in it. Two other strong swimmers tried to swim across -- NPS fished their bodies out a few days later. Which is to say, no horsing around, and stay in the boat. As Garro said, be smart and it will be an amazing experience.

Oh, and drink lots of lemonade from the machine at Phantom Ranch. Best fake lemonade in the whole world.

[steve garro]

That is excellent advice. I didn't want, as a noob, to sound all nervous-nellie, but when I got to the river at Phantom Ranch the year before, the helicopter was carrying away a strong young swimmer who dove into shallow muddy water and paralyzed himself. According to the ranger, it took two people to pull his head out of the mud before he suffocated in it. Two other strong swimmers tried to swim across -- NPS fished their bodies out a few days later. Which is to say, no horsing around, and stay in the boat. As Garro said, be smart and it will be an amazing experience.

Oh, and drink lots of lemonade from the machine at Phantom Ranch. Best fake lemonade in the whole world.

NEVER JUMP IN THE GRAND CANYON!!!!

Not into the river

Not to the rock "Just right there"

Not to that ledge

Not off the tube

Just don't - and stay in the motherfucking boat!

One friend was wasted (He was one of the best boatmen ever) and rolled into the water off the boat in his sleeping bag, and drowned - this almost happened to my wife before we met too - scary!

Partying?
Put on your PFD!

Super wasted friend?
Tie their PFD to a bowline!

My other friend fell into the river at 70yrs old, she always said she "Wanted to die with her river sandals on" and she did, the river took her breath away and she succumbed after falling in.

My friend, a doctor who was much loved was straight sober, went to take a bath, slipped & cracked his head (He was the neurosurgeon who fused me all up) and slipped into the drink, drowning.

I had a friend who was flash-flooded to death with a gal, we still don't know why he did that.

One dear friend, also a badass boatman was pinned in a waterfall, and drowned.
He was super going for it.

So, don't jump, stay in the fucking boat, moderate your buzz, drink water, hold tight on to two separate axis in rapids so you don't get twisted & bust your arm, hold on tight and GET DOWN in big rapids so you don't crack your head on the boat frame, watch your feet & take care of them - infections are common, you are wet for much of over two weeks, be damn careful hiking Elves's Chasm, while beautiful it is a death trap, wear your PFD, and think about what you are doing.

After going through Lava Falls, one of the most worrisome rapids on the whole river my friend went to get out of the boat to celebrate, stone cold sober, and slipped on the tube and broke his wrist just like that.

Have fun, be heads-up, and have a super great time!

- Garro.