Down in the Ditch

It’s been 3 months since I last took any strokes in my kayak. After a fun fall boating season and after my Oregon Ducks finished up their season of home games in Eugene, I loaded the car and made the long move out to Colorado for the winter. Don’t get me wrong. The skiing in CO is second to none and I have taken full advantage of the amazing snow we’ve been getting in summit county, but it is not without sacrifice. I desperately miss the creeks and rivers of the PNW.

Since I can’t actually paddle just yet and can’t seem to get my mind off of boating, I decided I’d throw up a short post on the Grand Canyon trip I took a few months back. Despite the lengthy nature of the float, I’ll keep this post short. Besides, I couldn’t begin to describe all the nuances and experiences that make a trip on the Colorado River such a special experience.

This particular trip came together in pretty short order, when compared to all the preparation time that is usually associated with trips on the Grand. I won the cancellation lottery approx. two months before my launch date (Aug 28) The permit was for 8 people and allowed 16 days to float from Lee’s Ferry to Diamond Creek. Both my parents and my sister joined up along with Jesse, a long time friend and fellow rafting guide. Skip, Jeff, and Stephanie (good friends from college) rounded out the group. We had three 18 foot gear rafts (all provided by PRO Outfitters in Flagstaff) and two kayaks.

In a nut shell.

Granite, horn creek, and Lava were huge. Crystal was easy. The camping was amazing. The fire ants hurt. The side hikes are spectacular. The clear flowing side creeks are heaven on earth. And I guess I’ll let the photos do the talking from here on.

Author in House Rock Rapid

The Crew @ The Silver Grotto

Night Life

Go Ducks

Jesse making the move @ Horn Creek

Miranda and Steph @ Deer Creek

Havasu Blue

Pardon the commentary on this last video, my mother still has some soccer mom baked into her. Raft #1 is me, #2 is my Skip (this was his first rafting trip and first time rowing a raft), and raft #3 is my father. #3 got to to know the cheese grater very well.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f55wyeXZ4Eo

Until next time.

Nate