LITTLE ROCK — Asteady afternoon rain and predicted subfreezing overnight lows divided our paddling group.
A dozen would enjoy warm, dry shelter at Marble Canyon Lodge in northern Arizona. The other four would camp at nearby Lees Ferry on the Colorado River, where the next morning all 16 would embark on a 300-mile, three-week wintertime float journey through the Grand Canyon.
The river draws about 29,000 paddlers a year and averages four launches a day from late spring through early fall. Off-season traffic varies, but suffice to say that the canyon is challenging enough for most folks without the complications of harsh winter weather.
The next morning, our four campers awoke to find a thin coat of ice on their tent and on the pile of seamsealed polyester and treated-nylon dry bags into which all of our equipment had been painstakingly packed.
Tents and sleeping gear were rolled, stuffed into bags, then packed aboard the four 18-foot, nonmotorized Avon rafts on which the day's lone launch would set out.
The icy conditions would remain for four hours, until we reached Soap Creek about 11 miles downstream. Only at the top of Soap Creek Rapid, a Class 8 passage with a 17-foot drop, would the air temperature rise enough to allow thawing.
Before launch came an opportunity to visit the lodge for breakfast with the rest of the party and buy any final items. Besides a breakfast burrito, my spending spree included buying part two of a geology book, a lidded coffee cup and an additional pair of neoprene socks.
The geology book would be among many publications to make the trip, guiding our thoughts and rafts through an area where walls believedto be 1.6 billion years old would be exposed to our sight and our touch.
The covered cup would prove to be a feeble attempt to eliminate airborne sand from all beverages.
The neoprene socks would become a fundamental second layer on my feet over the next 21 days. They covered a softer, medium-grade blend sock and were topped with a thicker pair of neoprene booties. Three layers of comfort and warmth.
There are no stores or outfitters in the Grand Canyon, thus no opportunity to pick up additional supplies. Everything required or desired on a river trip must be bought and put on the raft before departure.
Phantom Ranch, the only lodging facility below the canyon rim, is 87 miles downstream from Lees Ferry and offers a mailbox, phone line and bathrooms with running water. Visitors can buy a T-shirt or cold drink, but not river equipment or supplies.
It was February in the desert. Our group of 16 would tempt the elements and be in constant pursuit of warmth. Heat sources were limited to patches of sunlight bending over the canyon rim, driftwood campfires at night and numerous layers of clothing covering our own internal kilns.
Because of the towering walls of the canyon, direct sunlight in winter is generally limited to a span of about 10 minutes in the morning, half an hour at midday and perhaps a few minutes in late afternoon. We learned that sun on the river late in the day meant the campsite would be shaded the next morning, when we would be breaking down camp and rigging the rafts for the day's travel.
Campfires are allowed in the canyon in winter, but special care is required. A pan must be used to restrict fire size and prevent the ground from being scorched. Ashes are packed up after use and floated out with you.
Driftwood is the required fuel, and fortunately it was abundant - if not at the campsite, along beachfronts during the day's travel. The fire was an appropriate gathering spot for eating meals, telling tales of our own or reading aloud from a series of short stories. With headlamps off and flames flickering on book pages, our voices shared past journeys and also raised expectations for the coming days.
CHILLY WATER
Water from the bottom of Lake Powell is released through Glen Canyon Dam into the Colorado River at about 45 degrees. Even in summer months, it only warms a few degrees over its journey of nearly 300 miles to Lake Mead.
Our group was certain to be exposed to low air temperaturesand the cold water while running high-grade rapids. Therefore, hypothermia was a constant concern.
Dressing for the elements was preached and practiced. All 16 travelers had devised methods of battling the elements, and many ideas and clothes were swapped and shared.
My protective shell, starting with the three aforementioned layers on the feet, included medium-weight thermal bottoms covered by waterproof pants. Underclothes for the torso included a short-sleeve wicking shirt, covered with long-sleeve, medium-weight thermals, a nylon-and-fleece paddling vest and a long-sleeve fleece pullover. These layers were covered by a long-sleeve, waterproof jacket complete with latex gaskets at the neck and wrists. A personal flotation device, or life jacket, brought the total layers to six.
A ball cap or ski cap was worn stretched over the ears and back of the neck for complete coverage.
ADVANTAGES OF THE OFF-SEASON
An off-season float almost guaranteed our group an exclusive visit to the canyon. The only other floaters visible more than a few times during our 21-day adventure were working with the U.S. Department of the Interior, conducting research in anticipation of the annual March floods that send water coursing through the canyon at a rate of 40,000 cubic feet per second.
Plentiful campsites, including those with such amenities as ample room for a makeshift kitchen, were one of the advantages of our off-season visit.
Also important was a convenient area for a dish-washing station, which consisted of a large propane burner and a left-to-right arrangement of four buckets for prewash, wash, rinse and bleach. The task of cleaning pots and pans wasshared by all, but the prewash and wash buckets were prized stations since those contained heated water.
Then there was the portable toilet system known as the "groover." It consisted of a large ammo can fitted with a standard-size toilet seat. Its name dated to earlier models that lacked the toilet seat and thus left "grooves" on the posterior of its user.
As required by law, the groover and its contents made the entire 21-day journey. The contents are disposed of properly by the outfitter at the end of the trip, providing the groover doesn't lose its contents prematurely during a mishap.
CHANGING WEATHER
Low temperatures, cloud cover and winds fed with warm air howling through side canyons warned us of approaching bad weather. We remained on guard, dressing and planning accordingly.
The weather was perfect for day hikes up to Thunder River along Tapeats Creek, to the top of the rim at Eminence Point and to witness the travertine pools at Havasu Canyon. Full sun, light breezes and relatively warm weather only added to the beauty of each area.
Havasu Creek, a group favorite at mile 157, appeared at first to be only a minor tributary. But it quickly opened up to a large canyon accessible from the rim or the river. The canyon is part of the Havasupai Indian Reservation.
The name is derived from the clear, blue-green water that runs year-round. We hiked to the edge of the boundary line overlooking spring-fed Beaver Falls.
However, shorts or light pants, a light shirt and fleece cover were exchanged for full cold-weather wear once we returned to the rafts.
NEARING THE END
Only on our 19th day on theriver did we wake, float and set up camp in the rain. The rain was brought by low, gray clouds that circled the carved towers of redwall limestone with their underlying Devonian and Muav formations.
Only 15 miles on the river were planned for the day. Lunch was skipped and only two stops were allowed. One was at Pumpkin Springs, where the orange-tinted water rising out of a travertine pool was reminiscent of a pumpkin. The water from the spring is warm and contains high levels of arsenic - definitely not recommended for drinking.
This day ended at mile 224 at Diamond Creek, a common take-out point, but for our trip it was a nighttime layover and equipment drop for the outfitter. A soaking and bitter-cold rain compressed our entire group under a shed with a gazebo-style roof.
We stripped to the flesh and draped such a variety of wetweather sport clothing over emergency throw ropes that it created a yard-sale atmosphere that could draw the envy and desire of any river runner.
The frigid conditions that had separated our group almost three weeks earlier now served as a bond.
Our last two days were spent flotilla-style with the four rafts lashed together and pushed through to South Cove with the aid of a 50-horsepower Honda outboard motor.
Occasional gale-force winds dropped us all to the floor of the rafts. Patches of sunshine never lasted long and were replaced with low clouds and hints of rain.
It was still winter in the desert.
Editor's note: Upon completion of the 21-day rafting trip, Gottschalk's first meal was the heavily laden buffet at the Sahara Casino in Las Vegas. Gottschalk is Northwest Photo Editor with the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. E-mail him at
dgottschalk@arkansasonline.com
Ways and means
INFORMATION:
For information on trips and trip preparation, log on to www.rrfw.org/Rafting GrandCanyon/Main_Page or www.nps.gov/grca.
GETTING A PERMIT:
Private trip permits are parceled out through a weighted lottery system. The lottery system attempts to give everyone a fair chance to float the river. It is weighted toward those who have not been on the river recently. An application for a private float trip can be applied for annually at www.nps.gov/grca/planyourvisit/ weight edlottery.htm. The cost of applying is $25, payable by credit card, debit card or electronic check. You must apply during the application period. In 2008 the application period was March 17-28. Dates for 2009 have not been set.
GETTING THERE:
The put-in for Colorado River trips through the Grand Canyon is Lees Ferry, Ariz. Larger planes fly into the airports at Las Vegas, Phoenix and Flagstaff, Ariz. From Las Vegas it is 286 miles to Lees Ferry. From Flagstaff it is about 130 and from Phoenix it is close to 280 miles. You can drive or arrange a shuttle with an outfitter. Parking at Lees Ferry is free with a 14-day limit.
SUGGESTED READING:
Several guidebooks have chapters devoted to floating, camping and other attractions. Each raft onour trip carried a copy of the Guide to the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon by Tom Martin and Duwain Whitis. Buzz Belknap's Grand Canyon River Guide was the perfect complement with additional information on history, geology and archaeology.
THE RAPIDS:
The portion of the Colorado River which flows through the Grand Canyon is graded on a scale of 1-10, as opposed to the standard 1-5, because of the water's high cubic feet per second (CFS) flow and the large number of rapids.
FOOD:
A full kitchen can be improvised by using a gas camp stove, Dutch ovens and an open fire. If a private outfitter is used or if you participate on a commercial trip, the menu can be adjusted for individual dietary needs. Those needs or preferences should be brought to the outfitter's attention during the early planning stages of the trip.
OUTFITTERS:
It is a good idea to comparison-shop among river outfitters. Prices can vary based on season and amount of equipment needed. We used Moenkopi Riverworks out of Flagstaff (www.moenkopiriverworks.
com) for our private trip. They supplied rafts, kitchen and , miscellaneous gear and shopped for our food.
- David Gottschalk
Travel, Pages 85, 90 on 06/22/2008