The Empty-Nesting Spirit:

Grand Canyon Adventure

by Gail Adams

More Than We Bargained For
The kids were grown and off doing their own thing, the old pop-up Camel camper had been sitting in the yard, unused, for a number of years, and we were really missing the adventure and enjoyment of camping. Then we saw a TV television documentary about rafting in the Grand Canyon. Soon afterward, we attended a get-together with good friends, also of an adventurous nature, and before we knew it, we all had signed up for a 6-day rafting trip with Western River Expeditions! We had no idea what we were getting ourselves into.

Fast forward to a quick (?) drive across the country with the old Camel in tow. The day we arrived in Page, AZ, we were quite excited and more than a little nervous. We parked our vehicle at the prescribed motel and boarded a bus for Lee’s Ferry, the launching place for our raft. It was waiting for us short distance below the Glen Canyon Dam (which created Lake Powell).

The raft, a very large pontoon-type craft, held about 18 people and their belongings. Each of us was given an “ammo” box in which to secure cameras and other things that shouldn’t get wet. As for our gear, we traveled light. All equipment, food supplies, tents, sleeping bags, and heaven only knows what else were compactly stored in the center of the raft, which also had two motors (one was a spare).

Once under way, passengers sat around the perimeter hanging on to ropes for dear life. We were asked to find seats that pleased us but to change them each day. Most of the time, however, we started the next day in the same place we had ended it the day before; we had become accustomed to that spot and felt safe there. The younger people—teens and young adults—chose to ride up front because the ride was most thrilling there, and they didn’t mind getting wet.

A companion raft carried another 18 passengers and traveled with us, sharing the beaches. Two river guides expertly piloted each raft.

The uniform of the day was always a bathing suit and a life preserver. Many people also wore a T-shirt for sun protection as well as a hat. Footwear was mostly Teva-type sandals, water shoes, or old sneakers that could get wet and would dry out easily. We were each also given a large mug, which we wore clipped to a hook on our life preserver. We were encouraged to drink water frequently from a large jug mounted on the side of the raft. Although the river water was very cold, the air temperatures in the canyon were extremely hot, and it was important to say hydrated. The average highs in July ranged from 85 to 105 degrees during the day and 10 to 20 degrees lower at night.

Getting Our Feet Wet
Once we had received our indoctrination to the raft and procedures of the raft, and had taken our places, we began the long trip down the deepest canyons of the Colorado River, which would include about 60 sets of rapids. The river water was cold, averaging about 55 degrees, as it was released upstream of our launch site from 300 feet below the surface of Lake Powell. The lake, created by damming the Colorado River, helps to control flooding, and certain releases of its waters produce a surge, giving rafters a real thrill. So, we were on our way to a week of excitement, majestic scenery, excellent food, fun, and wonderful memories.

As we approached the first rapids, we could hear them in the distance. We grasped the ropes and were more than a little scared. Actually, those rapids were just a little ripple compared with what we were going to experience in the next few days. We didn’t realize how nervous we were until we released our grip and saw the nail marks on the palms of our hands. We had a good laugh about that. All the while, the river guides carefully navigated our vessel down the river and through the treacherous rapids.

Housekeeping on Shore
We continued for another hour or so and then pulled onto a nice sandy beach. That was quite a surprise. The big boulders here and there reminded us that we weren’t at the Jersey shore. While we were getting the lay of the land on shore, our guides were like miracle workers, setting up the portable kitchen and preparing a delicious meal for the group. They also set up the dishwashing station and instructed us how to efficiently wash and then sterilize our plates in boiling water. On the whole trip, we never had a meal we didn’t like. I’m not sure if that was because the food was so good or because we were so hungry after a day on the river.

First, our guides quickly and efficiently unloaded the sleeping gear, and we all grabbed a sleeping bag. We were told to lay claim to a spot where we would sleep. We started to protest and to ask where the tents were, so they produced a tent for anyone who wanted it. We set up the tents and felt that we were finally ready to retire. We learned a lesson that night, though—we didn’t need a tent. It was actually a bother to put up and take down, and it made sleeping quite hot. Also, when darkness fell, there was no light, except for an occasional flashlight. With pitch blackness like that, privacy was not an issue. You couldn’t see anything if you wanted to. On subsequent nights, sleeping under the stars was an equally awesome experience. They were majestic! It seemed that there were millions of them, and they were twinkling more brightly than we had ever seen.

The other necessary chore handled by our guides was to set up two portable potties. One was usually placed strategically behind a rock but still out in the open air, and the other was placed in a tent. At first, the tent line was longer, but soon the open air spot was the more preferred. The potties remained up until the next morning, just before we left on the day’s adventures. We were asked to use the river for our liquid waste; the rule was for men to go downstream and women upstream. (We noticed only one man who kept trying to peek.)

We were requested to actually use the river and not leave anything behind on the beach because it would cause an odor. The guides were meticulous—and expected us to be, too—about not leaving anything to indicate that we had been there. I believe this was required by the national park system. We were quite surprised at the end of the trip to learn that our guides had actually packed out the solid waste material each day. They were very discreet, so we never knew until then.

So that was our basic routine each day: In the morning we ate, took our gear to the raft, and helped load up. Then we were off for another day of adventure and thrills.

Afternoon Diversions
We encountered more rapids on some days than on others, but we were never bored. We would stop for lunch, and then usually in the heat of the afternoon we stopped again. Since we couldn’t swim in the river because of the cold, our guides would often take us to a tributary stream, which was much warmer. One day we hiked a distance up the stream, and our guides suggested that we take off our life preservers (which we literally wore all day) and put them back on by slipping our feet through the armholes and pulling the back of the preserver up under our bottoms. Then we waded out into the stream, sat down, and rode the life preserver down the stream. What fun and what a good way to cool off!

Another day, we stopped and played under a waterfall. It felt good to be a little cleaner after these forays into the streams, especially because bathing in the river after a hot day was pretty difficult. We usually ran in and got one body part wet, then ran out and soaped with biodegradable soap. Then we ran in and rinsed. We did this piece by piece for as much of our bodies as we wanted to get clean that night. So the stream “baths” in warmer water were quite welcome.

On other days, the afternoon break might entail a hike. One day we trekked up toward the Havasu Indian Reservation, but it was too far away for us to reach. Instead, we found a nice place to swim in a stream with underwater caves. Another day, when offered a chance to hike up the side of the canyon, we chose to stay behind. We watched, horrified, when one of the men got out on a ridge and just froze there. Nothing was going to persuade him to move. Luckily two national park rangers were out hiking on their day off and came upon this dilemma. With ropes and persuasion, they were able to get the man down. We were glad we weren’t up there with them! One other side expedition included a stop at Redwall Cavern, a huge cave that had been carved by the river and that had an estimated capacity of 50,000 people. We were never short of amazing things to do.

On one occasion, we stopped for lunch and our guides said they had picked that spot so they could walk downstream and size up the rapids we would be going through later. They wanted to “read them” to see how to navigate them. Being a bit cynical, I thought they were just trying to hype us up a bit, but that afternoon’s trip turned out to be a real doozy! Months later, after watching another TV documentary about Colorado River rafting trips, I realized it was no joke. We had gone through the most dangerous of all the rapids, Lava Falls. Had I known that beforehand, I might have opted to walk around them. As it turned out, they were a real thriller! And so each day was different

Culinary Delights
The food was a real adventure as well. We could hardly believe some of our dinners. After our meal on one very hot evening, I asked my husband if he was going to walk down to the “kitchen” for dessert. He said the only thing that would entice him to walk down there in such heat would be ice cream, and he was sure they wouldn’t have ice cream at the bottom of the Grand Canyon on a searing hot day. Guess what? Not only did we have ice cream, but it was done with cherries jubilee (cherries simmered with orange juice and zest, and brandy, then flamed over the ice cream). Well, he certainly found that strong enough persuasion to take a walk to the kitchen.

On another occasion, each of our river guides donned a “tuxedo” (-printed T-shirt) with his bathing trunks, draped a towel over his arm, and served shrimp cocktail and champagne. Our friend celebrated her 50th birthday while we were there, so they actually baked a chocolate cake for her in a cast iron Dutch oven buried in the sand with hot coals. Amazing. Delicious. And just plain fun.

Final Escapades
Each day on the river was a new adventure. We met many interesting people, took in breathtaking scenery—in the canyon and the heavens—and had once-in-a-lifetime experiences. We could hardly believe it when we found ourselves at the end of our journey. However, we were still deep in the canyon, and the only way out was by helicopter. So we had another wonderful adventure.

The helicopter picking us up was bringing in new rafters, who would proceed down the river to the Hoover Dam. Their trip would be leisurely, though, with no rapids. They came off the helicopter in nice clean clothes and had decent hairdos. When they gave us the once-over and saw our bodies with probably 30 layers of sunscreen, our rumpled clothes, and our hair standing on end, we all said, “You just wait!” The helicopter took us to a nearby ranch, Bar 10 Lodge, where we could take a hot shower and wash our hair. Then we were fed a sit-down meal at a real table instead of a rock. After saying goodbye to our new friends, we boarded a small plane for the flight back to Page, AZ, to our good old Camel camper and the end of our trip: several more weeks of traveling in the western U.S.

Who says Empty Nesters have no fun?

Gail Adams is a retired elementary school teacher living in southeastern PA. When not visiting their 4 children and 10 grandchildren locally, in MA, or in AZ, Gail and her husband, Gene, enjoy traveling around and outside the U.S. Either with Gene or with friends, Gail has logged trips to many Asian and European countries, as well as to Kenya. While on a travel sabbatical from her job, Gail traveled with a friend through Asia, and also toured Spain, France, and Italy on a Eurail Pass. With Gene she toured Greece and Mexico. Gail and Gene have visited all 50 states and camped (RV’d) in many of them. A 28-day bus trip to Alaska via the Canadian Rockies was another travel highlight. The couple winters in Haines City, Florida.