Day One
After driving eight hours, we arrived in the early morning ready to start our adventure. After meeting with our rafting guides and going through the safety orientation, we boarded the blue pontoon boats and set out on the Colorado River. It was exhilarating-charging through 40 miles of class VII and VIII rapids; hitting holes, going off huge drop offs, and getting completely soaked. We stopped for lunch and hiked out to a natural spring fed waterfall.
The views from the river bottom looking up into the canyon were mesmerizing. We finished our journey and boarded a helicopter for a flight through the canyon. The perspective of the canyon from the air was truly awe-inspiring! We landed on the rim of the canyon and hiked out to the Skywalk which is a horseshoe shaped glass walk way that extends 50 feet off the ledge and hovers 4,000 feet over the river AWESOME!
Safety has always been a personal issue and I was concerned about it going on this trip. The staff provided a safe and supportive environment which allowed me to focus on other areas.
Patrice K.
Day Two
We woke up early and drove down Historic Route 66 on our way to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. We packed up our backpacks, ate lunch, hydrated, and started down the Bright Angel Trail. We hiked 4,000 feet over 5 miles. We arrived in an oasis part of the canyon known as Indian Gardens. We had a small group site reserved and set up our tents. We enjoyed a nice dinner of stew and settled in for the night. We hiked out around midnight to the edge of the canyon and observed the stars which were bright and amazing.
Day Three
We got up at 5 a.m. and put on our headlamps for a 2 mile hike out to the edge of a cliff that jutted out 1,000 feet above the river. We watched the sun rise over the canyon walls which brought hues of orange, red, and yellow. It was very quiet and allowed for some self-reflection time and even some yoga. This was a great way to start the day. We hiked back to our campsite and packed up camp. We spoke about what we wanted to leave behind in the canyon and started the long hike out. We set up camp at Mather Campground and enjoyed S’mores and reflecting on our adventures. The canyon was tiring, yet inspiring.
I had an amazing time. I will remember it for the rest of my life.
Derek G.
Day Four
We packed up our camp and piled into the van. To break up the long drive we stop at random tourist’s traps like, Giant Ball of Twine, Space Balls, and Route 66 sites. At dinner we talked about how the experience impacted us. The revelations and insights were very eye opening and inspiring. This was an awesome trip to one of the most amazing places in the states.
