My two-day experience with the Hualapai River Runners, the only rafting company on the Colorado River owned and operated by Native Americans.
Tucked aside in the northwest corner of the Arizona desert , the Hualapai Reservation consists of roughlyone million acresof land , a 108 - stat mi reach of which lies in the south of the Colorado River . Within its boundary , you could line up mountainous desert canyons , plateaus , grasslands , and even a Joshua Tree woods . But most of all , it ’s considered a gateway to the Grand Canyon .
And for me , it was even more than that — a gateway to one of the best whitewater rafting experience of my life .
My first night on the reservation was at the Hualapai Lodge in Peach Springs , Arizona , the administrative main office of the Hualapai multitude , who number about 1,300 . It ’s filled with aboriginal American artwork ( course ) , and a colorful star sign make up court to Route 66 since Peach Springs is off of the historic westerly highway .
Rafting the Grand Canyon|Courtesy Grand Canyon West
The whitewater raft head trip itself began the next morning , when we met betimes in the lobby to load our personal belongings for the two - day excursion . We stuff our things into dry dish supplied byHualapai River Runners , theonly raft company on the Colorado River possess and maneuver by Native Americans.(Costsfor one - day trips start at $ 429 per someone , and two - day trips at $ 799 ; reservations may be accept on the same Clarence Day , depend on availability . )
A bus plunk up our group and drove us to the bottom of the canyon . After an hour ’s ride down a bumpy gravel road full of washboard and desert views of blossom cacti and red rock’n’roll cliffs , we finally arrived at the river launch point . There were 14 guests in all , plus four river pathfinder for the duration of the trip .
Two plastic blue rafts and gear were awaiting us . For most of us , it was our first time4,000 feet below the rimof the Grand Canyon . The tantrum was surreal — the canyon wall hulk above us , and the sound of the Colorado River fill our ears . It was a cold spring morning with temperatures in the high-pitched 50s . It had rained the nighttime before , and the clouds were just beginning to part . Ultimately , the prognosis call for the desert passion to reach the low 90 .
The rafts for the excursion|Photo by Ashlee Fechino
Scott Dietrich was the lead template for my sauceboat . Though not part of the Hualapai Tribe , he has spent years guiding river trips in Arizona and Nevada and is an expert waterman . He recognize our crew with a big smiling , wearing sunglasses and a beanie while being decked out in his life jacket and rainwater gear . To quickly get everyone ’s attention in my boat , he joke , “ The better we larrup together , the more probable we are to remain in the sauceboat . ”
Cody , a fellow member of the Hualapai Tribe , was the lead usher for the other raft . He aid pass on out aliveness jackets and paddles . McCary and Laura , also fellow member of the Tribe , were in accusation of the giant train peck , which was equipped with a motor , alleviating the need for canoeist .
We were instruct never to stand in the water , and if we did indeed fall out of the boat , to feign like we were sitting in the piddle with our feet up and pointed downstream to avoid potential foundation - entrapment scenarios . Because , in the result you should strike out of the wad , you never want your substructure to get trapped between rock or rubble lest you require to swim .
River Runners on the Colorado River|Courtesy Grand Canyon West
The first day include paddling through a few set of different rapid . In between , though , there was flat water , so you could slack a short between paddling . Overall , the plan for Day One was to coggle and float around 12 miles . Day Two would dwell of motoring ( i.e. , no paddling expect ) 30 nautical mile downstream on bland water to the nearest take - out point .
We spent most of the daylight trying to paddle in unison , with Dietrich meekly shouting out for us to “ dig ” as we charge into tougher waters . The swell were huge , sometimes towering over the raft and us . Around mid - day , we stopped for a quick 30 - moment hike to Travertine Falls on the south side of the river . climb up the smooth and sloping rocks with ropes and the steep areas with ladders , we put down the cornerstone of the falls , where the urine pooled as clear as drinking pee .
We ate a picnic lunch on a sandbar with hulk cliffs above us . I was glad to dry out and enjoy my turkey sandwich on gluten - free bread with salt and acetum chips . It was blistering and sunny now , so I cut down a blasphemous Powerade as well . Then , we suited back up and glided a few Swedish mile down the river until we hand our backcountry camping spot for the night on a dissimilar sandbar .
The author|Courtesy Ashlee Fechino
Once there , we created a fervor line so everyone could aid unload the rafts . Everything call for to arrive off our watercraft — food , piddle jug , tent , sleeping bags , sleeping pads , camp chairwoman , a portable lav , personal dry bags , the camp kitchen , and the handwashing place .
The portable potty was a metal bucketful with a plastic privy tail that you sit around on to remedy yourself . We were instructed to utilize it — and only it — when nature call . It was tucked away in the green Tamarisk tree for secrecy . Human waste , along with normal trash , must be pack out of the Grand Canyon . Because of the desert climate , bury human waste does n’t break down as quickly and could aid degrade the canyon . And so , once you leave camp , the portable toilet is sealed up and taken out of the canon to be empty after the trip .
The next dawn , I awoke up at daybreak , and grab a loving cup of camp coffee as I watched the canyon flex gold with sunshine . We aim down our camp , ate some testis , Baron Verulam , and potatoes , and load up our rafts to drive down the river to the take - out point .
Toward the end of the solar day , we floated by theGuano Cave . It ’s best known for two things : 1 ) from the 1930s until the late fifties , it wastheplace to regain squash racket guano ( aka bat feces ) , which was used in everything from fertilizers , to dynamite , to makeup ; and 2 ) its represent geographic zenith , Guano Point , offers some of the most prominent views of the Grand Canyon ’s West Rim when you ’re at the top of it .
And yet , as I look up at it , I could n’t help but think about how lucky I was to be on the ground floor rather .
