GRAND CANYON

[LDMGOLD]

Terry:

She has booked three of her trips with Arizona Rafters out of Flagstaff. The eight day raft trip covers all expenses. It is approximately $300 a day per person. I have run river three or four times with Tour West. We have used these two companies because when my life is in somebody else's hands I want to be sure they are sober at all times on the river. Given a little time my wife will look up there information pamphlet. If you call them they will send you and excellent brochure with just about any information need and I am sure their website has the same information. Some good advice is to try and find cancelations at a discounted price. They offered my wife fifteen days on the river in a Cataract boat for $2,500 including trip insurance, etc. Sharon is very knowledgeable about these river trips from an experience point of view. They observed a lot of phenomenal history of the canyon and also wildlife. Don't take an expensive digital camera. My wife's camera got submerged in the Little Colorado River. It ruined the camera, but her SD microchip was fine. Her insurance replaced her camera for $10.00. If you need more information we would be glad to help you. Terry, it is a trip of a life time, but it is not for everyone. The big rapids scared the hell out of me. Sharon found them exciting and wild. That would not be my interpretation of Horn Creek, Crystal or Lava Fall rapids. On her first trip down the Colorado River she broke her shoulder in four places, however her fall didn't occur on the river, but on a rough hike up into Travertine Fall Canyon. She continued her trip on down the river and reported back to her own doctor without anyone being the wiser. She just doesn't complain. Her doctor really raised hell with her saying she should have been helicopter evacuated out of the canyon the first day. It is probably more dangerous to wander around on the side trips. There are a lot of scorpions and rattlesnake on those sandy beaches. I think she saw two of the rare Grand Canyon rattlers.

Terry, I probably got carried away with this information. All I can say again, is "it is the trip of a life time if you love the desert." Say have you ever done the Cabeza Prieta trip from Ajo to Yuma on the Camino del Diablo (Devil's Highway)?

Take care,

Tom K.

[reptilist]

Thanks for the information Tom!
Very interesting!

Like you Tom, I'm pretty darn worried about big white water too....
I'm more inclined to ride a small ship through the inside passage I think.

http://www.pacificcatalyst.com/index.htm

I have not driven the Devil's Highway, but I have always wanted to see Baboquivari spring.

[LDMGOLD]

TERRY:

Believe me I have a tremendous respect for white water when the holes are almost twenty-five deep and they almost swallow a thirty-three by sixteen foot raft that weights in at 3,000 lbs. I think my wife compared those white water rapids to a very safe roller coaster environment. You never know for sure what a rubber raft will do; it is always dependent on the skill of your operator. One time I actually witnessed a thirty-three foot raft flip in Crystal Rapid when the operater the a big hole head on. People and gear where thrown all over. Nobody drowned, but a lot of cameras were lost and other equipment. I will admit it is rare when one of those large rafts go out of control.
Last summer my wife's raft he a large boulder in Horn Creek Rapid and busted their wienie tube. A couple of patrons were injured. Sharon survived just fine being prepared for the impact. The Colorado River through the Grand Canyon have some of the largest and most dangerous rapids in the world especially at low water somewhere between 17,000 and 28,000 cfs flow. However, it is still the adventure of a life time. I often compare the river with the movie "UP". If you haven't seen it take a look at it some time.

Take care,

Tom K.

[Vulture]

Tom,
Great pictures and even better information Another pat on the back for the wife. Sounds like she is a super woman and you are blessed to have her.

[yuccahead]

LDMGOLD, there's nothing like running a river and the Grand Canyon's on my and my wife's list for sure. Fine photos by your wife, hope to see it in person someday.

[LDMGOLD]

My wife thanks all of you for your kind remarks. She loves that river. She has a friend that is seventy who lived in Texas. She had run the Colorado River every summer for the past thirteen years. That is quite an accomplishment considering the cost. Terry we are up your way quite often. Sharon would love to share her exploits on the river and what it is really like. She thinks I am to dramatic about the danger of those white water rapids, especially the larger ones. My email is posted, if your interested let us know. We are up your way quite often. She has a niece we visit in Pima all the time. Her mother was born near Safford in 1916.

Again thanks to everyone for the kind remarks and have a great week.

Tom K.

[michael]

More more. No need to stop now. I know she has more than two pictures.

[LDMGOLD]

Hi.....Here is another one of the raft trip photos taken at Vassey's Paradise. This is a beautiful lush vegetation site with a large water fall or falls. We hope you enjoy.

Tom & Sharon Kollenborn

[cubfan64]

Great photo - those waterfalls just seem to appear out of nowhere!!

Have you and your wife ever been to the Havasupai Reservation? I've seen some photos of the canyons and waterfalls there and they look amazing!! It looks like a photographer's heaven!

[LDMGOLD]

Hi....

Yes, we have visited Havasupai a couple of times. Here is a photo of Red Wall Cavern. This cavern is large enough to place two football fields inside of it. My wife and I have both eaten lunch here before. I ate here in 1971 and she ate lunch here in 2008 and 2009.

Thanks for the comments. We really enjoy this Desert USA site.

Tom Kollenborn