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thebravecowboy
climber
The Good Places
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not my photo, not my trip. but an old friend had a turkey day down there recent-like.
And Tradman, I can tell you that 1) you'd abso love the stillness, the peace of the quietest times down there, and 2) deep down the cukey-cool, methodical ice climber in you would actually really dig the dynamism and quick-action in the rough stuff.
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thebravecowboy
climber
The Good Places
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right in the guts!
nice one DD! that ass-flung drag bag though, ha!
I still haven't hit that one centerline....which, honestly, is inexcusable.
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Delhi Dog
climber
Good Question...
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Glad you noticed that drag bag:-)
I once took my oar boat through Hermit then hiked back up, hitched a ride with our paddle boat and jumped off the bow right into the tongue...13 killer standing waves in a row and I was sailing up and over (and through) them.
River was running about 25,000 cfs at the time. Those waves were pretty big.
Such a sweet spot!
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thebravecowboy
climber
The Good Places
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Now that is some good clean fun, swimming Hermit, sequenced breathing and all. The inevitable S rim shore dwellers probably just aghast. Such a contrast to Hance.
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telemon01
Trad climber
Montana
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My son and I had the good fortune of doing a 280 mile 28 day trip -Lee’s Ferry to Pierce.
This was a David Greenwood expedition. You Californians may know David- he’s the BLM river ranger on the Merced. Flawless planning and execution on David’s part. I rowed an 18’ rig and my son ended up running every named rapid on his river board.
This was days after my son graduated high school a semester early. He finished classes on a Friday, I had him on a plane to Phoenix and then Page on Saturday, and we launched on Sunday. I apologize straight up for all the parental gushing but this was the best experience ever that my son and I have shared -it changed our relationship and it changed his life. I encourage everyone - if you get invited don’t turn down a chance to do a private float on the Grand.
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wilbeer
Mountain climber
Terence Wilson greeneck alleghenys,ny,
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You just helped someone,me.
Cheers telemon.
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Delhi Dog
climber
Good Question...
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...but this was the best experience ever that my son and I have shared -it changed our relationship and it changed his life. The Grand has a way of doing that. Good for you guys!
I encourage everyone - if you get invited don’t turn down a chance to do a private float on the Grand.
I would second that, up to point.
Mrs. Dog and I once were invited on an (only) 8 person trip. It was the summer after our first trip down there years ago which was such an amazing adventure that we jumped at the chance. They needed someone to row a baggage boat so we signed up and were in great spirits.
Long story short...21 days with a couple of whack jobs soured me to "just jump on it if you get a chance" type of thinking.
I know this isn't what you had in mind and I concur that a trip down the Grand is a lifetime experience. All I'm saying is you better know who you're going with. You can't really leave once you've committed downstream:-)
I've since done many more and ALL OF THEM were wonderful.
But, just sayin...
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telemon01
Trad climber
Montana
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I agree with you 100% Delhi- the people in your group make or break the experience.
Thats nice of you to say Wilbeer. You're photos of the ADK's keeps me psyched on that country
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wilbeer
Mountain climber
Terence Wilson greeneck alleghenys,ny,
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Telemon,that’s what makes this place great,sharing lives.
Good too see you getting your son into the outdoor lifestyle.
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tuolumne_tradster
Trad climber
Leading Edge of North American Plate
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Most important thing is to make sure you don't run out of refreshments...
View looking into the Devil's Corkscrew and Pre-Cambrian Vishnu schist on the Bright Angle trail.
Pre-Cambrian Zoroaster pink granite on the right.
Mg-laden spring water of Havasu Creek...~river mile 157
Quaternary basalt flowing off the Uinkaret Plateau down into the Grand Canyon...~river mile 175
Vulcan's Anvil...~river mile 178 erosional remnant of ~550,000 year old basalt lava dam.
Lava Falls...
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thebravecowboy
climber
The Good Places
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Mar 12, 2019 - 06:57am PT
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Geez, Tuolumne Tradster, you act like that place is some kinda geologic wonderland or something. Thanks for sharing...maybe kick up some more of those imageries to get the collective juices flowing? :-)
So, ST-rats and GC addicts, who's got the experience, the free time and $ to fill in my lead boater spot for my 8/19 GC small private oar trip launch ? This will be my fourth trip down, and my buddy's last minute washout as lead boater is kinda a bummer for me... I have a few strong cards up my sleeve, but I'd like to see what interest/availability is here for that slot. I will not be filling the spot with any old oar boater, gotta have GC oarsperson 'sperience (recent, ideally)....and it is a fully outfitted Ceiba trip, a "painless private" with no full groovers to clean out on the tail end (heh), etc., so maybe not the cheapest way to do it, but certainly the least work/prep and minimal time commitment before/after the actual goodness of the GC.
Donini? CMac? Bueller?
Let me know here and I can fill in the details in private.
EDIT: Thanks Norm, you're right. It's been six years since I've been down there, and yeah, Forster it is.
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bobinc
Trad climber
Portland, Or
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Mar 12, 2019 - 07:43am PT
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Nice shot at Forster (oops)! Also like the understated 'large hole here' notification..
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norm larson
climber
wilson, wyoming
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Mar 12, 2019 - 03:41pm PT
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It’s Forster not Foster. August is hot! But the river is cold. Keep your beer in the river. And the bottom of the boat down.
It is a special place, my wife has been a guide there for 42 years. 200 trips rowing. I worked part time for 25 years with a bit less than 50 trips rowing. Eventually we will do a small private, but it’s a lot of work and we have gotten used to a paycheck at the end. :)
Have fun, and yes everyone that appreciates the wild should experience it at least once.it is live changing for many.
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wilbeer
Mountain climber
Terence Wilson greeneck alleghenys,ny,
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Mar 12, 2019 - 04:05pm PT
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Damn,BC ,if I was an oarsperson, I would consider that, I am going to be in the corners in late August, San Juan HTH biking.
Just a kayaker.
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Delhi Dog
climber
Good Question...
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Mar 12, 2019 - 10:08pm PT
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Sure wish I could make that trip tbc
But I'll be back in India by then.
Just a kayaker. Well, can you fly kites?
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thebravecowboy
climber
The Good Places
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Mar 12, 2019 - 10:09pm PT
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Dang, DD, I was trolling for you, obviously. India sounds like a kinda cool little place though too. :-)
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Delhi Dog
climber
Good Question...
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Mar 13, 2019 - 12:31am PT
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Up to 9 different rivers here now. If I stay long enough well...I can do a few more:-)
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Fritz
Social climber
Choss Creek, ID
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Mar 15, 2019 - 08:47pm PT
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I was inspired to scan some fun photos from my 1999 16-day Grand Canyon trip. I signed on with a group of strangers to run a gear boat & took my well-tested 17' Aire Cataraft.
I made some lifetime friends & met some people I'll be happy to never see again, but I kept the right side up & had some fun, despite a dark premonition just before the trip.
In the Late 1960’s & early 1970’s I was a college student at U of Idaho, and was heavily & happily involved in rock climbing.
Spring of 1970: I started having dark dreams & forebodings of death. I was too young to want to think about the meaning of the dreams & thoughts, but I could only relate them to my climbing.
I started being very, very careful while climbing.
The dark feelings of impending death continued.
I seriously considered giving up climbing, and still: the feelings of impending death continued.
May of 1970: my 52 year old father suddenly died of a heart attack.
After a period of grief, my feelings of impending doom & foreboding of death went away.
I did not experience a similar foreboding thought until 1999. I had “hooked-up” with a group of Idahoans for a shared 16-day adventure running the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon.
I was a very experienced white-water boater and I would be piloting my own raft as a gear boat for a company of strangers. Heidi chose to stay home and manage our business.
Just before the trip: the death premonition I had experienced in 1970 came back to me very-strongly.
I analyzed the likely causes for my dark premonition, and could only come up with the impending demise of my 87 year old mother and/or my 50 year old self.
Despite my acute feelings of “impending demise” I “manned-up” and did the river trip.
It was a great trip, and I made some wonderful new friends ------and never had to take a “survival-swim.”
Unfortunately the feelings persisted, and I was very careful. It just seemed wrong to take extra chances, other than those you have to take when rowing the Grand Canyon.
At the end of the trip: the feeling of: ”impending doom” vanished.
My backside & my overloaded cataraft. I never turned extra gear away when folks didn't have room to stow it & that helped make friends.
Me eating a wave in Upset Rapid.
Crystal was the first rapid that scared me, but I was just able to go just right of the hole. This boat didn't & stuck for a while, then the oarsman washed out, but happily another passenger grabbed the oars & guided them out of hell.
Washing machine time.
The boat finally washes out of the hole.
At Phantom Ranch, my boat & I wrote a postcard home to Heidi.
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mcd
Trad climber
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Topic Author's Reply - Mar 15, 2019 - 09:01pm PT
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Wow!!! Such great stories and pics.
thanks so much guys!
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