To be a Grand Canyon River Guide ....

I think it's hard to explain to people exactly what I do, so I'm going to show you a little of what goes into a trip.

The night before we rig, we have to get ourselves down to Fredonia, Arizona, which is about 5 hours away from Salt Lake. Luckily there's a bunch of people that live in SL or Orem so we can carpool, or else that commute would kill me. Most everyone goes home in between trips, because unlike Moab, there's not that much to do in Fredonia. Well, I take that back, Zion is only like 45 minutes away (I'm there now) but most everyone is married or has stuff to do at home, so they all go home, and it's so hot. Anyway, we get to the warehouse the day before then start rigging the next day.

We get all the food boxes and coolers out and load them with ice that will last 8 or 9 days, and all the food for 28 people.

Then we load 4 frames, and boats into the truck on one half, then all the food and gear in the other half. Luckily we have a winch to help us out, because everything is super heavy. It takes two people to carry the coolers even when they're empty. It's like playing Tetris trying to get everything to fit in the truck, and everything has a spot.

Then we drive to Lee's Ferry, about 90 miles, and get out all the rubber, put on frames and blow them up. Then we back the truck down the river and one at a time, unload everything from the truck to the boats. It takes about 4 hours at each end. We then hang out and do all the finishing touches, and bathe. And let me tell you about this bath. The water is beautifully clear, unlike up in Cataract Canyon because it is all coming out of the bottom of the Glenn Canyon Dam. However because of that it's a freezing 47 degrees. No matter how hot it is, it still takes your breath away and gives me a brain freeze by the time I get the conditioner out of my hair. It takes some serious bargaining every time:

"OK, it's time for a bath..."

"But it's so cold! I don't want to" said in an extremely whiny voice.

"I know, but it's worth it, you'll feel so much better after, and you'll sleep better, and let's be honest... you stink"

"We'll you're right, but, but..."and at that point I just have to jump in off the back, no wading in, just jump. It sucks but really is totally worth it.

Anyway, we go to dinner somewhere at Marble Canyon, then sleep on the boats. The next morning, the people fly in to a little landing strip, and we meet them there after we've eaten breakfast and had our last couple minutes of hang time for the next 8 or 9 days. Go down to the boats, everyone loads dry bags, asks 100 dumb questions, gets life jackets and we get loaded on the boats and head down stream. Now the river trip has begun. It feels so good once we get on the river finally. We camp anywhere on the sides of the river and do side hikes to cool waterfalls and up really neat canyons along the way. Here are some of our main stops:

Red Wall Cavern

Nakoweep

The Little Colorado

Deer Creek Falls
(and check out this video of Deer Creek from last summer, it changed things so much between my two trips I did down there.)

and everyone looks forward most to Havasu.

Here's the pumpkin

But, the main part why the Grand has been a good step up is the rapids....

This is Horn Creek and the video is Hermit

They're hard to get good video or pictures of, but they are so fun. I'm learning how to drive them, and my TL this week says he's going to let me drive most everything. I'm pretty stoked/nervous!

So, after all that excitement, one of my main jobs is the set up the toilets. They're the best lou with a view ever. These spots aren't the best ones, but you get the idea. We set up one indoor and one outdoor every night.

After that and the kitchen get set up we have to keep working really hard when we pull into camp (Ben really is working hard, putting the second motor on the boat to go across Lake Mead, but not too much I can do but sit in the water that by the end of the trip has warmed just enough to want to hang out in it like this for about 10 minutes) We do get a little break from the peeps in between the boats and cooking and camp. I guess I don't really have pictures of us cooking, but we do a lot of it.

Then, after 6 or 7 days we dress up on the last night, (sadly, I can't find this dress from last year) and serve shrimp cocktail. The next day is the hardest for me, because those people helicopter out and new people fly in for another three day trip, and we have to be all excited and new and sharp for them. I just usually need at least 10 minutes, (or preferably a couple hours) to drive the boat and regroup a little. We do another couple days with them, and the last morning a jet boat comes and picks them up and takes them the last 40 miles on a jet boat across Lake Mead, because even with two motors it takes us another three hours. We get the boats ready, play around a little of course, pull up to South Cove where the semi truck is waiting for us to do everything in reverse. After a bath in the now 80 degree water, three people pile in the cab of the semi (there's a bed back there) for the 8 hour drive home and the other 5 guides fly back to Fredonia. The next morning we open the truck, take loads of stuff out, spray all the food boxes with a high pressure washer, clean out the toilets (definitely not the fun part) and put everything back where it should go for next week.

The rig and derig and the exchange day suck, and some trips can feel really long depending on the crowd, but for the most part, it's really great and I love it. I'm tired all the time and I just want to sleep when I'm off the river, but it's worth it. Here's a picture from just one of many great morning scenes. (and check out my new ditch boots that I love! I really hate getting my feet wet in the mornings, and these have been amazing!) So, there it is ... I actually do work.