Support Thyself: Part 3 of my Grand Canyon Adventure

The last days on the river were fantastic, even though there weren't rapids like day 4. We were just living our nomadic life, moving downstream, taking in the beauty of the canyon. Discussing our plans to return to this awesomeness next year.

It felt like I went through a period of detox, too. The culmination of the food, the exercise, the remoteness and the raw beauty of the canyon brought a sort of detoxification of the body, mind, and soul. I felt better than I had in a very long time.

The people on this trip were no less than amazing and a big part of what made it so great. We were made up of a bunch of random connections and no one knew everyone. We all got along great. Nick shared his surplus of food and previous knowledge of the Canyon, Bill brought music, Carl supplied our groover wrench and so much support, Sam - thanks for pulling me out at Crystal.

Our crew had quite a variety of dinners, with no group dinners. On one end of the spectrum, some folks ate freeze dried meals from Mountain House and Backpackers Pantry. On the other end of the spectrum, Mike and Carl had fresh vegetables and eggs (they brought two dozen eggs each) at nearly every meal as well as quinoa and dehydrated beans. Others brought meals like annie's and tuna or rice/noodle packets with fresh sausage. For my meals, I brought a dehydrated black bean chili with tuna fish packets. Also, instant brown rice with powdered coconut milk, curry paste, and a packet of tuna fish. I liked my meals because they were satisfying and required little to no cooking or preparation, but more fresh vegetables, meats, and eggs would have been nice (though I'm still not sure how worth the effort they are for me personally).

I liked the Rogue 9 quite a bit for this trip. While the guys did refer to my boat as a "playboat" due to its small size, it got the job done. I had enough room for everything I wanted to bring, with a decent groover set up. The skeg was the best. It helps a lot in the flatwater and cuts through the boils like butter. I was able to secure everything well and lost nothing when I swam. Next time, I will definitely bring the foot pegs regardless of whether or not they fit in the bow at the get on, as things get compressed after paddling a few miles.

Recommendations?

11 or 12 days. 10 days was awesome, no doubt, but we didn't have a lay over day. It would have been wonderful to have more time for hiking or just chilling out soaking up the beauty of the canyon.

Food wise - some folks brought a thermos for daytime tea, which was quite nice. I wished I had brought more hot chocolate because I ran out, and it was a comforting item to have each night and morning.

Gear wise - Don't forget a groover wrench. We only had one for our entire crew, and another would have been nice. Maybe we got lucky with the weather and critters, but I think a tarp setup would have been sufficient and saved some space. I brought extra shoes for hiking / making it to the river to pee at night, and this was too much... they were barely used and unnecessary, probably because we didn't do any long hikes or have any layover days. A pair of crocs would have been better.

Experiencing the Grand Canyon is the trip of a lifetime... the one that always felt out of reach.  I figured you always needed at least 3 weeks off from work and a raft crew, but no!  With a boat like the Rogue, you can do the trip in less time and carry everything you need!  I can't wait to get back in there!

See you on the river!

Jen