One of our super talented guides, Chelsea A., wrote this guest blog for us about some of her experiences on the river. If you’re curious about a guide’s perspective, read on!
The passengers leave us at about mile 225 [or mile 187, on a 7-day trip]. They hop off the boats and walk out of sight within minutes. Then it’s just the crew. We’ve got a long day of driving ahead of us. Full speed ahead. We take the side tubes off the boats, deflate them, roll them up in the hot sand, and heave them onto the rafts. We tie the boats together and begin the last leg of our journey. The boatmen take turns driving and napping. We put up our umbrellas, soak ourselves with river water and stare into the sun as we relish that great feeling of accomplishment. We thank each other profusely, because it really is a team effort every step of the way. Then we put on some music and take a little time to reflect, and rock out. If we make good time, we can usually take a break or two to swim or scramble up a random side canyon. Dinner is usually some sort of trip leftovers – burritos, spaghetti, or steak, and of course Pringles. At mile 280, we hit the Grand Wash Cliffs and the Grand Canyon ends. Just like that! When we reach Pearce Ferry at mile 288, we tie up the boats for the night, and start mentally preparing ourselves to re-enter society. Every trip has its ups and downs- but when it’s all said and done, it really is a beautiful thing.