Grand Canyon Whitewater guide Troy Booker started his life as a farm boy but has been running the Mighty Colorado for more than 20 years! Here's his Arizona rafting story, in his own words:

"My first trip down the Colorado River in Grand Canyon was in 1990. I grew up in a corn field — I had paddled canoes back in the Midwest on rivers and lakes, but this was my first time in Arizona and my first time doing a river trip. It just blew my mind.

My favorite part about guiding is watching people change over the course of the trip, slowly getting into the groove. They come in not really knowing anything about the river or the Canyon but, before you know it, they’re into it. They enjoy the place; they start to understand it. They remember what it’s like to be part of the planet. It’s cool to see people get back to basics.                                                                                    Photo by Jonas Wright Hogg

And, I have to admit, it’s a lot about the people I work with. I love the people I work with. It’s a unique situation — you get really close with these folks. I’ve been friends with (fellow guide) Jeff Pyle since the early 1990s. The people I work for and with have really made me smile, to see that they still dig it and enjoy it.

My goal when I left the Midwest was to work outside. I think I am lucky to work in such an incredible place as the Canyon. In the off season, I get my fix of outdoor activities by working at a ski resort in Colorado and as a fly fishing guide."

Photo by: Jonas Wright-Hogg