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!
Pearce Ferry – Mile 288. The crew wakes up at first light, and we load the boats on the semi-truck. We’re usually a little sunburned, a little stinky, and pretty exhausted. The truck drivers help us load the boats – it’s always great to see a familiar face. We load up in the trucks and tell a few stories – about the rapids, the people or the weather. I am usually ready for a nap at this point! We have a quick breakfast in Kingman. Jennifer at El Rancho knows us all by name and pours some hot coffee. It feels good to eat a meal that was cooked for us! It’s a few more hours back to Flagstaff, then the work begins. We’re lucky to have a great crew of warehouse helpers. We back the boats into the dock and start unloading. Whoever gets to dump the garbage will inevitably wind up with some of that sticky pickle juice on their clothes and hands. Fortunately – we don’t have to dump the toilets! Hallelujah! (Those go elsewhere to be dumped and cleaned.) Then we divide and conquer. Someone stays on the docks to pressure wash the boats, boxes and larger gear. If I get lucky, I get to wash the dishes and reload the kitchen boxes. The rest of us tackle the duffel pile and then the tents – which need to be set up, inspected, and dried out. TJ is great with the motors and gets to work ASAP if they need some work! Oftentimes the equipment will be going back out the next day, so it’s important we get everything in good shape for our fellow guides! If we have an efficient crew, we usually finish cleaning up in the afternoon, and make plans for a sushi dinner to celebrate! Civilization – ready or not, here we come!