rafting the colorado river

We are going on the 6 day/5 night float in late August thru the GC for 188 miles. Report back when I get back!

7craneway wrote:
can anyone share there experance rafting the colorado river

In what state Colorado, Utah or Arizona?

We did a 9-day Lower Canyon Hybrid trip with this company:

http://www.canyonexplorations.com/

To begin this trip we had to hike down the Bright Angel Trail (7.5 miles) from the Grand Canyon Nat'l Park. We replaced the group coming down from the Upper Canyon. They had to hike UP the 7.5 miles. Hiking down was bad enough...it's extremely steep.

We did the trip in May and had crystal clear water the whole trip. If you do it later in the monsoon season, you might have muddy water because of all the streams pouring into the river. In May it got to 100 degrees. Other months will be hotter.

The food was great, including steaks. We were issued tents but only used them the first night and then slept under the billions of stars.

You're not in the boat all day long. You can do hikes to beautiful spots, including waterfalls and swimming holes. There's a lot of history to be learned and the guides were well informed. They made it a special trip.

We lucked out and had a group of 50+. We were hoping not to be with a lot of teens. :)

We had oar boats and a paddle boat - nothing motorized. We wanted it quiet.

It was the most awesome experience of our lifetime. If you have the time, definitely do it.

azdryheat wrote:
We have only done the slow moving, no whitewater rafting that starts at the Glen Canyon Dam at Lake Powell and concludes at Lee's Ferry. It is a beautiful, tranquil experience that shouldn't be missed.

We did that trip, too, and enjoyed it tremendously.

7craneway wrote:
can anyone share there experance rafting the colorado river

Where?

jrp wrote:

7craneway wrote:
can anyone share there experance rafting the colorado river

Hmmm, How long of a book do you want? the Colorado is a long river, can you be a bit more specific?
I've rafted or kayaked down Gore Canyon, Glenwood Canyon, Westwater Canyon, Cataract Canyon and the Grand Canyon; all sections of the Colorado. Some of those I've done dozens of times, others just once or twice. several summers I worked as a safety kayaker for commercial rafting companies, rescuing clients who fell off a raft in the middle of a rapids. Its been several years since I hung up my paddle & oars. but some of those rapids are still etched in my memory.
Some are 1 day trips, some are 7-14 day trips. If you have the experience & equipment you can do it on your own as a private trip with friends, or you sign up for one of the many commercial trips and just show up and hang on. Some sections require a river permit in advance and the number of permits allowed is far less than the demand. The commercial rafting companies get the majority of the permits, but a small amount of permits are reserved each year for private trips.
If you're planning to go on a commercial raft trip, do some up front research on the companies history & safety record. This is a case where the cheapest is not always the best choice. If you fall out in Lava Falls, you'll wish you paid a bit more to have an experienced crew. Especially on a long multi day & night trip through the Grand Canyon, the quality of the equipment, guides & food, can make or break the experience.

I have not done the Colorado but have done several thousand miles floating rivers. I would say this is very good advise.

7craneway wrote:
can anyone share there experance rafting the colorado river

Hmmm, How long of a book do you want? the Colorado is a long river, can you be a bit more specific?
I've rafted or kayaked down Gore Canyon, Glenwood Canyon, Westwater Canyon, Cataract Canyon and the Grand Canyon; all sections of the Colorado. Some of those I've done dozens of times, others just once or twice. several summers I worked as a safety kayaker for commercial rafting companies, rescuing clients who fell off a raft in the middle of a rapids. Its been several years since I hung up my paddle & oars. but some of those rapids are still etched in my memory.
Some are 1 day trips, some are 7-14 day trips. If you have the experience & equipment you can do it on your own as a private trip with friends, or you sign up for one of the many commercial trips and just show up and hang on. Some sections require a river permit in advance and the number of permits allowed is far less than the demand. The commercial rafting companies get the majority of the permits, but a small amount of permits are reserved each year for private trips.
If you're planning to go on a commercial raft trip, do some up front research on the companies history & safety record. This is a case where the cheapest is not always the best choice. If you fall out in Lava Falls, you'll wish you paid a bit more to have an experienced crew. Especially on a long multi day & night trip through the Grand Canyon, the quality of the equipment, guides & food, can make or break the experience.

We have only done the slow moving, no whitewater rafting that starts at the Glen Canyon Dam at Lake Powell and concludes at Lee's Ferry. It is a beautiful, tranquil experience that shouldn't be missed.

7craneway wrote:
can anyone share there experance rafting the colorado river

I have rafted the Colorado River through Grand Canyon 7 times. I have also rafted all of it from Moab, UT several times along with most of the tributaries. What kind of info are you looking for?
RichH

I would do a Google search which has a wider audience.