rafting the colorado river

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.