Just got back from an 8 day rafting trip floating over 250 miles down the Grand Canyon. It was hot, but fortunately when whitewater rafting you get wet frequently to compensate. The water temps in the river are normally about 45 degrees, but this trip they were closer to 60 due to the hot weather. The water started out clear but after a few downstream thunderstorms caused the side canyons to flood, the further downstream we went, the more the water looked like chocolate milk. Since we had no showers, we had to bathe in the river. Drinks were kept cool by dragging them in a mesh bag in the river. Our daily ice allocation was one cube each when we had an “end of day” adult beverage. We slept on cots, with Laurel inside a small tent, while I slept outside under the stars. Unfortunately, just after we arrived in Vegas, Laurel received an MRI report which confirmed that she had a tear in her right rotator cuff confirming the cause of her shoulder pain and leaving her with only one functional arm. My knees are still pretty sore from all the hiking and climbing needed to set up our campsite and visit some of the waterfalls inside the canyon. All said, despite our age related infirmities and rough conditions, this was the trip of a lifetime. There are no words to describe what its like to see the Grand Canyon this way.
Grimes County Texas
