Rafting

North Canyon Rapid offered a quick jolt of excitement tucked into a beautiful stretch of the canyon. As we approached the mouth of North Canyon, a clear side stream joined the Colorado, feeding energy into the flow and setting up a short, spirited wave train. The dory glided into the rapid and immediately lifted over a set of crisp, breaking waves that smacked the bow and sent cool sheets of water across the deck. The current moved fast here, but the lines were clean and intuitive.

24 Mile Rapid rolled in as a fun, straightforward wave train that gave us another taste of the river’s steady momentum. The Colorado flowed wide here, channeling into a series of clean, evenly spaced waves that rose and fell with a smooth, rhythmic motion. As we dropped in, the dory rode high on each crest before sliding gracefully down into the troughs, the bow cutting through the standing waves with ease. Cool splashes broke over the sides and the steady hiss of moving water filled the air, echoing softly against the canyon walls.

Hance Rapid was our first true giant, a roaring stretch of whitewater that had our full attention long before we even dropped in. As we approached, the river widened and the gradient steepened sharply, with the Colorado tumbling over a jumbled maze of rocks and powerful, surging waves. From the dory, we could hear the deep, steady rumble growing louder, echoing between the canyon walls. We scouted carefully and chose our line, knowing the consequences here were real.

24.5 Mile Rapid followed close on the heels of its upstream neighbor, delivering another lively stretch that kept us on our toes. The river narrowed slightly here, tightening the current and stacking up a series of choppy, irregular waves. As we entered, the dory rose and dipped quickly, the boat flexing with each shift in the water beneath us. The waves slapped against the hull at sharp angles, sending bursts of cool spray across the deck and splashing against our legs. We stayed light on the oars, making quick adjustments to keep our line smooth as the current pulled us downstream.

House Rock Rapid delivered the first real surge of adrenaline on our trip down the Colorado. As the canyon walls squeezed in, the river quickened, curling sharply left and funneling us straight into a line of surging, frothy waves. A heavy lateral wave heaved in from river right, roaring as it crashed toward us. We lined up cleanly, the dory lifting high on each crest before slamming down hard into the troughs. Cold spray blasted over the bow and the smack of water echoed off the sandstone walls. We gripped tight and rode it through, hearts pounding and faces grinning.