Phone numbers / addresses
Oars vs. motor
Experiences
Private vs. commercial trips
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## Phone numbers / addresses
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For a complete list of companies offering trips within Grand Canyon National Park, write River Subdistrict, Grand Canyon National Park, PO Box 129, Grand Canyon AZ 86023. Also see http://river.ihs.gov
Diamond River Adventures 602/645-8866
Georgie's Royal River Rats
P. O. Box 12057
Las Vegas, NV 89112-0057
702/798-0602
Sleight Expeditions
P.O. Box 40
St. George, UT 84771-0040
801/673-1200
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From: collier@enuxha.eas.asu.edu (Ken Collier)
>From the responses that I got from rec.travel to my posting it >seems that the oar powered trips are prefered. True? I have only >one week and would like to see the whole length which means a motor- >ized trip. How do the two (oar vs. motorized) compare?
Well, I'll give you my BIASED opinion. Oars are the way to go. You are on a smaller boat and therefore more intimate with the river (sometimes too intimate ;-> ). Because there are fewer people per boat you have the opportunity to develop a better friendship with your guide who will be more inclined to give you a better trip (speculation). As you have noted, the trade off is time. The ideal trip is a 21 day oar trip with several 'layover' days for some of the most incredible hiking in the U.S. Many of these hikes can only be taken from river level (i.e., no rim access). Next best IMHO, is a 17 day oar trip. Not as much hiking but you see the whole canyon and there is some hiking (no layovers). To the credit of the motor rigs you will get some hiking in on those trips since they can move down the river as fast as they want to.
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From: (a. m. rushton)
I did the 12 day trip from Lees Ferry to mile 188 by rowing (non-motorized) raft. If you have ~6 days, I would recommend a rowing trip from the Ranch to mile 188. I thought the second half of the canyon was the better half, but I'm glad I did the whole thing.
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From: mike@hpfcso.FC.HP.COM (Mike McNelly)
Oar boats come in two varieties: Oar framed inflatable rafts and dories. In either case the boats are about 16-17' in length. Your guide will do the oaring.
[Editor's note; many trips using inflatable rafts use a combination of oared boats (the guide rows) and paddle boats (everyone paddles, the guide coordinates things), and passengers choose each day if they want to work a paddle or sit back and be chauffered.]
Motorized trips can be in rafts that size but with 12 people I suspect that they're describing G-rigs, which are about 39' long. They're typically a cheaper trip.
Like airplanes, the bigger the craft the more it takes to bump it around. Thus if you're interested in exciting rides through the rapids you'll enjoy the smaller crafts more. If you don't want to get too wet, you'll like the big G-rigs. Both are safe rides, though. Rafting accidents with injuries are surprisingly rare in the Canyon. A clue: most of the guides on the bigger rafts take their private trips on the little ones.
If you take the bigger rafts, be prepared to listen to a motor for 7 days (and smell it). The oared boats are definitely superior if you're interested in serenity but they can't get down the river as fast as a boat with a motor.
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From: rsk@aspen.circ.upenn.edu (Rich Kulawiec)
>Oh, what's the general rec.boats.paddle consensus about this? Eugene, I'm not sure we have a consensus. Well, perhaps we do on one point: I don't think any of us like those mondo motorized huge rafts that ply the canyon and purport to give tourists a 'whitewater' experience. They're noisy, they pollute the air, and they're a hazard to boaters in smaller craft.
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From: rkg@sactoh0.sac.ca.us (Rick L. Gordon)
Anyway my suggestion is an oar powered trip. I have done the Canyon three times on private trips - a 21 day, an 18, and a 14. All were good, but the longer the better. Don't split the canyon into two trips! There are great rapids below Phantom and great scenery, but you will miss the inner canyon Sockdalager, Hance, the Little Colorado, Redwall, Vassie's paradise, Nankoweep, etc. If you do the upper half, you won't see Tapeats, Deer Creek, Crystal, Lava, Horn, HAVASU!!!!!,Matcat, etc.
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From: Jeffrey R Behan
Oar-powered trips are the way to go. Experience the Colorado River on its OWN TERMS. Motor trips use petroleum powered technology to artificially shorten the trip, and are an annoying detriment to the incredible wilderness qualities that most people seek here. The problem isn't that the Colorado River through Grand Canyon is too long, its that American vacations are too short. Motor trips are undoubtedly popular (75% of those who take a Grand Canyon raft trip go on a motor trip) but these companies, in my opinion, cater to a clientele less concerned about wilderness, and happier with a Disneylandesque approach where personal comfort and ease are the primary concerns.
Despite the opinions expressed above, motor trips will be a major factor in Grand Canyon for the forseeable future. The argument supporting this goes: an oars only policy would result in so much competition for campsites (since there would be many more trips on row trip schedules) that overall use would have to be cut back, and the prices for trips, already steep, would rise further. From a purely self interested standpoint, this might be good except for those who would be priced out of the trip entirely. This argument, combined with the economic power of motor oufitters and a political climate biased toward business interests makes for slim chances that motors will be phased out any time soon. (I believe that spreading use out over a greater portion of the year could result in an oars only policy working under present use levels. I can't prove this though, and at any rate my recent conversations with park personel indicate that they are currently not willing or able to take on the political hot potato of eliminating motors.)
Paddle boats, offered by several companies, provide the opportunity to participate in propelling the boat. Paddle boats are run by 3-4 people on each side handling 'canoe' paddles with a guide in back steering and giving commands, in contrast to oar boats powered by a guide who rows the boat her/himself. A word of caution: the Colorado has miles and miles of flatwater between rapids, and can be very windy. Those who sign up for a paddle boat should be prepared for several hours of mainly flatwater paddling every day for many days.
Those strongly opposed to motor trips should go during the fall 'no motors' season, which runs from Sept. 15th for three months. During this time, motor trips are not allowed. September and October are also much cooler than the summer which is, in two words, TOO HOT. The National Park Service may consider implementing a spring no motors season, if enough people call and express support for it...
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From: sbanda@modl01.intel.com (Seenu Banda ~)
I went on a 5 day rafting trip in Grand Canyons last year. The name of the company is something Adventures. If you want it, I can look it up at home.
The trip was great. I highly recommend it to anyone who likes that kind of stuff. If you plan a trip with 50 people I recommend
company's paddlers: through some rapids you need help!
5 day max trip: even 3.5 day trip will give you a good trip through the canyons. For some people 5 days will be too long. Imagine no TV, no phone, no news, no sports.. and add physical exhaustion through constant alternate cold water showers and hot Sun burning in the rapids.
an extra day of rest in Vegas or some place after the trip: you will really be tired!.
You should also go in a nice weather. When it is not too hot and when water is not too cold. Ask the rafting company for details. Of course, you would not be able to plan for storms, especially when you have to plan months ahead. Enjoy!
From: kucera@orion.convex.com (Julie Kucera)
My husband and I went to the Grand Canyon (and many other nat'l parks out that way) last year in celebration of our 5th anniversary, and it was one of the best vacations we've ever had.
I will say that we started planning our trip about this time last year for a early June departure, and many of the places we called were already full. We were both very happy with our choice, though. We went with Diamond River Adventures, because they had openings and because it was one of the more reasonably priced ones.
We didn't care whether it was oars or motorized, though they kinda recommended motorized for a first-timer (which we both were). We ended up going motorized b/c it's the only way we could do a half-river (from the uppermost put-in point (Lee's Ferry?) to Phantom Ranch) in the time we had to spare (we had a lot of other places to see and things to do). We did a 4-day (really only 3.5 on the river, b/c they had to give us time to hike out of the canyon before sundown :-). To do the same distance on oar-powered might be the 5-day you are looking for...
It was nice to do the motorized and be freed up for picture-taking and rested up for volleyball and side hikes when you reached lunch/ sleeping destinations. Something to consider, I suppose...
Diamond River Adventures' phone number is (602) 645-8866.
One other thing -- Diamond did a fair amount of stopping for hikes, etc, and seemed to get some of the best lunch/camp spots on the river. You will see other rafters go by, and they seemed to be in much more of a hurry. Wish I could remember the names of some of the ones that we saw fly by us as we were playing volleyball in Red Wall Cavern (great fun!)... I wouldn't recommend them (personal preference to see and do other things besides just paddle or ride down a river).
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From: stevego@mot.com (Steve Golton)
I took an 8 day (motor powered) trip down the Canyon during August last year. It was the most memorable 8 days of my life.
The company I went with was 'Arizona River Runners'. At the time I booked the trip I didn't have access to this system, so basically took pot luck. The company could'nt have been better. |
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