The Perfect Marriage

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Peach Springs, AZ to Grand Canyon National Park, AZ – 144 miles
Total miles: 932

40 years ago, in 1971, Steve and his cousin Larry Oster did a week long rafting trip down the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon and to this day he still thinks of it as one his greatest adventures. After we married, and in a moment of his humor, he proclaimed that our marriage would be perfect when I rafted the Colorado with him. Well, 37 years later, we finally have the perfect marriage.

The morning started early, sunny and a bit windy, with an hour long drive down an unpaved road to the Diamond Creek put in on the Colorado River. Our driver’s name was Cruz and he was aptly named for his driving skills! We met our fellow travelers from far and wide – Belgium, Iowa, Massachusetts, etc. and we were all equally pumped at the day’s adventure. The one day rafting trip is done by the Yualupai Indians whose tribal lands border the southern rim of the canyon. Our guide, Clint, gamely greeted his five rafters – the Belgian honeymoon couple, the vet from Compton whose wife refused to come, and us – the couple trying for the perfect marriage. Pulling out from shore in the pontoon boat, we hit the first rapids in about 30 seconds and were soaking wet, screaming and laughing, and minus my baseball hat. The air temperature was in the 80’s and the water temperature in the 40’s. For the next hour we alternatively screamed, laughed, shivered, and held on tight. After a short respite and hike up a canyon, we were back on the river and Steve generously gave me his seat in the front of the boat – he must have known that the two biggest sets of rapids were just coming up. After a quick run through the Class 7 rapid – short and tough – we hit the Class 5 rapid which seemed to go on forever – and I bounced off my seat on the edge of the raft onto the bottom and happily stayed there for the rest of the rapid, holding on for dear life. Never wanting to have Steve miss a moment of the thrill, I gallantly offered him his seat back and on the next rapid he ended up on the bottom of the raft also. After lunch, we had a leisurely hour and half on flat water, sunning ourselves on the raft and mesmerized by the canyon walls towering far above us. We passed other rafters, some of whom were from the same outfitter Hatch that Steve used 40 years ago, and he commented that back then you rarely saw another raft on the river. The take out was at Quartermaster and that started the next part of the adventure – a helicopter ride straight up the canyon. Having never been in a helicopter before, this was quite a way to have my first experience in one. It felt like you were hovering like a bird, hugging the canyon wall, rising slowly as if drawn up by an invisible thread. We then spent a short time at the Grand Canyon Skywalk but frankly, after experiencing the natural majesty of the canyon from the river, this manmade extravaganza seemed out of place. A bouncy two hour drive over unpaved roads with Cruz (it's possible he learned his driving skills on the roller coaster at Santa Cruz) brought us once again back to our starting point in Peach Springs. We then hit the road (literally since it was Rt. 66), enjoyed the modern version of Burma Shave signs along the way, and had to make a stop in Seligman, AZ, one of the quintessential Rt. 66 towns, to enjoy dinner in a classic Roadfood café.

So – was getting to the perfect marriage worth the experience? Absolutely and then some! I had such a fabulous time and it was so great to see Steve relive one of his great experiences. Frankly, I even shocked myself by how much fun I had… and how much adrenaline I pumped! The only casualties of the day were my camera and binoculars, neither of which survived the trip in working order, and a few bruises from hitting the deck on the rapids – neither being very serious and all easily replaceable/survivable. Seeing the canyon from a mile deep in the earth is an experience like none other. Neither Steve nor I are religious people but seeing such a magnificent place must give anyone a belief in a cosmic pattern in life. I’m even broaching the idea of doing a week long trip on the Colorado next summer with both Steve and Lauren! Anyone want to join us?

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Photos

Reliving his boyhood on the Colorado River
Steve still dry and warm at the start of the trip - you should have seen him 30 seconds later!

The magnificent Colorado River
It looks so peaceful but beware what's around the bend.

Our raft on the river
Just enough room to relax and scream...but next time I want one you row.

Comments

[Mayzee]

Join you? Sure do.
Don't know about the perfect marriage thing, but it sounds like one, incredible and totally unforgettable experience.