On Friday, September 3, I got a surprisingly early text from my mother that read “Call me when you can. I have an exciting spur of the minute trip opportunity for us.” As soon as I saw the message, I knew where we were going. See, my mother has been talking for as long as I can remember about wanting to raft in the Grand Canyon. That’s the only trip I could think of that would warrant such early morning excitement.

Mother/Daughter Adventure - Day 3

The timing was less than ideal for me… With Hill Country Nights barely over a month away, and the unsettling news that most of the Hill Country documentary had to be re-shot, I felt needed at the office. And frankly I was open to excuses to keep me from going on the trip for reasons that now seem so ridiculous that I wont share them.
But after a quick conversation with George and a long trip to REI, I found myself packing for a five-day rafting and camping trip in the Grand Canyon.

The trip was arranged as follows: depart from Austin bright and early on Saturday, September 11, fly to Phoenix and bus to Flagstaff for the night. Sunday we drove about 90 miles to a place called Lee’s Ferry where we boarded rafts. For the next five days, we would average 20 miles a day on the Colorado River, (a debate for another blog!) for a grand total of 87 miles on the river and four nights in tents. On Thursday afternoon, we would arrive at Phantom Ranch, a lodge in the base of the Canyon, and spend the night in cabins, preparing for a 10 mile, nearly 7,000 feet of elevation hike to the rim.

16 Brave Women and 6 Patient Guides

But honestly, forget the schedule. I only include it to set the stage. Here’s what really happened. On Saturday night, we arrived in Flagstaff and met the 14 amazing women who would be joining us on the adventure. Women from all over the country who had been planning this trip for two years (two years!! I don’t know what I’m doing in 6 months, let alone 2 years!) These women will be role models for me for the rest of my life. They set such an example of kindness and love, and following your dreams, and chasing your sense of adventure, and that doing something for yourself occasionally doesn’t make you selfish. One woman with us was celebrating her 60th birthday (which makes her twice my age!) and she was as adventurous and dedicated as everyone else in the group. Some were wives, most were mothers, all were strong.

Throughout the five days on the river, our six river guides worked tirelessly to make everything perfect. Their selfless attitudes and generous spirits made every passenger feel protected and included all throughout the week. The guides showed me that wealth and influence can take on different forms than we are used to in downtown Austin. These men and women were rich with life experiences I can only dream about, and powerful forces against life-threatening circumstances because of their respect for the river and the canyon and the history. All of this was revealed through their passion, and it got me thinking. What do I care about with that same enthusiasm?

This pool was at the top of one of our hikes.

Before I left Austin, Butch Smith (HCC Trail Project Manager) told me I would never be the same. I didn’t have that expectation for the trip, but I appreciated the sentiment. But as I write this blog from the bus on the way back to Phoenix, I think Butch would be impressed with what I am taking with me.

A strange thing happened while I was on this adventure.  The beauty of the Canyon brought on a sense of responsibility that I haven’t felt before.  There’s no denying the magnificence that surrounded us during that five-day journey, but its easy to take  the glorious environment we live in every day for granted.  The more time that passed, the more beautiful my memories of things like Hill Country thunderstorms and the sunset from my front porch became.  And all of a sudden, I feel like the luckiest person in the world because I see/smell/hear the beauty that surrounds me in a whole new way.

The view from the top

I made friends on the trip that I expect will last a lifetime, with several of the women and the guides. I learned that feeling validated by your work comes from within, and that wanting something and having a goal can be the same thing. Strong relationships can make and keep you comfortable (even in unfamiliar settings). And even though I sometimes forget it, I have an amazing mother. Without her, none of this would have happened and I would be exactly the same person I was 8 days ago.

- Andrea

P.S. There are too many antidotes to include in the blog, but here are a few things that may help you visualize our trip a little better…

- The river is Fifty (50) degrees, so bathing was a bit of a challenge, even though the water was crystal clear.  It went something like this: Hold your breath, jump underwater, squeal as you run back to shore, soap up your body, jump back in, and frantically get as much soap residue off of your body/hair as possible in 3 seconds or less.

- I was wildly impressed with the food the guides served us.  Eggs made to order (for 22 people!), French toast, Chicken Courdon Bleu, chocolate cake (!).

Scouting a rapid

- Each day, we spent 2 to 3 hours hiking somewhere in the Canyon when we stopped for lunch.  The picture above was from one of the hikes, and I wish I had taken better notes because I can’t remember names for any of the places we went, but All of the hikes were worth doing, and there was always something breathtaking to see, so if you go yourself, don’t miss any of it.

-  The Canyon walls become so steep that towards the end of our trip, we only saw the sun for a few hours in the middle of the day.  It wasn’t dark like Alaska but the sun was just beyond the edges of the cliffs so we spent a lot of time floating in the shade.  (The same was true of the moon at night.)

- The banks of the river are surprisingly sandy.  I wasn’t expecting them to be beaches, but more dirt, grass, etc.  On a related note, there is an entirely different strategy for playing washers in wet sand than on dry dirt.  Need to practice before my next trip.

Advertisement