The Grand Adventure Begins

On Sunday, September 14th, I met up with Sue and Fred at Chandler, Arizona where we reviewed and discussed the clothes and other stuff we were taking with us on the Raft Trip through the Grand Canyon.  We second-guessed ourselves on some things. Then I just decided to take whatever would fit into my duffel bag, then when the "dry bag" was being packed at Lee's Ferry, if a questionable item wouldn't fit, it didn't go. I ended up being able to take almost everything and also ended up actually usually almost everything!

Tuesday morning we left Chandler and drove the nearly 300 miles to the Marble Canyon Lodge (near the launch point at Lee's Ferry at the north-eastern border of Grand Canyon National Park). Once there, we got our rooms, had a nice supper at the little restaurant, met several of our soon-to-be fellow travelers, then attended and orientation meeting where we met the other travelers as well as the guides. There were 17 of us in the group plus the six guides. A group of strangers - soon to become friends.

We were given instructions in safety and camp procedures, issued splash jackets and life vests (which were adjusted to fit us properly) and given the black "dry bag" for our personal gear. Once back in our rooms we packed and re-packed the dry bag then tried to get some sleep. A combination of nervousness and excitement kept me up half the night but I did manage to get a few hours of sleep.

Morning came, none too soon actually. Then breakfast. Then at 8 o'clock we all got into the vans and rode the five miles to the launch area at Lee's Ferry.

The big blue tarp would become an important fixture in our lives the next 14 days. It is where our gear would be unloaded every evening and where we would put it every morning prior to loading it back onto the rafts before heading out for the day.

Almost ready to begin the Grand Adventure. 

There were six rafts - two were used for baggage (equipment, personal gear, food, etc.), one was a paddle raft with 6 passengers and a guide, two carried some gear as well as four passengers and a guide, and the other raft carried more gear plus three passengers and a guide.

Finally, the time came to cast off the lines and head on down the river!

Previous Posts in this series:
    ~ Prelude to The Grand Adventure
    ~ It was an Incredible and Amazing Adventure!

Note: I will also be linking to some of Sue's blog posts, as she publishes them, so y'all can read her version of the adventure as well as mine.
      ~ Sue Elliott posted 16 September 2014 ~ A “Grand” Adventure–Getting Ready

Published under a Creative Commons License.
Becky Wiseman, "The Grand Adventure Begins," Kinexxions, posted October 14, 2014 (http://kinexxions.blogspot.com/2014/10/the-grand-adventure-begins.html : accessed [access date])