Grand Canyon Rafting
Deseret News

Swim-Class Dropout Braves World of

Adventure: Colorado River Trip Leaves a Wealth of Colorful Impressions.
By Ann Whiting Allen
Deseret News Staff Writer

I was a swimming class dropout and only learned to snorkel when attached to a float. The water I like best is hot and comes from a showerhead. Later I scored zero on "adventure" in my graduate school aptitude test.

Why, then, would a confirmed landlubber like me risk it all and tackle a white-water river run?

A question I asked myself a thousand times before I packed for Grand Junction, Colorado, and a three-day junket through Westwater Canyon.

A requirement for work, I explained in a feeble attempt to convince myself I'd made a responsible decision.

But the river lured me into a voyage of discovery related to that encountered by John Wesley Powell in his initial explorations of the river. Even the intrepid explorer shared my apprehensions in his journal, where he wrote:

"We have an unknown distance yet to run; an unknown river yet to explore. What falls there are, we know not; what rocks beset the channel, we know not; what walls rise over the river, we know not. Ah well! We may conjecture many things. The men talk as cheerfully as ever; jests are bandied about freely this morning; but to me the cheer is somber and the jests are gastly."

Apprehension turned to comfort as the rhythms of the river drained my fears. Surrounded by stark walls of rock, I surrendered to the power of the water.

That magical power infused me with a sense of discovery, an hourly unfolding of unforeseen adventures and observations such as:

  • Daring adventurers explored a reverse sinkhole burrowed in the sandstone and left a guest book signed by river registrants for years.
  • A pair of miners molded a rock hut on the desolate cliffs of Horsethief Canyon high above the river.
  • Bank robbers built a hideout, complete with wood-burning stove and pine bough beds, and lived there for nearly a year before one escaped with the loot, leaving the second to be captured, shot and buried nearby.
  • Camping without a tent during a rainstorm quickly separated veteran and novice campers. (I didn't know I should transfer my ground cover from under to over my sleeping bag.)
  • Even the juicy news of the National Enquirer failed to capture the long-term attention of "groover" (portable-potty) users.
  • White-water rapids demonstrated the dual power of rocks and river. A gaping hole amid the current sucked rafts into the depths of Skull Rapid, the most intense on the roller-coaster section of water. Three hours of bumpy territory produced giggles, screams, cold showers and the ultimate statement of success by the youngest member of our crew-a double high-five through Funnel Falls by 8-year-old Anna Gardiner.
  • A backyard hot tub miserably compared with the dawn-kissed warmth of a Colorado River bath.
  • A five-gallon bucket armed for a water fight weighed much more than my full mop bucket, but was much more exciting to empty.
  • College students transformed into river guides shared geology lessons, excerpts from history, outrageous jokes and boundless enthusiasm for exploration.
  • Flat water soothed the soul.
  • Hearty gourmet food exploded from coolers, grills and Dutch ovens. As if by magic, unnoticed cargo grew into multi-course meals, including shrimp cocktails, bananas foster and lemon-peppered chicken.
  • People, regardless of education, background, religion or philosophy, shared a section of water and time, then discovered a common bond that transcended their diversity. The language of the river speaking, a language easily translated.

NOTE: Westwater Canyon is a three-day multisport trip on the upper Colorado River, beginning near Grand Junction and ending at Cisco. Westwater's unique geologic formations highlight the route. An exciting whitewater run, including the aptly named Skull Rapid, inaugurates the voyage, while an off-road Hummer Safari and Horseback Ride add to the fun. Each night you will return to the comfort of a riverside ranch.

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