Grand Canyon,White Water,River Rafting,Arizona Adventure,Running Rapids,River Running
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  White Water in the Grand Canyon  
   

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Shinumo Falls at Mile 109.

Rivers have a special place in the human mind.  They provide sustenance, location, pleasure and danger.  They also have a special place in literature, often as metaphors for discovery; from Joseph Conradís The Heart of Darkness to Norman MacLean's A River Runs Through It. 

This site documents a river trip, the incredible experience of The Trip of A Lifetime down the Colorado through the Grand Canyon.  Twelve and a half years in the making from the time of the initial application to the time the run took place, it was an exceptional experience.  Organized by Brian T. of Phoenix Arizona, the trip was held from June 7, 2004 to June 23, 2004.

The vital statistics of our trip:

  • Seventeen total days, sixteen on the river;
  • Two hundred and twenty-six miles of river;
  • Twenty-four people, sixteen at a time with an 8-man exchange at Phantom Ranch;
  • Ninety-seven rated rapids, over eighty-five unrated riffles and rocks;
  • Four 18-foot inflatable oar boat rafts and one 16-foot paddle boat;
  • Millions of years of the earthís history; and
  • Priceless memories.

In many respects, this trip was a trip of discovery:  Of self, of the canyon, of friends.  We discovered courage.  We discovered fear.  We discovered strength.  We discovered teamwork.  Fellowship.  Jealousy.  We formed a Union (The Grand Canyon River Runner's Union).  Most of all, we discovered what is inside of us.

It was a trip of self-fulfillment.  A journey leading to the actualization of one's own abilities, endurance, companionship and zest for life.  Mostly, however, it was a trip of joy; the joy of experiencing the sublime power of nature in shaping the world around us.

The story unfolds on these pages.  Enjoy.

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