Summer Fun

[Veronica]

Sounds like you're enjoying your summer too, Irulan.

This Grand Canyon trip was the first time I've ever slept under the stars. Our lowest temperature during the day was 102, high of 110!, and I don't think nights dropped below 70. Silly me, I forgot to pack my prescription glasses, and I had to borrow Thom's - our eyes are close enough for short term - to see the stars.

We do our trips with OARS. It would be cool to do one on our own, but it's a skill set (and gear) we don't have. But, hey if you ever want ballast on one of yours... we can cook and do dishes. One of our guides was 60 years old and just a really cool dude. He lives in Murphys, lower foothills, fairly close and reminded us that we have some good rafting in our backyard. He said after the Grand Canyon, his favorite trip was the Middle Fork of the Salmon. The guides on our Hells Canyon trip really liked that one too, so it's now on our "list." We found out that the gear boats on the Grand Canyon trips are manned by volunteers - all they get are tips. It made me wish we had brought more cash. It does give them the experience they need to become guides, but boy is it a lot of work, since they also cook and clean! Another guide has a physics degree from MIT and a Masters , I think, in geology. Our day with her was really informative and she gave me a tip about a good book to read - Physics for Future Presidents - very interesting and readable. It was a really fun trip.

Veronica

[Irulan]

OARS is a good outfit. DH guided for them way back in his errant youth. In fact, he was a tanned river god ahem I mean guide with long golden hair when I met him. Shoot, DH probably knew that guy way back when. It sounds like a cool lifestyle, but keep in mind it's seasonal low income work with zero benefits and no retirement plan. People do it because they love an excuse to sort of get paid and be on the river; certainly not to get rich. It's one way to get started: rowing the garbage scow or gear boat. However - we have found that guides get cocky. Just because some had been down only one or two rivers 30 times does not make them an expert boatman, any more than riding one or two mountain bike trails over and over and over again make you an expert rider.

It's his passion and I get to join the fun. You are absolutely correct in getting the skill set and the gear requires a commitment. He guided for several seasons, and after he quit ( he couldn't take the customer service aspect of the job lol) he bought an old army surplus boat and we've slowly worked our way up the gear and experience food chain over the years. If you really love it, one way to look at it is that with one paid Grand Canyon trip for the two of you, you could buy a boat and join a club to get started. I think Friends of the River out of Sacramento is the main Norcal organization.

We had temps up to 117 in the shade, sounds like you got off easy.