We had an epic trip down the Colorado River. So much so that we had to break it up into two parts. If you have not read Part 1 yet, you can read that here.

Camping Adventures

We are not the camping type! But we spent 12 nights sleeping outside under the stars on the banks of the Colorado River. The camping was easy because we had company-provided sleeping gear, plus the guides cooked amazing meals for us.

We were served scrumptious dinners of filet mignon, salmon, ahi tuna steak, barbecue chicken, and so much more. There were always fresh salads and vegetables, and incredible desserts too like pineapple upside-down cake, brownies, or s’mores cake.

Camping was not all steaks and wine though. It was hard at times because of the excessive heat that persisted even after the sun went down, sand blowing across our faces at night, thieving ravens that would fly off with loose belongings, and avoiding red-ant nests.

How did you know where to camp?

This was one of the things that impressed me most with our trip leader, Travis. He always had a plan plus several backups for camping. The guides were mindful not to get to camp too early and leave us baking on the shore, so we adjusted our pace to keep us on the water or in the shade as needed.

Camping Schedule

We typically rolled up to a beach in the late afternoon, anywhere between 2-4:00pm.

Everyone pitches in to unload the boats and set up the kitchen. Campers stood in lines and we passed items to each other. Many hands make for light work! Once the stuff is off the boats, campers are free to do what they please. Check out this very short video on our YouTube channel to see a time lapse of unpacking.

At this time of day, it was HOT and the sand would scorch your feet. So I typically grabbed a camp chair and sat in or near the beach for self-proclaimed happy hour.

The drag bags on the boats were filled with various complimentary sodas and bubbly waters for us to enjoy.

If campers purchased beer or canned wine, those cans were marked with their initials and apportioned by trip day. So for us, we had a beer or two to drink every day, plus we got a box of wine to have with our steak dinners. Thanks to Sam from Australia for leaving us some beers. We were all on the lookout for the “bonus” beers marked with Sam’s initials! Cheers, mate!

Then you’re on your own to set up your sleeping situation. Our friend, Allison, picked out our camping spots nearly every night while she was on the upper-canyon voyage. I was worried that we would not do a good job after she departed but we fared well each night except one.

We were at a camp that wasn’t really part of the plan. Corey selected a campsite that was nestled into rocks and trees to protect against the wind. But I learned during “happy hour” that scorpions like to perch in the trees, and rattlesnakes in the rocks, so we moved our stuff to a sand dune with nothing nearby for any critters to hide. The incline was a bit too steep and we slipped several inches each hour during the night. So we were both doing the sleeping bag shuffle all night.

Tell me more about the bathroom…

Okay!

It was pretty easy overall. While in camp there were two options for #1.

• The river
• The pee bucket

While in camp there was only one option for #2. The Groover. Both offered a toilet seat, so a pretty glamorous camping option!

The bathroom setup was usually down a short walkway near bushes for privacy. The guides set up a hand washing station along the walkway with Tupperware holding the toilet paper. The Tupperware was the key. If that’s gone then the loo is occupied.

It was a very efficient setup and not uncomfortable. The best part were the amazing views!

Tell me more about the bathing situation

The river! Seriously.

We were asked to bring earth-friendly soap and shampoo, and bathe in the river channel. Some campsites had murkier waters than others. Some of our camping beaches were located in an eddy and the water seemed to just swirl with silt. Other campsites had clean water but had a swift current.

We also brought a solar shower with us. This is basically a black plastic bladder that you fill with water and lay out in the sun, then wait for the sun to warm it up! It worked great on those hot days and sometimes we had to add back cold river water to make the temperature manageable. To use the shower it must be raised up to let gravity work, and then there is a spigot to release the flow.

At some point I just really embraced river life, and left my hair in a messy bun for about a week. I also stopped shaving my legs and armpits after like Day 4. The river is also where we rinsed our clothes.

Cooking Duty

No campers had kitchen duties. It rotated among the guides. Each day two guides were responsible for breakfast and dinner meals.

All the guides pitched in for lunches. The food was outstanding. Plus it’s so amazing how the food is packed and organized to last through the entire trip.

Starry Nights

This one one of the things I was most looking forward to. Sleeping under the stars!

Night approached quickly after dinner. We were laying on our mats around 8pm each night. Some campers stayed up later to read using their headlamps. Others just quietly laid down. The Canyon walls act as an amplifier in some places so the not-so-quiet snoring sometimes echoed around camp.

I was often uncomfortable sleeping on the ground. The mats provided some comfort but the packed sand underneath takes its toll on side sleepers. As I had mentioned before, the wind was no joke on the first two nights. To make matters worse, my camping pillow head useless. I ended up using one of my packing cubes under it to provide some neck support. All this to say, I did not sleep well. Not well at all.

I would gaze up at the stars above whenever I was tossing and turning or just lying awake. Most nights there were thousands of blinking lights in the sky that twinkled me back to sleep. On occasion the moon would rise and shine on us like a spotlight!

During the first night, I woke Corey up to show him a dazzling light display in the sky. It looked like a scene out of Star Wars or something! There were bright flashes of light like cars on a highway all zooming in the same direction that lasted for approximately two minutes. We thought it was possibly a comet. The guides said it was most likely a star link satellite train. After some googling, I agree with that conclusion. Here’s a link to more information about that.

I did not take any photos of the sky, but take my word for it…the starry nights were a great consolation for getting terrible sleep.

Morning Routine

Cowboy coffee was brewed by a guide each morning in the 4 AM hour. Outdoors Unlimited gave each person an insulated coffee mug that was great for coffee and wine.

Cowboy coffee is heated up and steeped on the grounds, then poured off, leaving the grounds in the pot. Sort of a French press method, without the pressing.

Apparently we were the Seattle coffee snobs and we hope we didn’t put too much pressure on the guides. They used a Flagstaff coffee roaster and the quality of the beans were good. We found the brew to be a bit weak for us, but it was still quite drinkable and great considering how far off the grid we were! Corey talked me out of bringing Starbucks Via instant packets but I wish I had. There was also a nice selection of teas available in the morning and evening.

Campers were alerted to coffee either by the wafting smell of caffeine in the air or by a blow on the conch shell. Note: some guides were better than others on the conch and I loved the chuckles heard around camp when a guide was struggling to make a significant blow.

The conch let us know it was time to get up and slowly start the day. About an hour later another blow on the conch would alert us that breakfast was ready.

Breakfasts were also delicious! Beyond the Greek yogurt, fresh fruit, and cereals/granolas, a hot breakfast was served daily. We ate items like French toast, pancakes, bacon, sausage and eggs cooked to order.

After breakfast, campers packed up their stuff into each assigned bag and the boats were loaded up.

Our posse was on the river by 8 AM most mornings. Why so early? To beat the heat of the sun, which would cause you to melt on the beach if you don’t move on. Plus you have to keep moving in order to make the 280 miles down the river.

Friendships

Camp time was a great time for chatting and connecting with others while sipping on wine or chowing on steak. At the end of the upper trip, Allison started a sharing circle and each person took a turn in sharing a highlight. It was the last night for about half of the folks. It was a special crew that all felt that special outdoorsy bond.

You know what I’m talking about.

Part of the amazing experience of rafting through one of the largest canyons in the world, is finding common ground with perfect strangers that have a different background than you. It’s about listening and sharing in a back-to-basics fashion.

Thanks to all of the awesome rafters and guides on this trip for all the fun conversations and good times!

The Adventure After the Adventure

So, how does one leave the Grand Canyon?

There are lots of ways out, but as we mentioned before, our take out spot was Pearce Ferry at Lake Mead.

Because of the historically low water levels at the lake, the end of the river looks and feels different than before. Prior to Hoover Dam, the river continued its course after it exited the Grand Canyon, complete with additional sets of rapids. With the creation of Lake Mead, those rapids were submerged and went away. But with the waters receding, a new and difficult rapid has been created just past Pearce Ferry, making Pearce Ferry the last safe point to take out. Because the river’s current stops when it hits Lake Mead, our last day of travel was on a jet boat, which took us from Separation Canyon to Pearce Ferry.

The jet boat arrived the night before to pick up some of the guides and equipment. It also dropped off our luggage and some ice cream and cold beverages!

The boat returned the next morning and we all loaded up for the last time. We covered about 50 miles of the river in two hours. At one point the boat slowed down and we got to see the Grand Canyon West skywalk observation deck way off in the distance. This significant glass walkway was tiny from our angle!

We speedily got to our take out point and I felt some relief and sadness. There is nothing else like waking up to the sounds of birds chirping, water rushing by, with giant cliffs towering over you.

So we scampered to shore for the last time. We boarded a school bus that took us about a mile through the dry lake to the former take out point.

There we were greeted by a different bus which was our final transportation leg of the day, back to Las Vegas. We crossed over the Tillman Bridge and had a great view of Hoover Dam and Lake Mead. Please note in the photo below, the white part of the cliffs is the receded water line. That is a ton of missing water!

Summary

So that’s what two weeks of rafting and camping looked like. I avoided a sunburn and injury! Huzzah! Except I did get really chapped lips, probably from the sun and wind.

Corey mildly burnt the tops of his feet on Day 12 (the one day he forgot sunscreen) and stubbed a toe on Day 8 (walking through camp without shoes, a no-no). It was pretty purple and swollen for a few days. We both experienced recurring nosebleeds from the dry desert elements. Our two weeks acclimating in Vegas in advance was helpful, but didn’t help with how dry it really is!

It was a fantastic trip and we had so much fun. I don’t feel like we wasted any moments in the Canyon. I would absolutely go on another multi-day rafting trip somewhere else in the world, but we probably will keep this itinerary as a “once in a lifetime” experience.

Please check out our other posts (coming soon!) about this trip:

• Packing List
• How We Picked This Trip
• 5 Things I Learned While Rafting Through the Grand Canyon

Does this sound like a trip you would go on? Let us know in the comments!