Grand Canyon Video
Video from my recent Grand Canyon trip with my 11 year daughter. Her second time down the canyon, and she has done other big river trips. But I was nervous because she was the only kid on the trip, other trips she has at least had her sister if not other kids. She loved it. […]
Grand Canyon 2025
I’ve been blessed to find myself with invites to row the Grand Canyon 3 years in a row. This year the invite came from Michael Picker and Nini Redway, and I was eager to accept. It was just Margot and I this year, but we joined a crew of 14 others and had a fantastic […]
Scorpion
Scorpion story: After rigging our rafts the night before launching down the Canyon, we went to Marble Canyon Lodge for dinner. They have a gift shop, and Margot fell for a stuffed scorpion. She said ” I hope we see a scorpion!! “ Me: “Well, pretty good odds of seeing one, but let’s hope it’s […]
House Rock
This is House rock rapid, one of the first big rapids encountered. Those rafts are 18 foot rafts for scale. I was too far left and we very nearly got swept off the boat, but I caught the oar tower on the way out and managed to stay in the boat. Sonya and Margot were […]
The Gorge – SF American
I love Junior Guides Rafting Summer Camp for all the fun and confidence building it provides for the girls. I also love it because it’s a great chance to meet and hang out with other like-minded parents, who often run off and go paddling during the day while the kids are doing camp. This summer […]
Junior Guides Raft Camp
Jr. Guides Raft camp! A favorite. It’s a three day raft camp aimed at teaching some raft guide skills to kids. That’s little Margot in the guide seat in the first two photos, with the white helmet. Hazel in the black helmet in the last photo. There were several times during my kind of nuts […]
Rafting Near Kyoto
I’ve been enjoying our Asia trip, but it’s definitely been a fair bit city focused. I was seriously feeling the need to “touch grass”, so I signed the girls and myself* for a half day trip rafting. It was about 45 minutes by train outside Kyoto. The river was pretty, and we really enjoyed swimming […]
SF American River Compilation
This dam-controlled stretch offers three exhilarating runs: the exciting Chili Bar, the scenic Coloma to Lotus, and the breathtaking Gorge. With easy access and dependable recreational releases, this river is a must-visit for both seasoned rafters and newcomers alike. We’ve been a bunch of times over this years, and this is a compilation page for those trips.
Little Colorado River Video
Hazel’s big request for our trip this year was to revisit the Little Colorado, and her big wish was that we’d get the amazing blue colors. Lucky enough, there was no recent rain and we had a fun time swimming and exploring.
Hance Rapid Upset – Video
GC rapids use a different rating scale than most Rivers, 1-9 instead of the traditional 1-5. Hance is one of handful rated an 8, one of the first hard rapids you must navigate, and longer than most. I swear the GoPro makes rapids look tiny compared to how they feel! I started the rapid where […]
Lava Falls
Lava Falls is one of the higher rated rapids on the Grand Canyon, and a clean line is normally celebrated. Hazel was nervous and rode with my friend Geno (who has an anti-flip device on his raft). But Kim and Margot braved it with me and we had a successful run.
Paddle Rafting Chili Bar and The Gorge
A very fun couple days hanging out with and paddling the SF American with good friends. It was their first time paddle rafting! I got to try something new this past week. Although I’ve kayaked extensively for decades now, and I’ve done a fair bit of rafting at the helm of an oar raft*, prior […]
Jr Guides Raft Camp 2024
We had some friends join us this year, which was super fun. Jr Guides Raft Camp is an incredible 3 day rafting experience for the kids. Although their is always an experienced instructor/guide in the raft, they truly put the kids in the drivers seat and teach them to guide the rafts. The girls have […]
Grand Canyon 2024
In June 2024 I was able to help put together a trip for a 19 day journey down the Grand Canyon. It was my third time down, Hazel’s second, and the first for Kim and Margot. We had some excitement when I put the whole family in the river in the famous Hance rapid, but […]
Grand Canyon 2024 Photos Best Of
My Adventures In Arizona – By Hazel
Hazel had an assignment to write a “narrative story” for school. The teacher told her to focus more on making the story exciting than worrying about accuracy, so some of the details are off a bit. But I liked the story. By Hazel: My Narrative My Adventures In Arizona “Are we there yet?” I asked […]
Grand Canyon 2023
After years of looking for a trip, I got an invite for myself plus one for a trip launching July 2023. Kim wasn’t available, so I asked Hazel. She was game and before long we were driving out to AZ. I was honestly pretty nervous about rowing the Grand Canyon. Although I have done a […]
Green River – Desolation Canyon 2021
We had a fantastic trip down desolation canyon in Utah. Due to craziness at work we drove literally through the night to get there on our launch day, and launched in the afternoon Friday. We spent a glorious full week on the river, doing some hikes, tons of swimming, and just enjoying being out […]
Desolation Canyon
Desolation Canyon and Grey’s Canyon in Utah is a gorgeous stretch of river, running through canyons very reminiscent of a scaled down grand canyon and with similarly scaled down rapids, mostly class II and a couple III- at the low waters we had. We spent 7 days paddling, swimming, eating, and camping. We’ve been quarantined […]
Klamath River – Rocky Point to Happy Camp
After months of sheltering in place, we finally escaped to the Klamath River for an unforgettable adventure. With our 16-ft raft, we navigated exciting Class II and III rapids, introducing Hazel and Margot to whitewater thrills. Wildlife abounded—bears, deer, and bald eagles accompanied us. We camped under the stars, enjoying fresh produce from our garden and the peace of remote sites.
Middle Fork Salmon River
Experience the thrill of the Middle Fork Salmon River, a true gem among western multi-day rivers! Our unforgettable journey began with a challenging road to the put-in, followed by 5-6 days of breathtaking paddling through stunning scenery, all while enjoying great company and delicious food.
Green River – Desolation and Grey Canyon Section
The Green River, through Desolation and Grey Canyons, is a gorgeous trip, with amazing scenery, camping, and fun rapids. I kayaked it over 6 days this year, and had an amazing time. A great time following in the footsteps of Powell on a spectacular river in one of my favorite areas of the world.
5 Day River Float on the Lower John Day + Climbing at Smith Rocks + The Oregon Mountains
John Day River A few months ago, my old climbing buddy Brian emailed me. I hadn’t seen him in 8 or more years, but we’ve stayed in touch. He’s retired from climbing these days, but has taken up rafting with enthusiasm. He was listing his plans for the next few months, and I invited Kim […]
Cache Creek with Paula and Erol
Kim and I headed over to Cache Creek today. We met our friends Paula and Erol. They were renting a small two person raft to join us. It was a gorgeous day, with lot’s of sun, and a good amount of water. Paula and Erol seemed to struggle a bit at first to get the […]
Peru – Geoff’s Story
In 2007, we had a fantastic trip to Peru. This is Geoff’s story about the trip. Make sure you see Kim’s as well.
Peru – Photos – The Big Album
We took a lot of photos in Peru, here is the “Best Of” Album. Look also for the Food albums, Flora and Fuana, and the Big Album.
Grand Canyon
Kayaking the Grand Canyon has long been a dream of mine, but private permits are tough to get and commercial trips are expensive. The journey was filled with laughter, stunning scenery, and incredible food. Each day began with the sound of a conch shell, followed by hearty breakfasts and exhilarating paddling through breathtaking landscapes.