In the Winter of 2006, I was fortunate enough to paddle with one Mr. Brooks Hinerman. He told me that he had applied for a Grand Canyon permit. My ears perked and I sweetly mentioned that if he had room on his permit that I would LOVE LOVE LOVE to go. Well, fate would have it that just a few months later he was awarded a permit for July of 2008! I immediately put my deposit down and prepared for the next two years for a 16-day trip with 15 other folks. It was well worth the time, the wait, and the money.

It really was the trip of a lifetime and I would go back in a heartbeat. On Sunday, July 6th, I flew to Phoenix, AZ and got picked up by Tonya and Stuart Everett and Brian and Natalie Pickett. We headed straight for the South Rim via Sedona, Oak Creek Canyon, and Flagstaff. It was well worth the four hour drive to see the Grand Canyon. It was the most impressive thing I have ever seen. It is just overwhelming how big, wide, and deep it really is. We drove back to Flag and had our first get together with everyone (minus Toebben who was still on a plane from Alaska). The next morning we loaded our gear into the PRO van and headed for Lee's Ferry. Once at Lee's Ferry, we inflated the boats, tied on the oar frames, packed the oar frames, and lastly loaded our personal gear. That all took a few hours. Then we went to dinner at the Marble Canyon Lodge for our last meal before the trip started. That night, we all froze and wondered if we'd all come under prepared. Thankfully, the temperature never got that cold again on us.

When we set out from Lee's Ferry, the water was about 50 degrees, crystal clear, and moving quite swiftly. This was the beginning of a 16 day journey that I wasn't quite sure how it would turn out. It ended up being one of the most amazing trips I've ever been on. And I made some wonderful friends along the way. We all figured out the system with some help from the more organized folks in our crew and everything fell into place. We all knew what needed to be done and pitched in to get it done.

As you'll see from these pictures, there were so many amazing stories, awesome side hikes, incredible views, moments of boisterous laughter, and just pure joy. I would go again in a heartbeat. I hope to do it again in 10 years or so and hopefully with some of the same people. I know this trip isn't for everyone but if you get a chance to do it - you should!