Whitewater rafting in the Grand Canyon of the Colorado River.

Have you ever wondered what it might be like to take a white water raft trip through the Grand Canyon? I have done just that on several occasions quite a few years ago and I am here to tell you: it is fabulous. There are no wrong ways to make the trip; all are good. But some are better than others. It is a matter of time and money applied to the adventure of a life time. A rowing trip down the entire 285 mile length of the Colorado River in the Canyon can cost as much as $5300.00 and take 18 days. On the other hand, motor trips are less expensive and will take less time. No matter how you travel the River, all trips have in common the one thing that no trip can provide because it is already there waiting for you: you will experience the awesome size and majesty and solitude of one of the most impressive places on earth. I know what I am talking about.

For my money, an oar trip is the ultimate way to do the Canyon. It is also requires the longest time and is the slowest which accounts, in part, for the fact that it is also the most expensive. Who said that the best things in life are free? Sometimes the best truly costs more. Here are some of my reasons for recommending an oar trip over a motor trip.

Quiet. Yeah, there is no motor noise to form a background to each day. If you have not experienced the wonderful silence of the Canyon, this is not a big deal. However, if you have hiked into the Canyon from the Rim, then you understand what I mean. Oar boats make no sound. You become a piece of flotsam drifting downstream just as logs have drifted for countless ages. It takes only a very short time before you move into a totally different level of existence from where you were the week before you got there. For my money, the motor brings the urban world with you into a place where it simply does not belong. Drift in silence, my friend.

Small Groups. Oar boatmen are pretty strong but they can't row a large boat with a party as large as those on the motor rigs. An oar boat party has to be small to fit on the boat. Wow! Write that bit of wisdom down! But it makes a huge difference. The small size of your group promotes the intimacy of the experience. You can enjoy the Canyon in a large group environment but it is difficult to get a feeling of "aloneness" with the rocks and the River.

The "Ride" is better. Of course you all know that the Colorado River is a long series of rapids which provide the excitement of white water experience. It is not hard to appreciate the fact that the smaller the boat the more exciting the ride. The motor rigs usually simply plow into a rapid and power their way through. Oar rigs require the boatman to "read the water" and to navigate the best route through a rapid. But even the best (that is, safest) route through the roaring river is filled with rises, falls, and waves that crash over you. It is an adrenaline rush to say the very least. I once paddled a little five foot long inflatable though major rapids and I can still feel the thrill and remember every detail. This is one case where less is more.

Unity. Perhaps I repeat myself now, but in a small quiet boat you start to acquire a feeling of oneness with the most amazing place you will ever see. You move from seeing through experiencing and from experiencing into understanding. It is truly a mystical experience.

As I said above, there are at least 16 companies that can take you on a trip through the Grand Canyon. You can them listed here: http://www.nps.gov/grca/planyourvisit/river-concessioners.htm

I can promise you that any of these will give you a fabulous experience and the time of your life. But I would suggest that a long oar trip might also change your life.