On 9-11 I was in the Grand Canyon – Thank God!
As I type this , I think of all the things that were going through my mind on the night before our Colorado river trip down the Grand Canyon. I am sure each of you can appreciate these: “Did I bring enough clothes ? Did I bring too many clothes? What about the weather, is it going to be cold or hot at night? Film, do I have enough film? Is my camera going to be OK? What if ft gets wet, will I be able to dry it out and still take pictures? Hat, someone said I should bring a hat, what kind of hat? Sun block, don’t forget the Sun block. Rain suit, wet weather gear, is the water really that cold? Are we really going to get wet? What are the other people on the trip going to be like? Will we all get along or, have to take a vote and kick someone overboard (OK , at least think about it)?”
The next morning, there we were, introducing ourselves to each other and trying to get those darn life vests on right!! We boarded the Hatch raft and began our six and a half day, two hundred mile descent down the Colorado River, from Marble Canyon at Lee’s Ferry. We got our safety briefing from Captain Markonie, known then as “Mark” , And the number One Swamper “Laura”. “Our safe and sturdy Hatch raft will carry us through the most magnificent scenery in the world. Gliding past sheer canyon walls and racing through thundering rapids, you will enter a timeless world. At trip’s end, below Lava Falls, you will ascend to the canyon rim by helicopter and a scenic airplane ride to Bar Ten Ranch”; (Commercial over). As we passed under the Navajo Bridge’s and were off, we heard tall tales about “Ronald and Nancy Raven”, space ship fueling, docking stations and a Navajo called “Richard”, that had a rock formation named after him.
We heard the tremendous stories of the Wesley Powell Expeditions. Our human history also included stories of Native Americans, such as the Anasazi “The Ancient Ones” , the Hopi, the Hualapai and the Havasupai. Oh, less we forget the Spanish Expeditions.
The Geology of the Colorado Plateau and the Grand Canyon could have been a trip all their own, but Mark highlighted natures wonders that were for most part visible to us either at river level or on the numerous hikes we took. One of our crew (nicknamed the Fossil) has a geological background, and this added an even more personal spark of interest in the geology for us all.
However , what truly made this a trip to remember was the camaraderie that built among us all as we “sashayed” down the river. With the news of what happened on 9/11/01, our bond of friendship seemed to grow stronger. We were all able to keep our chins up, pray and give thanks to God to be In the Grand Canyon . We hoped for the best and enjoyed the moment. We would wave at Ronnie as he flew by knowing Nancy was not far behind. We laughed and carried on like kids with a new toy ( after we became accustomed to the 42-degree water). The screams of excitement and some of fear (only on the b-b-b-b-big rapids), I'm sure we could be heard all over the river. Some were more vocal than others !!!
Being an artist each night I would sit in my chair by the river and try to capture the magnificent scenery at sunset . One night, I could not , the moths were ten times more numerous then the bats; so at midnight I did my drawing by moonlight, in my tent with a cup of wine. I know now this body cannot sleep on the ground, in the open; but this kid from Brooklyn can sleep in a tent or on a cruise ship. I now know why my daughters Laura the Swamper and Dawn the Oarsmen , leave the rest of the world behind and have the experience of a lifetime on the most beautiful and exciting river in America.
On the last day, as we gathered our things together, there was sadness and a sense of urgency to get back home and make sure all was OK on the home front. As the chopper landed and took us out first, I looked back and with a smile thought to myself , we couldn’t have asked for a better group of people to spend this last week with on the Colorado River. What a blessing!