OhD Loc: West Richland, WA

Karen and I rafted the Grand with a party of 14, mostly friends and a few extended friends/family in May. We had a 37' mothership with outboard power and three oar rafts. Tour West conducted a great trip - very proficient, knowledgeable guides and great food. We did a lot of hiking. A few of the party hiked quite a way up Stone Creek, where I found the first two, and the whole group walked up National Canyon to the chockstone pool where the third was perched.

MSW

cool looking photos!

nimbushopper Loc: Tampa, FL

tcthome Loc: NJ

Sounds like a fantastic trip. Nice photos.

UTMike Loc: South Jordan, UT

Excellent work, Dennis!

Earnest Botello Loc: Hockley, Texas

Very good set.

Curmudgeon Loc: SE Arizona

Great shots. I really like the first one.

OhD Loc: West Richland, WA

Thanks all!

dreff Loc: Bow, WA

excellent!

ShelbyDave Loc: Lone Rock, WI

Gorgeous tack sharp shots.

Paul Diamond Loc: Atlanta, GA, USA

Thanks for sharing great images. Glad you were able to keep your equipment dry and working.

OhD Loc: West Richland, WA

Me too - I rode on the support boat some of the time and kept my good gear in a Pelican box tied down on top of the cargo pile where I could get into it easily between rapids, and get at it to put things in my backpack for day hikes even if I was riding one of the oar boats. No harm done...

docshark Loc: Millersville, PA

I was away from UHH for awhile Dennis and I missed this post. These are wonderful shots of some beautiful dragons and damsels. That must have been the trip of a lifetime. It would have been for me. My buddies had their kayaks shipped out there and ran the canyon but they always went when the could get off of work in the fall. Of course I was back in the classroom. That was back when I was young and stupid and addicted to adrenaline. If you are interested your Odes are:

1. Aztec Dancer (Argia nahuana)
2. Flame Skimmer (Libellula saturata)
3. Red Rock Skimmer (Paltothemis lineatipes)

>i< Doc

OhD Loc: West Richland, WA

Thank you. Rafting the canyon with a guided party in oar rafts and a motor cargo raft is pretty thrilling, as much for the scenery as for the rapids, but it is not particularly challenging for even a moderately fit passenger as long as you have sound legs and can be comfortable enough with some awkward seating. They afford you, if you take at least a 12-day trip (helicoptering out from the Whitmore Wash area), plenty of opportunities for hikes, 1 - 3 per day and a fairly leisurely evening on a beach every night. You are expected to chip in with unloading gear and to set up your own cot or tent, and one might find the toilet arrangements, ever-present fine sand and some shared compromise of modesty/privacy a little discomforting, but most folks find those trivial compared to the beauty of the place, the pleasure of the shared experience and the quality of the food. One can usually ride the motor raft if you want to prioritize photography over wet fun for part of the time. You'll need a good dry case for gear and facility with handling it all in less than ideal circumstances but it's quite doable. I recommend it highly as a bucket list item for any nature photographer or outdoor enthusiast. I will post a link to photos from the trip (my second) on UHH soon.