Dale Says

For seven amazing days in June 2008 we rafted on the Colorado River in Arizona. This trip through Marble Canyon, Grand Canyon, and Lake Meade left an indelible impression and has given us a greater appreciation of our world and lives.

It was not a comfortable journey. We were restricted in what we could take and we slept on the sand, peed in the river, and pooped in a can. The days were long, the nights short, and the weather so hot that a drenching of ice-cold water from the many rapids actually felt good. But the views made up for the inconveniences. Day after day we floated through majestic canyons, hiked to beautiful waterfalls, and lived in union with nature in one of the most unique places on earth.

We were fortunate to share this experience with a group of friends who loved it as much as did we – people who pitched in to help make it a shared journey of discovery. We were also lucky to have guides who love the river and who shared with us the history and lore of the land and of those who came here before us.

This was an amazing and wondrous trip for many reasons and it has held our focus since we returned. I’m proud of us for braving the elements, casting aside frills, and spending a week of our lives with the earth. And I’m pleased to have shared a week with a group of old and new-found friends. There is now a permanent bond between us that is rare and wonderful. We loved our guides! Their passion for their work and their love of the river made a lasting impact on us. Most of all, I cherish the opportunity to have gone below the surface of the earth and back a million years to view a slice of the world we live on.

Life can be complicated and times are a mess. But for seven days in June, on the Colorado River, life was reduced to its bare essentials – no more complicated than being with friends and living with the world.