The Grand Canyon

I haven’t ever been away from civilization for more than about a week.  In this day and age, I hardly ever spend more than a day or two away from email and cell phones and social media.  There is a part of me that enjoys being able to interact and keep in touch with people so easily, but there is also a huge part of me that detests being plugged-in 24-7.

When my buddy Wade gave me a call this fall asking if I would be interested in floating down the Grand Canyon with a bunch of his law school buddies, I said "Hell yeah!"  The trip would last for three weeks, cover 280 miles of pristine river, and start just after Christmas.  Thus, the trip was the catalyst that lead to my departure from BD in mid January.

I spent much of November and December getting gear together and making preparations.  When I finally met the whole crew on the boat ramp a few days before New Year, I knew I would be in great company.

The confluence of the azure waters of the Little Colorado with the emerald waters of the Colorado

We brought plenty of beer and lots of delicious food and the trip went off without a hitch.  Fun was had by all and the weather was stupendous - not a single drop of rain the entire 22 days.

The Deer Creek sanctuary

During my time in the canyon, I made a lot of great friendships, survived the largest navigable rapid in the United States, and got my head straight for the voyage to come.

When we got back on dry land, we found to our surprise that the world was still spinning, North Korea hadn't invaded, and the brilliant stars that we'd been gazing at for the past three weeks had suddenly disappeared.   I'd do it again in a heartbeat.