Battered, bruised, and looking downright pitiful, Wesley had seen better days. By 2015, near the end of Wesley’s storied career at AzRA (Arizona Raft Adventures), this once-gleaming white-and-blue aluminum dory, standing 18 feet long and 6 feet wide, looked less like a sleek river vessel and more like a crumpled soda can after a rough…
A fun story by guest contributor Patricia “Patch” McCairen To help us kick off our 60th anniversary celebrations this year, we asked the AzRA community to share memories from the past. We’re starting off with Patch’s story! You can see a post about her solo Grand Canyon adventure which is linked below too. It’s always…
Scorpions in Grand Canyon If you’re rafting through the Grand Canyon, you might encounter one of its most infamous desert dwellers—the scorpion. While their sting can be painful, serious health issues are rare. The key is knowing how to avoid them and what to do if you come across one. Where Do Scorpions Hide in…
The Majestic Flow of the Colorado River: A Lifeline Carving Through the American West The Colorado River, a lifeline of the American West, winds its way through breathtaking landscapes, sculpting deep canyons and providing sustenance to millions of people, wildlife, and ecosystems. From its humble beginnings high up in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado, the…
How Rattlesnake Got It’s Name: A Grand Canyon Tale By Sharon Hester It was a warm and pleasant moonless July 2nd night at river mile 74, an unnamed camp back in 1981, when Kim Klapper (name changed) awoke. He had an urgent uncomfortable feeling, and knew he had to head quickly to the “Groover”. This…
The Story of the Earliest Inner Grand Canyon Painting, Discovered in a Small English Country Auction In 2021, Graham Ratcliffe, discovered a painting that had come up for sale at a small country auction, in England’s Lake District, that took him totally by surprise. It was of the stunning painting of the inner Grand Canyon, where it…
Paddling the John Wesley Powell Route: Exploring the Green and Colorado Rivers is a new guidebook that combines a condensed retelling of the dramatic 1869 Powell expedition with color photos and trip information for the entire 1000-mile river route. In this interview, author and photographer Mike Bezemek tells us about creating the book and rafting…
What do Apollo 11 and Grand Canyon have in Common? Written by Kaelin Zielinski | Featured Photo by Steve Koppel July 20th, 1969, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin did a small thing of stepping off a ladder onto a dusty, lonely land, but when they stepped off of Apollo 11 onto the lunar surface, they…
Chuckwallas in Grand Canyon by Sharon Hester. Featured Image by Sam Rodar “We saw a gila monster!” This statement is occasionally heard on river trips in Grand Canyon, but what was seen is most certainly a common chuckwalla, which is in the iguana family of lizards. Although, gila monsters have been sighted in the Diamond…
Grand Canyon Birding Tips by our in-house birder, Sharon Hester We have quite a few guests each year travel with us who are interested in birding while on their rafting adventure. The most common wildlife you’ll see in the canyon are birds. We thought it would be helpful to share just a few Grand Canyon birding…
