Looking for a deep adventure?
Then, I invite you to join me on the adventure of a lifetime as I challenge the Colorado River rafting through the heart of the Grand Canyon in the height of the Spring snowmelt.
The Grand Canyon is one of the most spectacular natural wonders on earth. It is 277 miles (446 km) long, up to 18 miles (29 km) wide, and reaches more than a mile (6,000 feet/1,800 meters) deep. The canyon has been formed as the uplifting Colorado Plateau is sliced by the Colorado River and its tributaries. It is so remote that in the 1800’s it was believed that dinosaurs still survived there.
In 1869, it was thought to be impossible to navigate the Colorado River through this great canyon that had yet to be named. Anyone that tried would surely die. In that same year, John Wesley Powell . who had lost one of his legs in the American Civil War, took up the challenge with a team of nine intrepid explorers that he had selected. They set-off on May 24 with four boats and food for 10-months. After a month of hardships, one explorer quit before the expedition entered the heart of the canyon. He was convinced that he would die, if he did. By early August of 1869, the world agreed and wrote obituaries for Powell and his team. On August 13, 1869, against all odds, after meeting with many hardships, and tragedy, John Wesley Powell and the surviving members of his team emerged from what Powell named the "Grand Canyon". His name stuck and it has been known as this ever since.
Today, the Grand Canyon is still one of the remotest places on earth. There is no cell phone service, radio, or TV. It is much like it has been for millenniums. It’s monumental walls keep spectacularly pristine wilderness in, while keeping the modern world out. If dinosaurs were to still exist, this would be the place!
Come along with me as I brave gigantic walls of water, isolation from the modern world, and explore the amazing geology and wildlife on this 7-day, 188 mile/300 kilometer whitewater rafting adventure through the heart of the Grand Canyon from May 4 to May 11, 2012. Daily postings will be made of our anticipated progress for that day teaching about the Grand Canyons history, wildlife, geology, Indian culture, and much more. In addition, I will be making regular satellite reports from the canyon. Send me your questions and I will find the answers to them on my adventure.
Jeffrey Lehmann