As you’re most likely aware by now… the gang from a recent O.A.R.S. / Grand Canyon Dories Colorado River whitewater rafting and dory trip composed a few songs for the final evening’s entertainment.  This is the third and final song, and it’s sung to the tune of some Canadian camp song – don’t ask me.  (Right Sara?)  The ‘George’ referred to in the song is George Wendt, Founder and President of O.A.R.S.

They say that on an O.A.R.S. trip,
the BOATS are mighty fine
they’re held together with duct tape,
just look at Tim’s chine.

Written by Tracy

Writer, Photographer, former Waterblogged Editor

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Nothing like an outstanding (working) whitewater rafting vacation to get a little perspective… 18 days unplugged from telephones, computers, television, news, traffic…  With a newly refreshed attitude comes change, and some of those changes you will see reflected here in WaterBlogged.  Please bear with us as we redesign our site…

Written by Tracy

Writer, Photographer, former Waterblogged Editor

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There’s no denying it… I’ve fallen under the spell of the Grand Canyon.  Here is a sampling of some images taken from a recent whitewater rafting trip down the Colorado River with O.A.R.S. / Grand Canyon Dories.  If you have any photos/videos/stories you would like to share, please send them to info@oars.com.  We’d love to hear from you and we’ll post them here with your permission.

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Written by Tracy

Writer, Photographer, former Waterblogged Editor

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Ever been on a whitewater rafting trip with O.A.R.S. dory guide Rondo Buecheler? If you have, you’ll know he enjoys regularly announcing his “personal favorite” things. “Hey Guys, this is my personal favorite meal!” “Hey Guys, this is my personal favorite campsite!” “Hey Guys, this hike we’re going to do in the morning – it’s my personal favorite hike!” Whether they be meals, campsites, rapids, hikes, weather, stellar vista viewpoints, etc., Rondo enjoys everything full tilt. With that in mind, a group of a folks who recently traveled with O.A.R.S. / Grand Canyon Dories down the Colorado River composed a few songs for their guides. This song was written specifically with Rondo in mind, and it’s sung to the tune of The Sound of Music’s “My Favorite Things" (with special kudos to Lucia for most of the lyrics) –

Our Personal Favorite Things

Written by Tracy

Writer, Photographer, former Waterblogged Editor

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The gang from a recent O.A.R.S. / Grand Canyon Dories Colorado River whitewater rafting and dory trip composed a few songs for the final evening’s entertainment.  Now, it isn’t mandatory that guests entertain their guides, but it is one way to prevent the guides from telling increasingly larger tales – even just for a short while. 

Here’s one sung to the tune of “Row, Row, Row Your Boat”:

Row, row, row your dory
Don’t tell us that same ‘ol story
Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah…
We’ve heard it all before.

Written by Tracy

Writer, Photographer, former Waterblogged Editor

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According to a November 5 Outside Magazine blog post…

President-elect Obama is considering RFK Jr. to head the EPA.  Kennedy is an attorney for the environmental watchgroup, Riverkeeper, and has appeared numerous times in Outside magazine discussing water issues.  In a November 2004 article, chronicling an O.A.R.S. whitewater rafting trip down Idaho’s Middle Fork of the Salmon, Kennedy debated former EPA head Christine Todd Whitman on the environment.  The magazine also chronicled his O.A.R.S. rafting trip down the Colorado River to raise awareness of clean water issues.

Written by Tracy

Writer, Photographer, former Waterblogged Editor

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…from O.A.R.S./Grand Canyon Dories (including a pirate or two or three, bridezilla, rastaman, gorilla, M&Ms, The Lady’s Man, a pair of Hawaiians, a knight in shining armor, a chef, a rather well-dressed, well-groomed person despite the fact it was the LAST night of an 18-day Grand Canyon trip…)

Written by Tracy

Writer, Photographer, former Waterblogged Editor

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Longtime O.A.R.S./Grand Canyon Dories boatmen, Bronco and Rondo, show how it’s done with a sense of style and ease. Trip leader, Bruce Keller, can be heard in the background giving a detailed account of their sweet runs through one of the larger rapids on the Colorado River. This video clip was taken on a recent October O.A.R.S. Grand Canyon dory trip down the Colorado River. Sunny skies and warm temperatures prevailed for 18 days (as did great companionship and nearly nightly displays of meteor showers). Anyone else out there with video clips they’d like to share?  (You know who you are…)

Written by Tracy

Writer, Photographer, former Waterblogged Editor

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My new personal favorite* pastime? Bow riding a Grand Canyon Dory. Here’s a sample of Bow Riding 101 taken from a recent O.A.R.S. Dories trip. That’s Rondo Jo’s boat, the Shoshone.

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