What has painted toenails, sarong skirts, silver bracelets and wears thong sandals for rock scrambling? Our river guides. River fashions exhibited by “Kinney”, 41: a pink button-down shirt and a wrap-around Hawaiian skirt. “Morgs” (Morgan) wore a cowboy shirt, buttoned up to the throat and a thrift store rainbow-hued long skirt. Adam Grogin, (“Grogs”), 29, did not do skirts. None of the three were particularly tanned. Agile as dancers or acrobats, each leapt from raft to raft, nimbly gripping the huge rubber tubes with their toes as they jumped over the dozens of float bags piled high. Morgan was the “TL” (trip leader) of this float. Personifying cool and hip, he had a lean, feline grace—charming the females. He sported two French-braided pigtails and a cowboy hat with a flattened brim. His confident, jubilant manner and speech affectations reminded me of Johnny Depp’s “Captain Jack Sparrow” in “Pirates of the Caribbean”. He had blue-painted toenails instead of Captain Jack’s eyeliner. At 31, he could claim ten years of oaring experience.

The two teen-age girls on our trip were so enchanted with “Captain Morgan” they planted themselves on his raft and refused to budge when it came time to switch boats. Subdued into nearly silent hero-worship, they begged to be allowed to help in any task from dishes to hauling buckets of river water for washing. When lunchtime came, “Grogs” opened one of the gigantic coolers on the raft and pitched tomatoes, onions, peppers, oranges, pears and lettuce to Morgan standing behind the aluminum table set up on the beach. Adopting a baseball catcher’s stance, Morgs caught each one easily and set them on the table to slice ‘n’ dice. This subtle interplay reminded me of the movie “Cocktail” where Tom Cruise juggled bottles in the air.

The infinite patience and reliable good cheer of the boatmen made a lasting impression on me, as did the wide variety of skills required for this laborious occupation. Others in the service industry may only have to deal with any given customer for an hour or two, but these guides have to coddle, cook and answer questions for six DAYS! There was next to no private time for them to be away from US. By the time they collapsed in total exhaustion on their respective boats to sleep, it’s doubtful they had the energy to do more than exchange a couple of words with each other. From setting up the “Groover” (the metal strongbox toilet) to cooking gourmet meals (lots of hand-washing in between), teaching geology, telling stories and reading poems, these guys have a well-rounded job description, far exceeding the actual boating skills required. And, the trip was not just about boating; each day the ten of us were led on a scenic hike up a side canyon to view Indian “granaries” (pronounced “gran” like fawn, not like “grain”, our leader loftily informed us), or play around in the inviting deep pools pocketed in hidden gorges revealed when Lake Powell retreated some 149 vertical feet. One hike was an arduous 1,200’ climb to the “Doll’s House”: a spectacular plateau of rocky spires and infinite views across the canyon into the Needles District.

No Comments »

The Grand Canyon – She is Forever Timeless…the walls of the Grand Canyon call out to me as we slowly row down the Colorado River Faces of men and creatures stare out from her walls as if begging not to be forgotten Faces of Mayan kings, Indian warriors, and chiefs stand guard like sentinels protecting the secrets of the earth the millions of years of history forever embedded in her rock Ancient walls of Shale, Limestone, and Granite, with colors of deep red, purple, and brown Schists of molten pink and black rock collide with the ever changing emerald green waters of the Colorado rapids And if by chance You are fortunate enough to see her waterfalls after a rain you will be where the past, present, and future meet in The Grand Canyon for she is forever timeless…

No Comments »

Life offers us certain magical treasures that cannot be duplicated. Eating a fresh, warm, buttery croissant in a Parisian café. Sharing your first glimpse into Yosemite Valley with someone special. Sharing a pennant victory on home soil with your baseball-loving kids. Experiencing a whitewater river trip in a sleek, classic dory.

Smooth, solid, surreal…As stylish as it is burly, a dory is to the river what an Italian sports car is to mean, urban streets and rowdy rural routes. No other boat is as capable, safe or elegant on the wild waters that O.A.R.S. explores. Beyond their stout, thoughtful design dories hold a soulful connection to the river and a heritage of western exploration. Combined, the qualities of the vessel make for an unmatched and unforgettable journey.

Dories are made for rock and roll. They’re also finely tuned to provide classic amenities. Hardwood-hulled but ultra-buoyant, they slice walls of wave, buck through rapids and land large drops with ease (and more than enough splash).

Written by Tracy

Writer, Photographer, former Waterblogged Editor

4 Comments »

Nineteen of us in the bus en route to Denali Park’s Wonder Lake fell silent as a grizzly sow popped up over a knoll, two cubs in tow. Our bus eased to a stop as they ambled closer to the road, putting them almost within arm’s reach. The sow flopped to the ground, rolled over, allowing her cubs to crawl onto her belly. In our absolute stillness we heard their suckling sounds.

One decade later, sitting in a sleek dory, The Yampa, we rounded what had to have been bend #473 in the Colorado River, when long-time O.A.R.S. Grand Canyon guide, Bronco, stated matter-of-factly, “Keep your eye out on the cliffs on the left, about a third of the way up. Bighorn like to hang out there.” He spotted them immediately and directed our untrained eyes to the small collection of nearly invisible sheep.

Written by Tracy

Writer, Photographer, former Waterblogged Editor

No Comments »

A member of the O.A.R.S. Family of Companies, Rivers Fiji is a whitewater rafting, inflatable kayaking, multi-sport eco-outfitter based out of Pacific Harbour in the Fiji Islands. Recently honored at the Virgin Holidays Responsible Tourism Awards for "Best for Preservation of Cultural Heritage," Rivers Fiji was one of 35 companies singled out by the judges. In total, there were more than 2000 nominations submitted by travelers worldwide.

A prestigious honor indeed, but who is Rivers Fiji and why the recognition?

O.A.R.S. is indebted to longtime friends, Nate and Kelly Bricker, for assisting in the creation of Rivers Fiji and the Upper Navua Conservation Area. Nate and Kelly first visited Fiji as tourists in 1993. They returned in subsequent years, exploring deep into the interior of Fiji’s main island, Viti Levu. In 1997, Nate was working for O.A.R.S.  Having just explored the Upper Navua River, he and Kelly enthusiastically talked to O.A.R.S. founder and president, George Wendt, about their vision of offering guided trips on the Wainikoriluva (‘luva) and Upper Navua rivers.

Written by Tracy

Writer, Photographer, former Waterblogged Editor

2 Comments »