It’s been an interesting readjustment to modern life since living for so long on the Colorado river. It was a great trip, complete with steak dinners, daily morning douses of the Colorado, and the call of the Groover (don’t ask). Coming back to the ‘real world’ feels unusual since I haven’t been on any trip where society is so disconnected. You literally see nothing but the others on the trip and the occasional raft trip on your journey. Every campsite is just as if you were the first there – no litter or obviously human marks. The string quartet was wonderful, playing in the plentiful natural amphitheaters the side canyon walls create, and hikes were just right. Deer Creek was beautiful as always, and the stars! Honestly, light pollution really hides a lot of sheer and sudden beauty right above our heads. I can’t recommend just looking up enough, its truly amazing.
It actually turned out First Lady Laura Bush had decided to go on the same raft trip at the same time, launching a commercial/private trip with ~15 friends and daughter Jenna about an hour before we left. Our boats caught up with her trip a few times but of course weren’t allowed to even breathe at her. Perhaps understandable, considering our guide’s boats had bumper stickers pronouncing ‘Anyone but Bush.’ Our string quartet did get to play for her, lucky coincidence.
Anyway I’ve put up a Gallery install here for trip members to upload their pictures. Dad and I took 1.032 GB pictures/video with our memory cards combined, and they are all being filtered, organized, and ogled appropiately. They should be up Real Soon Now.
Update 12/2009: when I moved to alternative hosting a while back this Gallery install didn’t make the trip. The photos are still around though, just no longer online. If you’d like me to put them back up please contact me.
