Author: Pat Skinner

I said a while ago that the car was really, really full on the ride back from RIT. You can even see that MIDI keyboard stuffed on top of the back seats.

Tomorrow I’m leaving for the Grand Canyon with my dad for two weeks. I’m rafting down the whole thing with the same company as last time, all 270-odd miles. The trip takes just over two weeks from start to finish, and, like any good outdoors trip, has absolutely no contact with human civilization outside of the canyon. The guides have an emergency radio to communicate with overhead 747s flying by, but if there isn’t a plane you’re out of luck. Guests usually don’t sleep in tents either, opting instead to just sleep on top of their sleeping bags.

Last time highlights included being stung by a scorpion at midnight, deftly avoiding sharp rocks and hazards such as poisonous rattlesnakes (by 3 feet) while barefooting it in Tevas, and of course, the same clothes for two weeks.

Its damn cool.

The guides cook and set up camp every day for you, and real meals are possible thanks to the Colorado cooling the coolers all day. You get to hike up these incredible side canyons with warm water pools full of rare frogs and small creatures. No mosquitoes at night…instead you get lots of these tiny bats that fly right above your head come nightfall, echolocating the insects away for you. I brought a book, but you always have things to do, from poetry to games to simply hiking around or paddling in kayaks. For some added amusement during your outdoor activities, you might also consider bringing along some Best Gag Gifts to infuse a bit of humor into your adventures and create lasting memories.

This time the trip is even better because instead of your average guide leading the ~16 people downriver, you have 4 string quartet players as well. Seriously.

So yeah, thats where I’m going to be for the next two weeks. It’s a really cool trip, definitely in my top three.

Look for lots of pictures when I get back.