Well, in a nutshell, our Thunder River trip was the adventure of a lifetime. Martin and I actually started planning and researching the trip in January, so by the time we actually started hiking down the morning of Labor Day, we were really excited. Of course we had no idea how magnificent the journey would be. 

The views at the rim were amazing, especially while watching the sun rise over the canyon as we did our final prep. But nothing could prepare us for the range of views all the way down. Every five minutes it seemed we had a different post card pop up right in front of us: the overlook at Monument Point, the Mars-like(?) terrain of the Esplanade, the smooth and rolling starkness of Surprise Valley, the plush green vegetation following Tapeats Creek down the Colorado River and just about everything in between. It was like nothing we had ever seen, as this was our first trip to the Southwest and its desert (even the car ride from Vegas was surprisingly scenic.) 

The big bonus of the trip was having someone like Greg (our guide) along to feed us information and point out the subtleties of the Grand Canyon which we surely would have missed (many times I found myself having to focus pretty hard on the trail in order to keep from falling off the edge of the earth). His expertise in geology, archeology and history really helped us to fully appreciate both the vastness and the intricacies of that place——it's easy to get wrapped up in the majestic views and to totally miss the tiny treasures at your feet. He showed us old ruins of structures, graineries built into the cliffs, shards of ancient pottery, tools carved from stone, and gave us the complete story on each layer of rock as we made our way down to the river. Greg really made the trip complete, and we appreciated what we gained by having him with us. He has quite a passion for the Grand Canyon, and it definitely added a dimension to the time we spent there. 

Some of the highlights were the scorpion sighting (although a little too close for comfort), taking a nap behind the waterfall at Deer Creek Spring, the cool little lizards everywhere, the Ed Laws cowboy graffiti from 1924, the incredibly eerie silence of Surprise Valley (we spaced ourselves out on the trail so we could be totally isolated as we walked through the valley), the weird rock formations and the 100-year-old cryptogamic moss of the Esplanade, and of course the adrenaline rush upon making down to the river and back in one piece - Martin and I both had to admit that the trail was quite challenging, both physically and mentally. 

The Grand Canyon is a pretty cool classroom, and I don't just mean the nature stuff. I learned a lot about myself that week, and not a day goes by that I don't think back to the trip and how it's changed me. It sounds cheesy but it's true. Much has happened since then that has even furthered my appreciation of the experience, and I know I will never forget it. 

My thanks goes out to Denny, Greg and to all those at High Sonoran Adventures for making it happen. Hopefully I will be back again soon to visit your part of the world and to take in another part of the Canyon. 
 
 

Michael Ruetten 
St. Paul, MN 

E-mail: Denny

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