Location: Grand Canyon National Park
Dates: 20 days during January 27th - February 15th, 2022
Distance: ~280 miles from Lee's Ferry to Pearce Ferry
Trip Size: Solo
River info: https://www.americanwhitewater.org/content/River/view/river-detail/114/main

I'm fortunate enough to have been down the Grand 1.5 times previously. Once on a commercial trip from Phantom to Diamond and another full trip as a solo kayaker back in 2014. Both those experiences were magical and I've been scheming a way to return for years now. The schedule in medical school isn't very conducive to taking a month off on a whim, but I caught a lucky break during my 4th year.

All year I'd set aside January as a planned vacation month. I didn't get a permit in the main lottery and was also denied in the follow up lottery. I was crushed as I knew this would likely be my only totally free month until after 5-6 years of residency. The day after receiving the lottery info I got a call from an unknown Flagstaff number. Thankfully I answered as it was a river ranger saying I was next on the list for a late January launch - I was ecstatic!

I only had a month until the trip to plan, but I knew that I wanted to recreate the solo experience I had previously. I even borrowed a green Dagger Katana for the trip which was the same model and color from before.

prius katana 10.5 kayak — The trusty car and kayak that have gotten me through two Grand Canyon trips 8 years apart.

In 2014 a large focus of the trip was documenting the experience, and the theme of this recent trip was very much exploring the area and discovering a deeper sense of place. I brought along a more detailed river guidebook this time and really took time to seek out and savor all the inscriptions, Puebloan dwellings, and other little pieces of history left in the canyon. Because of the this the trip really felt like more of an experience solely for me - perhaps the way it should. I took less photos and videos and really tried to imprint the sights and sound into my brain. Despite this the trip still seemed to fly by.

puebloan dwellings south canyon grand — Puebloan dwelling remains above South Canyon.

nautiloid fossils grand canyon — 400 million year old nautiloid fossils in the limestone at Nautiloid Canyon.

I also rediscovered my love for kayaking. After my last shoulder surgery I started to paddle less, but it was too much fun not to laugh for joy on the mostly friendly big water lines. I kept my head dry the entire time too so the muscle memory is still in there somewhere. My favorite day, much like last time, was routing through Horn, Granite, Hermit, and Crystal in a day and camping at Bass Crossing. So much good whitewater and such a good camp.

granite rapid grand canyon river — View of Granite Rapid from river left.

I focused on more hiking this trip as well. As my brain has developed more fully I’ve started to realize the risks of hiking solo probably outweigh the risks of paddling solo. Ultimately I kept it conservative without any mishaps. Two hikes really stood out to me from the trip. The first was the Tabernacle. Such a classic hike and beautiful view - I couldn't believe I hadn't done it before. The second was making a loop hike out of Tapeats Creek, Deer Creek, and Thunder River. Indeed starting from river level a trail winds from Tapeats to above the Granite Narrows down into Deer Creek. I had seen the trail on my GPS but previously had never seen it published in a guidebook. This was definitely the highlight for me with some beautiful vistas and Puebloan ruins along the route.

tabernacle hike Palisades of the Desert — View from the top of the Tabernacle hike towards the Palisades of the Desert.

Who knows when I'll return for a full run down the river. Next time I'll likely put together a group as I love the power of the solo experience but also tell myself that I want to share the memories with others. That being said I met a number of inspiring boaters and rafters while on the river.

I did end up recording a little video clip each day about the logistics and planning behind a solo kayak trip. It was pretty informal but has some good information that could apply to any extended river trip. If you're looking for a more focused guide on solo kayaking the Grand Canyon I'd point you to my article from 2014.

Enjoy the video & pictures from the trip and feel free to leave any comments or questions below!

lake powell drought climate change — Lake Powell with dangerously low and ever decreasing water levels.

self portrait redwall cavern — A self portrait in Redwall Cavern.

columnar basalt grand canyon lava tube — Columnar basalt below Lava Rapid.

hance rapid grand canyon — A selfie above Hance Rapid.

blacktail canyon grand canyon — Stillness and solitude in Blacktail Canyon.

lone cedar camp grand canyon — Lone Cedar at midday.