What a trip.
I was…read morethoroughly impressed with our Desolation Canyon trip with Holiday River Expeditions. Going into it, I had very few expectations--I had never done anything like this before--and, if anything, I probably had more concerns than expectations. By the end of six days on the river, most of those concerns had become some of my favorite parts of the experience.
First and foremost, our guides, Tristan and Annie, and the group we traveled with made the trip. Tristen and Annie were incredibly well prepared, knowledgeable, friendly, and just genuinely enjoyable people to spend six days with. Early on, they asked us to embrace and respect the river, and in return they showed us just how much the canyon had to offer. There was a great balance of adventure, history, knowledge, humor, and simply slowing down enough to appreciate where we were.
I was concerned about being completely disconnected--there was no cell signal for the entire trip--but I quickly came to embrace it. Cutting the cord completely changed the rhythm of my day. No emails, no calls, no notifications. Just the river, the canyon and the people around you.
I was concerned about sleeping on the ground. It never exactly became comfortable, but I got used to it enough that I spent several nights sleeping outside under the stars instead of in my tent. Speaking of the stars, I honestly didn't know that many existed. Maybe sleeping on the ground wasn't the reason I had trouble falling asleep--I may have spent too much time staring at the sky.
I was concerned about the "Bano." Turns out I've never gone to the bathroom in more beautiful or serene surroundings. And, after all, everybody does it.
I was concerned about the food. I shouldn't have been. It was fantastic, and I was continually impressed by what the guides were able to prepare for us in the middle of nowhere.
I also spent several days paddling a ducky, which added another level of adventure and was an absolute blast.
By the end, six days somehow didn't feel very long. You settle into the rhythm of the river, stop worrying about what time it is, get comfortable being a little dirty, and start appreciating how simple your world has become.
What a trip. I would absolutely do it again.
And as I've discovered since getting home, nobody warns you how hard it is to spend six days on the river and then go back to sitting behind a desk.