Legit outdoor enthusiasts long ago relegated the Grand Canyon to retirees and road-tripping Griswolds — hot air balloons and pack mules hold little appeal for the adrenaline set. But the red basin still offers up a few respectable titillations. Case in point: the 16-day Hiker's Discovery special from Flagstaff-based Arizona Raft Adventures (AzRA; azraft.com).
Composed of daily hikes — planned according to ability — and Class III and IV rapids on the high-volume Colorado River, which boasts steeper waves than most similarly classed chutes, it's a daredevil-worthy expedition. A day's climb might head to the Indian ruins near Shinomu Creek or the pictograph panels up Tuckup Canyon, capped by a campsite meal of steak and potatoes. (Bring your own wineskin.) Tents are provided, though most guests prefer to sleep alfresco, with bighorn sheep and condors lurking above.
"Because the river is dam-regulated, we don't see flood conditions. The flows are dictated by power needs in L.A. and Phoenix," says Alexandra Thevenin, who took over the family business this year from her father, Rob Elliott. That means waters typically max out in June, July, and August. The hiker's special runs $3,610 a head, is only offered two or three times a season, and usually requires reservations more than a year in advance. In even higher demand are less rigorous, all-motorized raft trips, though AzRA, among the oldest of the paddle outfitters, continues to book the rough stuff. "It's just something we philosophically believe in," Thevenin says. "Our guides do a great job of finding places where other people can't, or won't, go."
