Brian Taylor

Review of Arizona Raft Adventures

Some friends and I went with AzRA on a hydrid (cla...

Some friends and I went with AzRA on a hydrid (classic) trip in the upper canyon. I stayed on for the lower canyon while the rest of the group hiked out up the Bright Angel Trail, and those joining us for the lower canyon hiked in. It was the last trip of the season (late October 2012). Quite aside from the beauty of the canyon and river, I thought the AzRA trip was superlative. First class food, even on Day 16. The guides were top notch. Each one was patient with everyone, from experienced rafters to those that had never camped before. They all had some area of expertise in the canyon, from history to geology to biology to photography, so learning different aspects of the canyon was as easy as riding in a different raft. They were all accomplished in camp cookery, and entertained us with river tales and poetry. Each and every guide made a concerted effort to get to know all of the people on the trip. I would go down the river again with any one of the guides in a heartbeat. In fact, I am going back, with AzRA, in late August (2014). Trip of a lifetime? No, because that implies going only once. I intend to be a repeat customer.