Note: We are accepting reservations for this trip. Please see blue box at right.

The Grand Canyon

The name itself reflects the awe which this special place engenders. Carleton in the Grand Canyon will give you an opportunity to experience the canyon in an extraordinary way, with the time and opportunity to begin to get to know it.

This is Real Adventure Travel

We will ride some of the biggest white-water rapids in North America, hike intriguing side canyons where there is no trail, camp on beaches along the river, and be free of many of the comforts and distractions of modern life–-no couches, phones, TV or e-mail. Instead we will spend our time with more elemental things–-the river, the weather, the rocks, and each other. This is a participatory trip; everyone will do camp chores, carry their own baggage to their campsite, hike up and down steep rocks, even learn something of reading the water in rapids.

Our group of 20 Carleton alumni and friends will travel in dories, beautiful, stable, and exciting, which will be rowed by skilled professional boatmen guides–this is the best way to see the Grand Canyon. We will be outdoors 24 hours a day, clambering in and out of boats, camping, hiking, running the river, and living in one of the most beautiful places in the world.

Do note that it will be hot, that there is little protection from the sun, that it may rain or blow, that the shoreline is rough and rocky, and that the river water is cold. No unusual skill, strength, or experience is needed beyond ability to move about easily on uneven terrain and the willingness to take things as they come in a wilderness setting. Not recommended for children under 12.

Trip Leaders

The trip will be led by Beth Schwarzman '66, geologist and leader of the 8 previous Carleton Grand Canyon trips. We will be traveling through textbook examples of geology; Beth will help to explain the “naked geology” that creates the scenery of the Grand Canyon.

Beth will be joined by Perry Mason, the John E. Sawyer Professor of Philosophy and Liberal Learning at Carleton who was faculty on the 2004 Grand Canyon trip. His expertise in environmental ethics will enrich our understanding of the many environmental issues brought to the fore in the Grand Canyon.

Basic Logistics

We will meet in Flagstaff, Arizona on the afternoon of August 28. That evening we will get an orientation from the outfitter, re-pack into waterproof bags, and sleep indoors for the last time on the trip. The next morning we’ll take a 3-hour ride across the Painted Desert to Lee’s Ferry where we’ll join our boatmen, load our stuff into the boats, and push off on a spectacular journey. On September 12th we will emerge out of the canyon at Diamond Creek, tanned, reinvigorated, and with our minds full of grand images, to travel back to Flagstaff. Most people will probably spend the night in Flagstaff before flying home the next day.

Pricing

$4745 16-19 travelers

$4165 20 travelers

INCLUSIONS

• Transportation between Flagstaff and the river
• The river trip itself from launch to take-out including all meals
• Professional guides and boatmen
• Tents and sleeping gear
• Study materials including a waterproof river map

EXCLUSIONS

• Gratuity to guidesmen ($200 suggested per traveler)
• Dinner in Flagstaff before river trip
• Transportation from your house to Flagstaff and back
• Accommodations in Flagstaff before or after river trip

PAYMENT AND REFUND POLICY

An $800 deposit is due with registration. An additional payment of $1600 is due by January 1st, 2010, and the balance is due by February 1st, 2010.

To cancel, Amy Goerwitz at the Carleton Alumni Affairs Office must receive your cancellation request in writing.

Cancellation request received between

Before December 1, 2009 -- Deposit will be refunded minus a $250/person cancellation fee

December 1-31, 2009 -- Deposit will not be refunded

January 1-31, 2010 -- Deposit plus first payment is forfeited

After February 1, 2010 -- No refunds

Please note: Because of the way Grand Canyon trips are structured payments will be refunded only if we can fill the space on the trip. We strongly recommend that you purchase travel insurance.

Questions?

You’ll receive a packet of more detailed info when you sign up, but if you have any questions at all, or just want to talk with someone who has been there, please feel free to contact Beth Schwarzman at anasazi@earthlink.net or by phone at 508-540-5432.

P.S.

The photos on the right are from our 2007 alumni adventure to the Grand Canyon. We try to offer this trip every three years and whenever we do it sells out quickly.

TOUR OUTFITTER:  Arizona Rafting Adventures

Questions about reserving your spot?

Contact Amy Goerwitz at the Alumni Affairs Office: 800-729-2586 or 507-222-5645 (direct line) or by e-mail at amy.goerwitz@carleton.edu.