The Family Adventure Travel Directory interviewed Lorna Massie, who took a rafting trip down the Colorado River in August of 2000.

Lorna was accompanied on the trip by her husband and two grown children and about a dozen close friends and family who had wanted to share in the experience. In total, there were about 27 people on this particular trip. According to Lorna, it was a trip that changed her life…

FATD: What made you want to embark on such an adventure?

LM: A wonderful friend of mine, named Ross Wetzsteon, had gone on this trip about five years ago, and he said, "Lorna, if you do nothing else in your life, you've got to do this trip. It's the most significant trip I've ever been on, and it will move you in ways that you can't possibly know about." Unfortunately, he ended up dying, suddenly, before we went on this trip, so, in a way, this was a memorial trip for Ross.

FATD: Where did you begin?

LM: We flew into Las Vegas and from there we took a little plane that takes you into the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. We spent the night at a motel there. Everyone came from different directions and it was an assorted group of people. Some of the people we knew really well, and some we didn't know at all. We all had dinner that night together. My son and I were walking back to our motel and the sun was going down and it was so beautiful. We just stayed and watched the sunset. It was a very special time with my son--that's really what the trip was all about. You look out over that canyon and you are so moved. It's such a completely emotional experience to see this canyon. I had never seen it before and just to see it… then the next day when you walk down in it, it's like you're walking into a pocket of time--like you become just this little tiny smudge in this huge eternity of rock. It is stunningly beautiful, too.

FATD: Was there a trail that took you into the canyon?

LM: We hiked down from the South Rim on Bright Angel Trail and from there we got into boats and took off.

FATD: When you hiked into the canyon, did you carry your own backpack?

LM: No, most people didn't, a few did. You could have mules carry your stuff. That can be arranged ahead of time.

FATD: Is Bright Angel Trail a difficult hike?

LM: It took about three or four hours to get to the bottom, and you need really good hiking boots or sturdy tennis shoes. I wish, in a way, that I had brought better shoes. That's something I would do differently. I would have felt more comfortable with my footing during our day trips, too. You don't want to slip and fall and hurt yourself. We brought walking sticks, too, which I think were extremely important to have. As a matter of fact, some people that didn't have them got into trouble with their footing.

FATD: What was your first introduction to the river?

LM: We walked Bright Angel Trail and got into boats and took off and almost immediately hit the rapids. One of the first rapids we hit was absolutely terrifying! It was within the first 45 minutes of the first day. What happened was, we had just walked down from Bright Angel Trail and we were with a great guide and he said, " You are all going to have to high side it." We all just looked at him... He said, " Do you know what that means?" We all looked at each other… "No." He said, " If one of the sides of the boat comes up, you get on that side and push it down, so that we don't keep going over." I honestly thought it might have been hype to get us interested, but he knew how dangerous these rapids were. Well, when we hit the first rapids, he lost his oars and we hit this big wall of water--almost tipped over and then came back down. I said to him, "Hey, you lost your oars." He said, " Well, did you high side it when I told you to high side it?" I said, "God, no, I was absolutely paralyzed." None of us had. After that experience, we were all more aware of our roles. We weren't just observers--we were there to participate. At the campsite, we did all the work of getting our stuff organized and setting up for our families. We helped with cooking and clean-up. They don't want you there just to be served by others. Everybody pitches in.

FATD: How large was your raft?

LM: Our raft held the rower and four other people. We felt like we were right in the river. We didn't want the bigger rafts. The big rafts go by and they look, to me, like huge boats. They have a platform that people sit up on so they're not really getting wet. They are much more stable than the small ones, though.

FATD: Did you find the river uncontaminated?

LM: Absolutely clean. I never saw any sign that people had ever been there --until the very end, when you take the helicopter out of the canyon…which is an exciting event in itself. I never even saw a bobby pin. People have a lot of respect for the canyon.

FATD: Has anything been done to the canyon to accommodate people, such as ladders in the rocks or ropes around dangerous cliffs to ensure safety?

LM: Nothing-absolutely nothing. As a matter of fact, there were people who ended up not going on this trip at the last minute and one of them…I thought…good move. She wouldn't have been able to make it.

FATD: Did the outfitters interview you before the trip?

LM: Yes. They want to know your age, your level of conditioning, your weight, and if you have any medical condition.

FATD: Did you have any medical emergencies on your trip?

LM: No, we had nothing. We had people who got into a little trouble on the walk down from Bright Angel Trail. It is a long downhill hike. My brother-in-law got blisters. The first thing they say is that you have to hydrate, you have to eat on the way down, and you have to stop if you feel something starting on your foot and put mole skin on it. Now, I never even brought mole skin--I was just lucky I didn't have a problem. I never even thought of that. Everyone should have mole skin in their kit. My brother-in-law couldn't take some of the day trips, because of his healing blisters.

FATD: Do the guides have radios if they have a medical emergency?

LM: Yes, but, fortunately, we had no need. The guides did tell us a story of one person who was bitten by a scorpion and he had a really bad reaction and they had to helicopter him out. I never saw a scorpion! They don't come out at night, normally. But, I wanted to be right on the beach at night, away from the underbrush where the scorpions tended to hang out!

FATD: Did you sleep in a tent at night?

LM: No, we always slept out under the stars and it was absolutely magnificent. One of the most beautiful sights was when the sun would be going down and hit the canyon wall and then the moon would come out and it would be glimmering off these huge walls…so beautiful…stunning.

FATD: Did the outfitter provide all the food?

LM: Oh…they cooked! They would have contests every night to see who would cook. They tried to throw pliers into a bucket placed about forty feet away and who ever lost would do the cooking. It was intense. And,the food was delicious. We even had fresh shrimp one night. So good!

FATD: How many guides accompanied you on this trip?

LM: Nine.

FATD: Any women?

LM: Yes, there were two women guides and one of them was the leader of the entire trip and she was wonderful. Absolutely wonderful. I mean, these women were just astounding…with how strong they were. It is a feat to row those rafts, while preparing to go into the rapids. Especially the final rapids we hit…we had winds that were so strong that day.

FATD: Did you get thrown out of the boat during the trip. Did anybody?

LM: No, we had some close calls. The final day, we had a very close call in Lava Falls…the ones in the pictures. We all just disappeared in the rapids…and…we all had life jackets on. Everyone wore life jackets whenever we were in the river.

FATD: What was a typical day like?

LM: We would get up very early. You want to get on the river before it's too hot. We had these great breakfasts…so delicious. Everyone would pack up their own stuff and then we would get on the river. After a while, we would stop for a side trip. Usually, we would hike up these narrow little canyons or find a waterfall and go around behind it and jump into the water…it was great fun. One canyon we had been looking forward to--Havasu Canyon--as we started up, one of our guides stopped us. She told us that there was a squall in the forecast and the canyon was so narrow that there was danger of flash flooding. There had been a bad flash flood in that canyon in the 70's…no one was hurt, but a man had to be helicoptered out. I guess these floods can come very quickly. The guides are very aware of the danger. Around late morning, we would stop and have a wonderful lunch and have a side trip at that time or keep going to get a camp site, in order to stake it out. I think they have a first-come-first-serve policy. So, after we would stake it out, we would take trips from there. When we were at the camp site in the late afternoon, we would always have a cocktail hour with delicious hors d' oeuvres. So good. Then, we would sit around and talk. The guides would share stories or sometimes they would recite poetry. Everyone fell in love with the guides--how could you not? They were like spiritual leaders. One of the guides told us that they have to practice for any emergency that might occur. They do this by role playing different parts. They are even prepared for psychological emergencies.

FATD: Were there any children on this trip?

LM: No, there is an age limit…I think it's thirteen. It would be too dangerous for small children.

FATD: It sounds like you so loved this trip…was there anything that you did not enjoy?

LM: I love hot baths! This was the hardest thing for me…but you get used to it. But, the first thing I did when I got to my hotel in Las Vegas was to take a hot bath and flush the toilet!

FATD: What did you most enjoy about this trip?

LM: I think being in the canyon with the people I love most in the world.It cemented that love so much--being there was such an affirmation. It was deeply touching. For example, my son helped me overcome my fear of heights. That was nice to have happen. That matters.

FATD: Would you do the trip any differently if you did it again?

LM: I like the amount of time for this trip, but there's talk, because we all loved it so much, of doing the whole river the next time. Now that would be an experience and a half! That would be ten days to two weeks. It would be very interesting to see the whole river. You get in at the North Rim and end up at the very bottom, like we did. The thing I was most scared about, before we took the trip, was going over some of those falls. I'm not a brave person, but I wasn't as scared as I thought I would be when we did it. I actually found that I enjoyed it! That was interesting…

FATD: Is there anything else, Lorna, that you would like to share about your trip?

LM: Everyone should do it, if you can physically do it--before you get too old. It is life altering, in the best of ways. My friend Ross was right, this trip affects you. It makes you aware of shunning pettiness…After a trip like this, you just don't want to be brought down by anything small. Just live your life as well and as fully as you can, because there's something about this trip that tells you that…I think everyone on this trip was affected and it gave them a different perspective on their own life. It brings you closer to your fellow man…this trip brought out the best in everyone. We all dreamt about the canyon for weeks after we got back…