I want to thank those of you that attended my Rio Grande presentation at the Expo yesterday. I thought it went okay. I felt a little sheepish, like a huckster selling “my trips”. I just hope I conveyed the magic of the Rio Grande. A trip there is really a leap back in time. I cannot wait to return. The health of that river keeps changing. Its future is uncertain. Whether or not you decide to go with me, put in on your “to do” list and don’t let any cactus grow under your feet before you make the leap.
For those of you that were introduced to my blog at the Expo, I want to give a few more details and flesh out a bit more of my philosophy about “guided” trips. A trip with me is not a typical “guided trip”. I expect during many twists and turns of our adventure together, we will make group decisions and share in camp chores. I think of it more as an expedition. We have a goal, we will encounter challenges, and as a group we will best utilize the skills and experience of each group member. Everyone brings some special skill or talent to our effort, and I promise not to overlook each contribution. When we get to the take-out everyone can be proud of the role they played in our success.
This is normally not a difficult trip. In 2011 we had some cold mornings and in 2013 we pinned a canoe. But basically those were hiccups. The Park Service recommends ten days for the trip, but we do it in eight. But we take a Minnesota approach, we don’t “float”, we paddle, and we don’t bring tables and chairs, coolers of beer and all the comforts of home. In fact, one objective is to eschew the comforts of home and embrace, not barricade ourselves from wild nature. We will bring safety equipment including a 2-way satellite transmitter. Similar to my Arctic expeditions we will be prudent about rapids and other hazards. This is an extremely remote place and I like “non-events”. In other words, we will avoid taking risks that could put the success of our trip in jeopardy.
I gulp a little when I quote the price for this expedition but there is extraordinary overhead, more hidden costs keep popping up, and I am certain next year’s trips fee will have be significantly higher. If you have a big group you could save some money and self-guide because you don’t have to follow all the commercial safety protocols. But if it’s just a couple people, some of the costs are fixed, I doubt you could save anything and a trip with me is more fun. I don’t like big groups on the river so we are going to keep the size down on these two. Big groups undermine the tranquility that many of us are trying to achieve. But there are still a few slots open on both trips. I will be paddling the Everglades with Larry Rice and Cliff Jacobson in January so I would like to get the Rio Grande trip rosters set ASAP.
The fee is $1500 per person a transferable but non-refundable 50% deposit is due at registration.
Feel free to ask more questions.
A paddle down the Rio Grande will astonish you; join me.
a canoe awaits, a wild river beckons, the Rio Grande