Grand Canyon Rafting Trips
How To Get Ready For Your Trip
6 day rowing trip - Lees Ferry to Phantom Ranch
Be prepared and know what to expect on your Grand Canyon rafting vacation!

Stuff you need to know, after you have made your reservation.
We may have mailed a printed copy to you.
Feel free to call us with questions!
(Download as a PDF file to print.)

6 Day Grand Canyon Oar Powered Trip

Where Does My Trip Begin?

• MARBLE CANYON, ARIZONA.
• Plan to arrive by 4:30-5:00 PM the evening prior to your trip date.

How Do I Get To Marble Canyon?

• Travel by vehicle

Drive to Marble Canyon, Arizona, located on US 89-Alt, in the extreme northern end of the state.

• Travel by air (Our Vegas & Return package)

Book a flight to Las Vegas, Nevada, to arrive no later than 11:00 AM the day prior to your river trip date.  Meet our charter van/bus at 12:00 noon, McCarran Airport, “0 Level” (ground level) on the east end of the main terminal, one floor below the baggage claim for a five-hour drive to Marble Canyon.

If you plan to arrive in Las Vegas a day or two early, the van will pick you up at the Best Western McCarran Inn (or other designated location) at 12:00 noon the day before your river trip date.

What Other Arrangements Must I Make?

• Reservations for the night prior to the trip launch:

Rooms and meals at Marble Canyon Lodge are your responsibility. Contact Marble Canyon Lodge at (800) 726-1789 or (928) 355-2225, or online at www.marblecanyoncompany.com
Tell them you are going on a trip with Moki Mac.

• Reservations for the night after your hike from the river to South Rim:

After your hike out, you will need a place to shower, sleep and recuperate. Call Xanterra at 888-297-2757, select “Reservations on the South Rim”. Book a room at any of the South Rim facilities for the evening of your hike out.
Bright Angel Lodge & Cabins - closest to the trail head.
Thunderbird or Kachina motels.
The historic El Tovar - in the center of South Rim Village.
The Maswik - ½ mile across the train tracks to the west.
Your Xanterra operator can help you with all of these properties.

• HIRE THE DUFFLE SERVICE!

You have to carry everything you bring out of the canyon. OR you can to hire a mule to carry your stuff instead! Bring a duffle bag with dimensions of about 36” x 20” x 13”, maximum weight 30 lbs. We’ll drop it off at Phantom Ranch. It will be loaded on a mule and will arrive at the South Rim by 4:30-5:00 PM the same afternoon.

Do not underestimate this hike. The trail is rugged. THE HIKE out is almost ten miles in length with a five thousand foot elevation gain. Be very skeptical of anyone making claims that this hike is “a piece of cake”.

Call Xanterra at 888-297-2757 and select “Reservations on the South Rim”. Make reservations for “outbound duffle” for the 6th day of your trip. The charge for this service is about $70.00 (surcharge for bags over 30 lbs). Do not procrastinate in making these arrangements. There are a limited number of duffles per day.

• Vehicle Shuttles:

If you drove to Marble Canyon, you’ll need to pre-arrange car shuttle services to have your vehicle driven to the takeout. The best option is;

River Runners Shuttle Service
PO Box 61, Meadview, AZ 86444.
928-564-2391
Fax 928-564-2781
info@rrshuttleservice.com

• An alternative to a car shuttle service is Trans Canyon Van Service.

Service daily between the South and North Rims of the Grand Canyon.
It passes right by Marble Canyon Lodge, and can drop you off or pick you up there. Leave your car either at Marble Canyon or South Rim, and take the van back to the other location, before or after your trip.
Contact Trans Canyon Van Service at 928-638-2820, or
www.trans-canyonshuttle.com

What Will Happen At Marble Canyon?

• We will conduct a short meeting at Marble Canyon Lodge beginning at 6:00-6:30 PM the evening before the river trip. We’ll distribute waterproof river bags so you can pack your gear that night. We will have a brief discussion of what you can expect during the following 6 days. General questions and concerns will be addressed.

• At 8:00 AM the following morning we will pick you up and drive to Lees Ferry launch ramp, a short, five mile ride. You should eat breakfast before we meet you.

• If you drove to Marble Canyon, we’ll show you where to leave your vehicle.  See info above about making arrangements for vehicle shuttles to the takeout.

What Will Happen At The End Of The River Trip?

• After an early breakfast and an opportunity to pack a lunch for the trail, we’ll arrive at Phantom Ranch early in the morning on the 6th river day, stop just long enough to drop off your duffle and then continue down the river a mile or so to where the Bright Angel Trail reaches the river at a place called Pipe Creek.

• One of our crew will hike with you up to Indian Gardens. Another Moki Mac employee will meet the group there and hike with you up to the rim.

• Do not underestimate this hike. The trail is very rugged and steep in places.

• The price of the trip includes return to McCarran International Airport in Vegas from Grand Canyon Airport. Following your night at South Rim Village, take a cab to Grand Canyon Airport. The taxi is operated by Xanterra Taxi. Call them at 928-638-2822 from your room.

The flight departs at 10:55 AM. Check in time at the Scenic/Grand Canyon Airline desk is 30 minutes prior to flight. The flight is about 1 hour in length. This flight takes you to Boulder City, Nevada airport where you will board a bus which will take you to McCarran International in Las Vegas. Arrival time at McCarran could be as late as 1:00 PM.  If you plan to fly home that day, we would suggest you do not make your reservation for any earlier than 3:30 PM.

Packing List
Pack your gear in a duffel bag.

Gear Suggestions
Protect yourself from the sun! Clothing and hats work best. Sunscreen is also very important, however, it will wash off when you get wet. Some people have had allergic reactions to heavy duty sunscreen they haven’t used before. Bring good quality products you have experience with. Remember lip products, too!

Our climate is VERY DRY! Your skin will dry out quickly. Moisturizing lotion is very nice to have at the end of a long day in the sun.

Shorts & pants with Velcro or zippers at the pockets are good. Keep your small items from getting lost. Convertible pants with zip off legs are a great, versatile clothing option.

A sarong or light weight cloth is handy. It can be used for sun shade on the boat; provide some privacy while changing clothes in camp; and be used for a sheet.

Shoes for hiking should provide support. Some hikes require stream crossings so your hiking shoes will get wet. During the day on the rafts, your feet will be wet so strap-on sandals are appropriate. Some kind of open shoe or cheap flip-flop is great in camp at night, to let your feet dry out. Foot fungus can become an issue.

The best rain gear is pants and a jacket. Ponchos are not effective or durable, and are very difficult to wear under your life jacket.

Some people prefer synthetics that are quick drying and some like the evaporative cooling of wet cotton. During the cooler months you will want quick-drying clothes and during the hottest months you may want to bring some cotton clothes.

Mornings and evenings can feel cool, bring a cozy polarfleece jacket. It will also be good to wear under a rain jacket if the weather is inclement, as synthetic fleece dries quickly.

The small backpack is used for storing rain gear and items you may want during the day. Line your daypack with a contractor weight garbage bag to keep contents dry. It is also handy for use on hikes.

A carabiner is an oval shaped metal ring with a one-way gate, and is useful to quickly fasten your small daypack to the raft. You do not need an expensive one but it should be full size (about 4”X2”).

The only cash you will need will be for drink purchases at Marble Canyon, incidentals at Phantom Ranch, and guide gratuities (5%-10% of trip fare recommended). A credit card may prove handy for unforeseen emergencies.

If you bring liquor, please transfer it to plastic bottles. Beer, soda and wine can be purchased at Marble Canyon Lodge.

There are limited fishing opportunities. If you choose to bring a rod, make it a compact model. Catch and release (barbless hooks) apply. You will need to purchase a 5-day out of state fishing license at Marble Canyon Lodge if you want to fish during the river trip.

 

What Not To Bring
Please do not bring; radios, expensive jewelry, electrical appliances, pets, firearms.

The River Bags For Your Gear
Your clothes and sleeping bag will fit into two waterproof river bags we provide. Tents and pads will be packed into large communal waterproof bags each day. We will also provide a soft river bag for your day use items. The daypack you may bring can be used for your rain gear, extra shoes and other items you will need during the day.     

Soft “mini” bag	Carabiner*	River Bag

Emergency Contact Numbers
Once you launch on the river, communications from or to the outside are very difficult. For emergency contacts, leave the following telephone numbers:

         Moki Mac River Expeditions: (800) 284-7280 or (801) 268-6667 or (801) 631-3127
         Moki Mac Arizona Warehouse: (928) 355-2504 or (928) 355-2285 or (928) 707-0162
         National Park Service: (928) 638-7804 (Dispatch)


Trip Interruption - Vacation Insurance
PROTECT YOUR INVESTMENT! We urge you to purchase vacation interruption insurance to protect you in case you find you must cancel your trip. Policy purchases may be time sensitive. Plan ahead!

Please contact you choice from the list below.

http://www.travelex-insurance.com/Home.aspx
http://www.insuremytrip.com/
http://www.travelguard.com/           

Weather
April/May: Average temperatures are in the high 70’s/low 90’s (22-33 C) during the day and the mid 50’s/60’s (10-16 C) at night. There may be rain showers.
June: Average temperatures are in the high 90’s/low 100’s (33-38 C) during the day and the low 70’s (22 C) at night. It is usually dry.
July/August: Average temperatures are in the high 90’s/low 100’s (33-38 C) during the day and mid to high 70’s (22-25 C) at night. Thundershowers are likely.
September/October: Average temperatures are in the mid 80’s/high 90’s (27-33 C) during the day and the mid 50’s/high 60’s (10-16 C) at night. There may be rain showers.

Suggested Reading
Grand Canyon River Guide, by Bill Belknap. Westwater Books, Evergreen, Colorado
(Waterproof map, great to have with you on the trip. We have these maps for sale through our office)
The Exploration of the Colorado River and its Canyons, by John Wesley Powell, Dover Publications, Inc., New York
The Kolb Brothers of the Grand Canyon, Grand Canyon Natural History Association
Lee’s Ferry, Desert River Crossing, by W.L. Rusho and C. Gregory Crampton, Cricket Productions, Salt Lake City
The Four Corners Anasazi, by Rose Houk. San Juan National Forest Association
The Fourth World of the Hopi, by Harold Courtlander, University of New Mexico Press
An Introduction to Grand Canyon Geology, by Michael Collier. The Grand Canyon Natural History Association
Desert Solitaire, by Edward Abbey. Ballantine Books, New York
Ghosts of Glen Canyon, by C. Gregory Crampton. Cricket Productions. Salt Lake City
Grand Canyon Wildflowers, by Arthur M. Phillips, III, Grand Canyon Natural History Association
Archaeology of the Grand Canyon: The Bright Angel Site, by Douglas Schwartz, Michael P. Marshall, Jane Kepp, School of American Research Press, Santa Fe
The River That Flows Uphill, by William H. Calvin, Sierra Club Books, California
Downcanyon: A Naturalist Explores the Colorado River Through Grand Canyon, by Ann Zwinger, The University of Arizona Press, Tucson