The Canyon by Canoe

At the start of Oct 2019, a group of 8 Canadians got a permit to paddle the Grand Canyon of the Colorado. They decided to do it in proper 'Canadian fashion' by packing and organizing a 26 day trip in 16' (17') foot tripping canoes, unsupported from rafts or any other resupplies.
This is a possible first tandem canoe, self supported descent of the Grand Canyon.

[@irenealexakos5357]

My partner & I canoed the Grand in a tandem (Mad River Revelation) by ourselves in Sept 2000. A one boat trip. No others. Completely self supported.

[@rolandschoepf8118]

You are a rare and wild breed! That was a long time ago but still congratulations!

[@calebroberts7641]

Oh Amazing, We enquired with the park service and they couldn't find any record of a canoe trip. Awesome.

[@tealandgoldworkshop]

best video on youtube, i come back to it yearly.

[@calebroberts7641]

Thanks! Every time I rewatch it I smile at the memories.

[@XanderBudnick]

Oh man, that was awesome!!

[@bwidelak2721]

Could definitely see you paddling this! Let me know if you’re ever looking for another like-minded adventurer - really respect your craft!

[@joelslaven6733]

I paddled the canyon in 1996 in an 11' whitewater canoe with a lot of rocker and had great maneuverability in the big water, so doing this in these trippers with no rocker to speak of is really impressive.👍👍

[@YaGottaBeKidding]

Retired old WW paddler and guide here, an open boater as well. Stellar video! I could almost taste , smell, and feel the water on my face. I've never paddled the Canyon but have a number of friends who've done it, including a few solo open boats, but never an open boat self-supported trip (always either kayaks and/or rafts along), and doing it tandem? Just wow! Love that Werner graphite paddle! BTW, who the hell could down-vote this video?!?

[@BCKA]

Caleb, Way to capture the moment. Usually the fish eye doesn't capture the size of the rapids. In your video I felt like I was in every drop. Definitely a bucket list of mine to paddle the Grand. Thank you for sharing. Bret SYOTW

[@barbarafiore4076]

Great video & kudos! And I know it may not be welcome to hear after your really impressive adventure but I feel it's right to let the paddling community know that we paddled the Grand (after we paddled, Westwater, Cataract, and (three of us)across all of Lake Powell) in the 1988 in Old Town Trippers (tandem canoes). The three who paddled lake Powell hitched a ride on a pick up truck with some kind folks who worked at the dam through the tunnel that leads right to the base of the dam. From there we paddled to the put-in to meet the rest of our party who took a few days off while we paddled the lake. My shoulders hurt just thinking about that lake! We prepared for the trip with many runs on the Penobscot and Kennebec Rivers. They pale in volume comparatively...but proved to be good training. Absolutely fantastic trip. We had some capsizes too- all self-rescues. All we have are still photos since it was a while ago. Perhaps one of my paddling partners will make a video from all the still photos we have...one day. (Paul? Christine? Kevin?) Keep on paddling and celebrate your adventures!

[@meltzermt]

Was this the infamous HIOBS trip I've heard about?!

[@calebroberts7641]

Awesome! We enquired with the park service and they couldn't find any record of a canoe trip. That sounds like a great trip!

[@davidedwards2764]

Well done, impressive skills. I'm fairly certain the International Long River Canoe Club had a trip report in the 1980's, maybe 1990's of a couple who did an unsupported trip in an Old Town Tripper in winter. They chose winter because the regulations at the time allowed unlimited time in the canyon for boaters in the winter months.

[@yuriypostrekhin6154]

You guys are awesome. True Canadians!

[@ritathompson5688]

I love this place! Same time just 3 years ago I was in it! Thank you so much for taking me back! WOW! CANOES! CRAZY COOL! I LOVE CANADIANS! You all where crazy to do this! WOW

[@gregmattox]

What a great sport we enjoy. You took it to another level.

[@robertnorton3482]

Wow, taking one leg completely out of your pants to poop in the woods is a great idea! You don't accidentally pee on yourself!

[@99kikiwiki]

Awesome trip! Great paddling skills, great attitude! Way to go Willa and Alex....you make Chelsea paddlers really proud!!!

[@shawnruzek5378]

I'm in awe. This was beautiful ❤️

[@BuffaloRoamer]

So sick. Awesome accomplishment and video. Love it. Not much an old prospector can't do!

[@retiredoutside]

Really amazing trip! You're doing great! I hope there'll be a longer video of your trip.

[@patrickmahaffey6166]

Having paddled the Canyon and its huge rapids in an inflatable 'SOAR' canoe with rafting support, I am doubly impressed with this group's ambition!

[@awboat]

Awesome. One of my life long dreams that will never happen now. I worked in a outdoor equipment store in the early 80's and got into canoeing as the owner was also a boater. He, Bill Riley, was one of the founders of whitewater paddling in West Virginia. I got a poster there that showed a open boater right above the big hole in Lava and I dreamed of getting a photo of me at the same spot. I got into C-1's, bought one of Bill's old Hahn's, or it came from Leo Bode??, then got into raft guiding on the Tygart and Cheat. But my connective tissues couldn't handle the strain of paddling harder water so I am stuck with Class 2-3. At least I got your videos to enjoy. THANKS

[@YerluvinunclePete]

I am a great believer in tripper canoe insanity.

[@trevorsowers]

Wow that is some great footage!!! Great job and congratulations

[@andrewlederman4948]

Awesome. I've thought about this myself quite a few times, but that water is intimidating! So impressed, but the swims looked tough.

[@ThePursuitofPassion]

That was wicked! Awesome! 👊🙌

[@RustyRaine1]

So jealous! Great music!

[@liquidadventuring]

So good. Makes me want to go back.

[@b_gumm]

That was so cool, thanks for sharing. Been trying to figure out the deal with the Canoers. They seem so capable

[@scottsather602]

That canoe must weighed a ton. Great job

[@davepurce5883]

I watched twice. Nice job, thanks.

[@MyCanoeCountry]

The Manson Family Strength right there. Awesome achievement.

[@felix-antoinegodin8269]

big wide open rapids in canoe looks like tons of fun!!

[@russlangley9482]

Congratulations on being the first known self-support tandem canoe trip down the Grand! I was in the group of 16 self-support kayaks that passed you guys at Elves. Great video! Lets all go back!

[@Lucy-rm5yp]

Sorry! Was part of a self-supported tandem canoe trip in 88!

[@calebroberts7641]

Hey Lucy Fischer. Stoked to hear you got down in 88. I’ve been trying to find out if other groups had done it self support. Heard about a possible trip in the 80s but details were vague and parks didn’t know. Would love to hear more about it.

[@barbarafiore4076]

@@Lucy-rm5yp Are you going by a (familiar) code name CB?

[@Lucy-rm5yp]

@@barbarafiore4076 yeah she logged into my account by accident

[@BigChia710]

That was wild lookin

[@nobodybutme96]

Caleb this is wicked!

[@jonathanbrush4259]

Just finished a backpacking trip in the Grand Canyon. Spent all my time on the Colorado scouting out lines. Absolutely loved this video and the fact that you did it in canoes. Totally awesome

[@matto222000]

Awesome, and slightly terrifying. Great achievement.

[@stevethomas760]

Excellent! Hats off to you paddling it with gear. As a bow slalom C2 er , great effort trying to keep the canoe in the game. Grand Canyon is truly a incredible place to paddle. Thanks for sharing

[@ilyafaden1789]

Brilliant!!!

[@NearlyNativeNursery]

looks like a great time. Brave group of self reliant white water paddlers. I want to move to Canada and get the hell out of Georgia. Canada offers so much untouched wild lands and wild rivers to paddle and explore plus many species of wildlife to see.

[@knaz7468]

You know what cfs you had for most of this trip? Some of the rapids you hit (ex: granite) looked like super fun waves. The canoe seems to do well even upside down!

[@theriverrambler2098]

Damn! Well done.

[@ivansusanin_kolpino]

Sick and Awesome!

[@psychologytarot2549]

Holy smokes! So tense there with the boats flipped over.

[@Redsquirl30]

this is insanely awesome.

[@TripleThreat58]

WOW, just wow, that's some mad paddlin' skills, congrats on the achievement, I can't imagine the pucker factor doing those.

[@Snark42]

That is some gnarly water.

[@padlnjones]

totally.awesome. and an awesome job of rigging!

[@calebroberts7641]

David Blumberg cheers. Took a little bit to get organized with our rigs.

[@padlnjones]

@@calebroberts7641 I have been paddling OC1 whitewater 30 yrs+, and an ACA tandem & solo instructor, plus 3 trips down the GC in a raft (love to row)... I can appreciate the skill and cojones involved!

[@GoingONwithCharlesPowell]

Very inspiring...very

[@flyfishingphotoproject]

Looks warm

[@wildernesscanoeassociation]

Next stop: The Niagara Gorge.

[@gregflorian5337]

IN-SANE. Fantastic. Great story and video. Youse Canadians are kinda crazy a?

[@cbxxb4841]

Really enjoyed this! Some truly great paddling there and it seemed top attitudes. These were all bench seat canoes, not kneeling full time? thanks

[@calebroberts7641]

Thanks, Yes the canoes had stock bench seats, though we did kneel with thigh straps a fair amount of the time.

[@Martin_G]

Holy bejesus! That is amazing. What did the rafts who passed you think of what you were doing?

[@calebroberts7641]

hahaha, They all were so stoked.

[@Lcanoero]

Well Done

[@livekenora]

Nice work guys!! Hit me up when you are in the Yukon! Cheers

[@whitewatersnorkelingandscu3963]

What kind of boats / skirts are these? Looks like a great set up for canoeing bigger whitewater

[@calebroberts7641]

Whitewater Scuba they were esquif prospectors and north water skirts.

[@ericforsman4348]

@@calebroberts7641 Why the Prospecteur and not the Canyon?

[@magnumsolutions]

Fucking awesome! That is bad ass. Well done everyone!

[@DobermansRock]

Back in the early 90's my brother/god father Jim Slingluff boated the Canyon and said to me. "Buck it is a never ending class 3-5 rapid damn near the whole way." He was the first known person to boat the whole Verde River and had one helicopter resupply and John McCain boated a part with him. He wrote the book "Verde River Recreation Guide." I really like the boats you used for the this trip. Looked like each was well set up for the run. Good job and great video.

[@calebroberts7641]

That sounds like an amazing trip!

[@DobermansRock]

@@calebroberts7641 He was gone for more than a month and intended to also fill his deer tag. That's a long time to be out of the city. He said when he made it into town he stopped at a Circle K. The colors overwhelmed his eyes with all the bright colors. Summertime we worked for the forest department to clean up the river of trash and fire rings. Did 23 days with 13 people one summer. We ran out of food and had to hunt and fish the last week. I think we all lost some weight. I have boated the whole Verde. Just never in one trip. If there is anything I miss it is the stars overhead un-molested by light pollution and the sound of the river as I sleep. After I found canoeing I have never look back at backpacking again. Living in AZ you end up carrying more weight in water than anything else. Once again thanks for the video. You were well outfitted and dang if those waves weren't the size of a house. Looks like a fun time for everyone.

[@bryanbishop9563]

Gutty Guys!!!

[@dc9mm2]

Those canoe's look more like tandem kayaks to me. Why not use kayak type paddle and roll up when flipped? Iam a kayaker so maybe iam biased toward kayak type paddles.

[@calebroberts7641]

dc9mm2 they were decked prospector canoes. So we were kneeling in them. With the gear in them they are Incredibly heavy. We almost got a roll but the straps that hold you in actually ripped out.

[@ronactive]

Sehr geile Aufnahmen. Grüße ronactive

[@m__r1100]

🤘

[@spenceinman1501]

i'd love to see how you rigged your boats and what you carried. Any chance of a video?

[@willamason7016]

Hey! We'll be outlining our equipment and systems in an online article with Paddling Magazine. Keep an eye out on their site to get all the info.

[@MrBammbalamm]

Gotta work on that tandem roll next

[@calebroberts7641]

Always something to strive for.

[@driftwoodkitty]

#Tandemonium

[@Mainepolingguide]

Slow it down, instead of paddling like you stole the canoe, and you’ll bob over and in between the huge waves and not take on so much water. Also use the seam on either side of the haystacks. Just because those boat eating holes go through the center doesn’t mean you have to. Signed an old Maine Guide.

[@TonyLoro]

U B Gnar! 1/2 the paddle. Twice the man/woman.

[@Yourmomma568]

alternative title. Grand canyon by swimming.

[@aardverks159]

Way to make us proud, Blackfeather! And for those Americans reading the above intro, who still have not learned the metric system, to clarify: 16' converts to (17') foot.

[@drosophilamelanogaster4625]

Music is hot trash