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The V Wave
A newsletter for river runners
Jan 2007 - Vol 1, Issue 1
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Greetings!

Hello and welcome to the first ever Arizona Raft Adventures and Grand Canyon Discovery e- newsletter. The V Wave, named after a legendary wave in Lava Falls rapid, is packed with great information such as trip specials, Grand Canyon and company news, guide updates, river stories, recommended readings, specialty trips, photos, river recipes and more. This issue features news about April trips, our sister company Grand Canyon Discovery, a guide update, the San Juan River, and a recommended reading.

There have been many changes around AzRA over the past year due to the new Colorado River Management plan by the National Park Service. One of the most exciting changes to take place is that we now begin the season in April instead of May.

April can be wonderful in the Grand Canyon. In fact, according to many of our guides, April is one of their favorite times of the year to be in the Canyon. Although these trips can experience variable weather, it is a small trade off for all the bonuses that come with April trips. One bonus would certainly be that there is less overall impact in the Canyon after the quiet winter. Arriving to a camp that does not have footprints in the sand adds a sense of wilderness and exploration to your adventure. One of the most enticing aspects about April trips are the hiking opportunities. Our trips now extend up to 16 days which allows for ample time to explore the many side canyons. The mild daytime temperature (low 80's) provides the opportunity to enjoy hikes that are too hot during the mid-summer months. Other great reasons include: fewer people, blooming flowers, clear water, good fishing, favorable light for photography, and campfires are allowed until April 30. If you are interested in an April trip, we are offering a 15% discount for all 2007 April bookings. Call our office (800-786-7238) to check availability.
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Grand Canyon Discovery (Discovery) is an affiliate company with Arizona Raft Adventures. Discovery began operating trips in 2004 adding approximately 15 more trips to the schedule offered by Arizona Raft Adventures. Discovery offers many specialty trips including the All-Paddle trip, Natural History motor trip, Hiker's Special hybrid trip and Stories of the Grand Canyon hybrid trip. Although Discovery is a separate company, it is owned and operated by AzRA and run with the same support staff and guides. So the next time you call the office, expect the reservation staff to answer the phone, "AzRA Discovery!"
You may have been lucky enough to run the river with a guide by the name of Jon Hirsh. Jon is known for his long guiding career and bringing an immense amount of passion and personality to any trip. Today, Jon is living full-time in Haines, Alaska with his wife, Leslie and their new baby girl, Rio. Jon is still guiding trips for AzRA, although has considerably cut back on his season to spend more time at home with his family.
If you haven't already heard, we are no longer running trips on the San Juan River in southern Utah. Although it was sad to let go of our San Juan program, we still love the San Juan River and recommend it as a wonderful opportunity to see some of the most fascinating archeology in the Southwest. Our friends at Wild Rivers Expeditions in Bluff, Utah, told us that if any of our customers wanted to raft the San Juan they would extend a 10% discount to you. They offer daily trips as well as multi-day adventures. This is a great trip for families with young kids as well as history and archaeology buffs.
Many customers ask us for suggestions on additional reading material for the Colorado River and the Grand Canyon. In this issue of The V Wave, we would like to share with you a book titled, Writing Down the River, by Kathleen Jo Ryan. Over the course of one summer, fifteen female writers traveled the river and now share their stories. This beautifully illustrated compilation of essays and photos is a must have. With 134 pages, 15 essays and over 100 photos, this book comes highly recommended. Purchase this book.

We would like to thank you for river seasons full of wonderful memories and for taking time to read our newsletter. We hope you will choose to continue receiving this publication so that we may keep in touch throughout the years. In fact, we would greatly appreciate your input and if you have suggestions for future newsletters or have stories or photos to share, please drop us an email. All suggestions are welcome.

(Arizona Raft Adventures and Grand Canyon Discovery are concessioners under contract with the U.S. Government and administered by the National Park Service.)

See you downstream!

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Arizona Raft Adventures and Grand Canyon Discovery

phone: 800-786-7238
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