Ten women, five canoes, 4,000 pounds of food and supplies with just 15 minutes to embark at the base of the Hoover Dam. Thus began the first Canoe Bragade Adventure!

Under the direction of our skilled and learned leaders, Lisa and Lori, who had travelled this journey before accompanied by 20+ teenaged boys, you would think this would be an easy and smooth operation. But reality showed that working with a group, many who had never paddled a canoe before a half day’s training session back in March, offered a few challenges. But, as always, this amazing collection of personalities pulled it off!

 

 

Surrounded by the steep walls of Black Canyon, the scenery was spectacular. The crystal clear water captured the sun’s ray in turn illuminating the river several feet below the surface. Billowing white clouds splattered their way across brilliantly blue skies. It was a feast for our eyes. In retrospect, however, the true beauty of this journey down the Colorado was the bond and trust that developed as we worked together through hurdles and challenges presented to us as a group and individually.

We had a number of hurdles to surpass collectively: piling our “stuff” and ten women into three cars, loading our canoes in five minutes time while being barked at by a disgruntled equipment provider, finding tent spots that wouldn’t float way, teaching each other good steering techniques, camping areas that just weren’t there, making our water (and beer) last, cooking without our microwaves and bagging our poop!! But there were also individual challenges, some voiced, others not: sleeping on rocks with no pad, following strict diet requirements while adjusting to a group menu, suppressing irrational night fears of flash foods and fighting back a fear of heights as a friend holds out a hand to grab you atop a ladder 20 feet above solid ground. Trust, laughter, compromise and knowing that in all cases, there was you and nine women who had your back – that was the beauty of our adventure and is what will form the memories of the Pink Canoe Bragade’s first adventure of what we hope will be many more to come.