Who Is Going to Go?

How do you choose your trip mates?

IT'S ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT DECISIONS YOU WILL NEED TO MAKE AS A TRIP LEADER.

You will be living, traveling, and cooking with the same folks under sometimes trying conditions for up to 30 days. Think of it as having a bunch of roommates with everyone bringing their own furniture and moving everyday for the length of a trip. An expedition mentality is certainly called for. So what's in an "expedition mentality"?

Probably the most critical component is desire. A trip opportunity is a treasured gift, and all the trip participants should truly want to go. This doesn't guarantee compatibility, but it is an important factor.

Second on the list is a sense of humor and not taking oneself so seriously. Humility and a small ego will help the trip proceed much smoother. Remember there are many ways to do the same thing.

Next is what important contributions a person can add to the trip. Probably the highest on the list is being a hard working caring person with a sense of humor and an eye to take care of the entire team. Sure, it would be good if they had a boat that can carry gear/people and the ability to row it, but experience rowing in the Grand Canyon is not essential for everyone on the trip.

You may have a lot of river running friends or only a few. Sure, it helps if at least a couple of participants are familiar with river running in Grand Canyon. Having a hard working caring person with a sense of humor and an eye to take care of the entire team who is learning to row is way more desirable on a trip than an experienced person who misses camps, sleeps in late, refuses to help with camp chores, parties hard and is often obnoxious when drunk/stoned, and won't stop playing their music loudly at all hours of the day and night.

It's also very important for you to Figure out the type of trip you want and make sure your trip mates know that.

Maybe you as the permit holder want to do no or minimal partying, do a lot of hiking, scout the rapids, and avoid loud music. Maybe you want something very different. What ever YOU want your trip to be has a chance of coming to pass if you invite people to join your trip who want that as well.

Personality is important, but bear in mind that people change greatly under stress and in situations under which you may not have previously known them. An expedition through a place like Grand Canyon can be either the glue that cements relationships or the wedge that breaks them apart. See the "10 Day Syndrome" discussed in the Group Dynamics page in this Wiki.

You might want to look at other factors in trip mates: ability to aid in rescues (i.e. kayakers), gender balances, and talents such as cooking, organizing or experience with previous Grand Canyon trips, photographers, first aid knowledge, or experience with backcountry hiking.

You may also find that people drop out of your trip between the time you are awarded the permit and when you push away onto the river at Lees Ferry.

Friends of friends are often good people to join your trip. Friends of strangers are another thing. Regardless, you should interview them to make sure they want the type of trip you want. ‘’’Then, get references and ask around.’’’

As a permit holder, if you are seeking others to fill your trip, you can post your needs on the ‘’’Grand Canyon River Trip Participants Needed’’’ Facebook group here.

If you post on the above Facebook group, pay attention to those one to one messages where people suggest you see if boater X is available or stay away from boater Y.

You may get some interest in your trip from total strangers. They may be EXCELLENT people! To make sure these people are right for YOUR trip, you might want to post something like the following template to the group:

Hello esteemed community. I’m putting together a Grand Canyon river trip and I have a few people that I have never met as prime candidates. I’m checking their references and I also want to ask the community at large if you have any feedback on the following participants (positive or negative). If so, can you please send me a pm? Boater YXZ Boater ABC I have turned off the comments on this post to keep things anonymous. Thanks! Signed

Remember, folks new to rafting, the backcountry and/or the Grand Canyon shouldn't be excluded on this basis alone. The wonder and excitement of these people can lend great energy to a trip. Also, don't automatically exclude strangers, as this can be a terrific way to enlarge your circle of great boating friends, and can be an opportunity to share ideas and experiences and expand your boating knowledge. In the case of new boaters, you do need to help them understand what to expect and how to prepare for the trip, physically and mentally. You may also find some good advice in the section under A Primer for New Boaters and Trip Philosophy elsewhere in this Wiki.

Finally, evaluate your group's abilities. Are they competent enough to get through the Grand Canyon? Moreover, does your group have the capabilities to handle problems if and when they occur? This is the difference between thinking you can row a rapid compared to whether you think your group can right a flipped fully-loaded raft or deal with people that have minor or major injuries. Remember, the Grand Canyon is remote and help is not just around the corner. Do not rely on just getting lucky and not encountering any problems but prepare for possible problems.

Once you sort out who is going, you will need a list of trip participants. This is required by the NPS and will need to include: Legal Name, Date of Birth, Phone, E-mail, address, and where this person is joining/leaving the trip.

Click here to return to The Pre-Trip Planning page.

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Click here to return to the Master Gear Check List page. Updated Feb 10, 2025