Adventure Nº 6 — Black Canyon

Charlie and Sam were ready for another thrilling adventure, and this time it took them to western Colorado, where the Gunnison River cuts through the towering cliffs and deep shadows of the Black Canyon. At the rim they spotted a bighorn sheep picking its way along a steep slope, and peered down at the river far below.

The Black Canyon itself, they learned, is for expert kayakers only, with huge rapids and long portages. Charlie and Sam happily left that stretch to the experts and headed for the Gunnison Gorge just downstream: still wild, but a little friendlier.

First came the hike. A steep, dusty trail dropped about a mile from the rim to the river, and they carried their kayaks the whole way.

"Charlie, nobody mentioned the hike," Sam puffed.

"That's part of the adventure," Charlie grinned.

Then, with their life jackets buckled and paddles in hand, they took on the rapids one after another: One Miler, Buttermilk, The Squeeze. "Charlie, are you sure we're going the right way?" Sam called as his kayak spun toward a rock. "Just keep paddling!" Charlie shouted back, laughing.

That night, resting at camp, Charlie declared, "What an incredible experience! We braved the waters and kayaked the world class rapids of the Black Canyon."

"Technically," said Sam, "we paddled the gorge below it. But incredible, yes. Next time, perhaps we could choose an adventure with a little less paddling."

Until Charlie & Sam's next adventure… where will it take them?