Boldly Go Solo

"Ideal for solo travelers," says the press release from Western River Expeditions about its rafting trips on the Colorado River through Cataract Canyon, Utah. I vouch for that statement. 

I had one of the best trips of my life floating on peaceful sections of the river and holding on for dear life through Class III and IV rapids (read: "big"). And camping by the side of the river with new friends who I was happy to spend every minute with.

Several other companies offer similar trips down this 100-mile stretch of the Colorado, including Holiday River and Bike Expeditions, Hoodoo Rivers & Trails, O.A.R.S.

These are professionally guided rafting trips with all meals and equipment provided. I call them "one-phone call" vacations because you sign up and then let the company do all the work of getting licenses, providing boats and setting out food.

Although most people think about rafting downriver through the Grand Canyon, farther south, the Cataract Canyon trips have a lot going for them. The water is warm (though silty) and you can choose calm or wild water, depending on the time of year you go.

Canyonlands National Park, through which the river runs, is spectacular. My first rafting trip was in Cataract Canyon and I was astounded by the looming, multi-colored rock face "painted" by different types of minerals. (I went with Holiday River, not Western.)

I loved being cooked for and the food, which all had to be carried with us from the start, was almost restaurant quality. It's amazing what a Dutch oven over a fire can produce. And it's especially tasty after a long day in the sun. And when someone else done the cooking.

The amenities, particularly bathroom facilities, are a far cry from what you'd get at home but it's the trade off for being far, far, yes gloriously far, from civilization. No electricity, no street lights, no traffic noise. (As to whether your BlackBerry or iPod, et al would work, I can't tell you. I went in the days before that love it/hate it connectivity.)

A late July trip with Western River Expeditions is being promoted as a "Girlfriends' Getaway" (I really dislike that term) with yoga and optional massage. A six-day trip includes two nights at a ranch with an off-road safari and optional horseback riding before a four-day river trip.

I think I'd like a horseback/river trip combo. I did two days of biking before my four-day river trip in Cataract. Pack in the adventures, is what I always say!

Photos: Ellen Perlman

Camping with butte, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area.

Returning to camp along the Colorado from a hike up to the "Doll House."

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