Re: [Paddlewise] Wild women of the Colorado

I have run the Grand Canyon part of the Colorado River three times, always 
with commercial outfitters.  I'm willing to pay extra to go when I want, 
have someone organize and cook the food, and to have guides I know can give 
me the best possible experience safely.

I have never [he said proudly] set foot in a raft in my life. Many of the 
commercial river runners take kayaks along. And none of my three trips has 
included a motorized raft.

I have always gone with AzRA and cannot speak about anyone else.  But I 
never felt I was with people who were in it for the money when I was with 
them.  The Canyon is a spiritual place and it rubs off on everyone who 
spends much time there.  Yes, they are in it for profit, but compared to the 
people I've met who are in life for the money, these are not the same 
people. Most river guides are living much simpler [poorer in dollar terms] 
lives than I am.  And, much like me, they practice their profession because 
it gives them enough money to live on while doing something that suits their 
passions.

I, however, agree that giving the commercial outfitters the overwhelming 
preference for permits is not right.

some snips from previous conversations that prompted my response:


>>One of the unfortunate things about the (mis)management of the permit
>>system for the Grand Canyon is that it heavily (very heavily) favors
>>commercial outfitters over private individuals.
>>
>>Roughly the way it works out is that if you're willing to pay a large
>>amount of cash and ride on a motor-powered barge that spews pollutants
>>into the environment, you can go next year.  If you are a private boater
>>who wants to kayak, canoe, or raft the river, then you should probably
>>apply for your permit when you buy your first boat, because by the time
>>you're good enough, you may be lucky enough to get one.
>>
>>It's a sickening perversion of our national park system for private gain.
>>(And, as you might guess, any attempt to reform it is met with howls of
>>protest by the commercial outfitters, whose greed knows no bounds.)
>
>You were doing so well until that last sentence fragment.  While I don't
>have a huge amount of experience with commercial outfitters, my general
>impression has been that most are not in it for the money.
>

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