Holiday River Expeditions

Sometimes it feels as though the desert wildflowers bloom and within the stroke of an oar, the colorful leaves are falling from the trees.⁠ Earlier this month, our river season concluded with Cataract Canyon, and this week our final bike trip rolled back in from White Rim. ⁠ ⁠ On the river, we're surrounded by so many eras... a billion year old rock, a thousand year old petroglyph, a hundred year old cabin, a thirty year old guide, a ten year old guest... Even after 58 years in operation, we're still learning how to slow down and appreciate it all.⁠ ⁠ When we do get a chance to slow down, overwhelming gratitude sets in... ⁠Gratitude for the lands and riverways to which we travel, as well as our wonderful guests, whose infectious joy inspires and affirms our mission!!⁠ ⁠ To everyone who floated downstream with us this year, from the bottom of our hearts, thank you! We can't wait to do it all again next year. In the spirit of toasting to a great season, here are a handful of our favorite guest photos from the second half of our season.⁠ ⁠ Share your favorite memory with us this season in the comments below!⁠ ⁠ May you Go With The Flow until we meet again on the river next season.⁠ #myholidayway #endofseason #rivertrip #whitewaterrafting #customerappreciation #guests #riveroutfitter #holidayriverexpeditions #gowiththeflow

Wrapping up my second season rowing boats with Holiday River Expeditions, I couldn't be happier with my decision to jump ship from the professional hamster wheel and make 12-year-old me proud. I'm feeling more peace, joy, and gratitude than ever before, and I have some hypotheses as to why. Check out my latest essay if you're curious to hear more!

Despite being a male dominated profession, there is a rich history in river running of strong women making their impact. Our company is lucky to have been shaped by many powerful females, far too many to picture here. This season, our full-time guide staff reached an equal ratio of male to female, with many of our most experienced veterans being brilliant, hard-working ladies. The original trailblazer in this tradition was "a woman who, in her 70s, could still be found racing full-tilt down the canyon in a leopard-print leotard, a beer in her hand." That woman's name was Georgie White. We stumbled upon an older blog post chronicling Georgie's story and felt like it needed to be shared again. To read the wonderful piece written by friend of Holiday's, Kate Savage, head to the link below! https://lnkd.in/gGYUpypm

Check out our recent 4-Day LGBTQ+ Lodore Canyon Rafting Trip with The Venture Out Project , and hear from Janet, a guest on the trip:⁠ ⁠ “I've always loved being on a river. It puts my head in a quiet place unlike any other experience. But as a solo LGBTQ adventurer, I hadn't found a comfortable, accepting way to go multi-day rafting until The Venture Out Project partnered with Holiday River Expeditions.⁠ ⁠ "We bring the queer and they bring the gear" isn't just a catchy phrase ~ it's really how it works! I've now completed two TVOP trips: Cataract Canyon and the Gates of Lodore, and met wonderful people who are all seeking the safe experience of simply being who they are in the midst of breathtaking wilderness.”⁠ ⁠ We are incredibly grateful for this four-year partnership, which brings together rafting adventures and community in such a meaningful way. Here’s to many more years of LGBTQIA+ affinity trips and helping to create safer spaces in the outdoors!⁠ ⁠ 📸 by @samwellwoo⁠ Learn more about our LGBTQ Affinity Trips here: https://lnkd.in/gDyDByVv #LGBTQAdventures #GatesofLodore #GreenRiver #DinosaurNationalMonument #diversifytheoutdoors #affinitytrips #rafting #NatureIsForEveryone

There’s something magical about hearing firsthand accounts from our guests about their river adventures. We’re thrilled to share a recent gem from Kristine McGowan, who captured her experience in the blog “Five Days on the Colorado: Our Rafting Trip through Cataract Canyon.” Here’s a glimpse:⁠ ⁠ “It’s so big.” Nick breathed the words on one of our hikes, at the top of a rocky promontory overlooking a horseshoe bend in the Colorado. “From up here, you can really see how high the water is,” he said while gazing down at the river. He pointed to spots along the water’s edge. “Usually there’s a sandbar there. And one there, and one there. Right now, they’re all underwater.” Those sandbars will emerge later this summer, when snowmelt from the Rockies runs dry and the river’s level drops, as it does every year. Still, on that afternoon in late June, I couldn’t help but smile at how the Colorado had left our seasoned river guide in awe. That’s one of this river’s greatest powers, I think: the way it’s drawn people, across millennia and from afar—from California, Colorado, Florida, Maine, Montana, Texas, and Utah, if you’re counting just the guests on our trip—and how it beguiles us all into a humble silence resembling its own. You can read her full blog at the link below! https://lnkd.in/gRdXu9V9 #CataractCanyon #ColoradoRiver #CanyonlandsNationalPark #RiverStories #RaftingTrip #blog

This is the only shot from our archives I could find of brothers Mark O’Neill Crumbo (left) and Kim Crumbo (standing center). Here, immortalized in youth, they are rigging their boats and gearing up for a wilderness expedition, a ritual they completed thousands of times over the years. I imagine when this photo was taken, those boys were nothing but excited to be heading out together. Three years ago, Kim and Mark completed that ritual of preparation once more, this time for a multi-day paddle across Shoshone Lake in Yellowstone, the largest backcountry lake in the lower 48. Tragically, they never returned from that trip. As former river guide Rebecca Lawton put it, “many of us have found it unfathomable that a lake could make ghosts of such men.” Kim, a former Navy SEAL who served two tours of duty in Vietnam, became the first full-time guide Dee hired. After guiding, he went on to spend two decades with the National Park Service and dedicated two decades more to conservation work. Mark, who also guided for Holiday, was an experienced ocean lifeguard, skipper, swimmer, surfer, and diver, who, like his brother, worked as a ranger in the Grand Canyon before spending 20 years as a ranger at Olympic National Park, where he retired in 2016. With respect and reverence, I like to think that in preparation for their final trip, their mindsets were light and positive, excited to venture into the wilderness together. Even when things started to hit the fan, I imagine they wouldn’t have chosen to be out there with anyone else but each other. While we may never know for sure, it is believed that today is the anniversary of their passing. Holiday extends its infinite love and appreciation to the families of Kim and Mark, and to the men themselves for the immense impact they left on this world. It would be impossible to summarize the lives, careers, and accomplishments of these two men in this caption. To learn a sliver more about them and their final adventure together, the following article (by Angus M. Thuermer Jr) and column (by Rebecca Lawton, from which the above quote comes from) share further details: https://lnkd.in/gdaJtPwU https://lnkd.in/g3M2dRpN Words by Justin Malloy

“The beauty of the world in black and white is a whisper to the heart and a call to the soul.” Anonymous On the river, the essence of adventure can unfold behind the camera lens. Black and white photography has a unique way of distilling a scene to its purest form. Each frame tells the essence of the river’s story. Stripped of color but rich in meaning and depth, it amplifies the timeless dance of light and shadow, the dynamic force of nature, the quiet beauty in its details, and the people who experience its wonder. 📸 by Chris Whitaker , Bettymaya Foott , Sara Hinck, MA , and John Anderson #blackandwhitephotography #naturephotography #rafting #rivertrip #nature #holidayriverexpeditions

In the whisper of the river’s flow,⁠ Where currents sing and uncle gusty blows,⁠ We find a life both adventurous and kind,⁠ A journey for the heart and mind.⁠ ⁠ We meet kindred souls, their stories unfold,⁠ In the rhythm of the rapids, their laughter is gold.⁠ Each face is a chapter, each voice a new song,⁠ In this dance of the river, we all belong.⁠ ⁠ To the places we explore, where nature shares its soul,⁠ Under vast skies that shimmer and glow.⁠ From tranquil shores to canyons so grand,⁠ We wander together through these public lands.⁠ ⁠ Memories like river stones,⁠ Smooth and cherished, time has honed.⁠ We gather moments, one by one,⁠ Until our river days are done.⁠ ⁠ So here’s to the river, to the lives we entwine,⁠ To the paths we explore and the stars that align.⁠ Grateful for each moment, both big and small⁠ With hearts full of joy, we honor it’s way,⁠ And the memories we make as we Go With The Flow on the riverway!⁠ ⁠ Poem by Sara Hinck, MA 📸 by Guide Zoey

There is a whole lot to unpack in this photo... from the old-school lifejackets, to how badly that boat is wrapped on that rock, to that gentleman's amazing hat adorned with a fake bird on top. Even the most familiar eye may need a few moments to realize that the boatman perched on the boulder is none other than our founder, Dee Holladay. Of all the photos we pulled from the archives this year, I think this is my favorite, as it reminds me of the biggest lesson I have learned from the river: To be humble. Every river legend I have met, read about, or heard speak... literally, every single one I can think of... from Powell, to Buzz, to Georgie White and Katie Lee, to Herm Hoops and Tim Porten, to the 20+ year veteran river ranger and the swift water rescue instructor who literally wrote the book on the subject... They all embody humility in their own way. The river has a unique ability to make us self-aware of our place in the world and encourages us to move through it mindfully, to show that "we are but pygmies, running up and down the sands, or lost among the boulders", as Powell wrote, and that "anyone who (the river) allows to go through its canyons and see its wonders should feel thankful and privileged", as Buzz Holmstrom said. This photo was taken in the earliest days of our company. Dee eventually got off of that rock, spent the next few decades learning lessons from the river, and dedicated his life's work to creating opportunities for people like me and you to do the same. Words: Justin Malloy Photo: Unknown

It’s Dog Days of Summer, and our four-legged friends of Holiday River Expeditions have some paw-some recommendations for your next trip, because it’s never too late to sniff out your next adventure! Warning dog puns ahead 🐶….⁠ We're mutts about all our trips. Give our furry ambassadors a call at 801-266-2087 or check out the remaining open seats for our 2024 season. ⁠ https://lnkd.in/dHYcW6m #DogDaysofSummer #HolidayRiverExpeditions #RiverTrips #AdventurePups #TripRecommendations #ExploreUtah #Colorado