Grand Canyon Solitaire

Grand Canyon Solitaire

A Carolina Paddler Article

By Alton Chewning with Ilia Smirnov

Photography by Ilia Smirnov

A nine day, self-supported solo trip through 225 miles of the Grand Canyon

The Grand Canyon is a place of mystery and adventure traveled by more than twenty thousand people a year.  With a resource this pristine and valuable, the National Park Service closely manages the traffic and use of the park and the Colorado River.  A limited number of rafting concessionaires hold the licenses to carry the majority of the visitors down the Canyon, operating from April through October.  Getting a non-commercial permit in this prime season can involve years of waiting. During the winter season, partly due to weather conditions, fewer private boaters are interested, and permits are easier to obtain.  Not easy, just easier.

Ilia and Megan Smirnov purchased an existing paddling outfitter business in 2012, Cape Fear River Adventures. Located in the small town of Lillington, North Carolina, on the banks of the Cape Fear River, the business had languished before they saw it for sale. After a difficult first year and a steep learning path, Megan and Ilia’s company thrived.  The story behind their getting started is interesting on its own and we’ll save it for another time.

In their off seasons, Megan, Ilia and their three children, Harrison, Charlotte and Lucas, would take vacations, usually on rivers in the western US.  In 2023, they won a permit to take a larger group on the Grand Canyon. This was a first descent for everyone and Ilia served as the trip leader with a group of eleven. The children were ages 6,9 and 11.  They used four rafts and carried two kayaks and a paddle board for secondary boats.  The weather was challenging but overall, the trip was a good experience.

Later that year, Ilia trained for the Green Narrows Race but not as much as he hoped.  He dislocated a shoulder in the race and had to stop.  Ilia planned to run the Green Race again in 2024, with more training, but Hurricane Helene changed his plans and many others.  Ilia is a unique guy.  You could call him enthusiastic, or you could say, “driven.”

At this point, we’ll go to a question-and-answer format.  Some light editing was used for clarity.

Interview with Ilia

Carolina Paddler (CP): Last spring you said you were going to give the Green Narrows Race another go this year, after dislocating your shoulder during the race last year.  Helene cancelled the race.  Did you do this Grand Canyon solo trip partly as a replacement for not doing GNR or would you have done it anyhow?

Ilia: I would have done the race and the Grand Canyon if I could. The Green Race is something I work towards with extensive training plans lasting for months. Grand Canyon- type trips are a lifestyle, at least for a few days a year. But in general, I love a challenge, and I love to have something to work towards and look forward to!

CP: On which rapid at the GNR did you dislocate your shoulder?

Ilia: Gorilla. I dropped down the flume and flipped at the Speed Trap. By that time, I was gassed, completely gassed. Not necessarily the feeling you want to have in the middle of Class V+,  but that’s the reality of the Green Race, especially as a first timer. As I was preparing to roll, I dragged my paddle on the bedrock for a split moment. That moment was enough to catch my paddle and pop the shoulder out. Without realizing what had happened I was able to roll up anyway. Moments later I dropped in Scream Machine, but the line was bad and put me right into juice of the hole. I swam out of the Scream Machine having no shoulder and not realizing what was going on. I’m very thankful to the safety crew, who got me from the right side of the river to the left banks after the swim. It took a good thirty minutes to coordinate and do it. Then with the help of a couple of spectators, one of them was a doctor, we were able to pop the shoulder back in place right there! I hiked out and someone helped paddle the boat to the festival grounds.

CP: When did you decide to do this trip?

Ilia: 22 days before launch date when I won a permit unexpectedly! Frankly, at that time I was considering a self-support solo trip down the Rio Grande Lower Canyons.

CP: Private boater permits are easier to come by in the winter. How did you go about getting a permit?  When did you apply?

Ilia: I had originally applied via a follow-up lottery. I didn’t win. Then I received an unexpected email from the permitting office. The email was sent to multiple individuals–I suspect those who applied for a certain date last follow-up lottery. They asked if any of us wanted the permit for that date, December 1st… first come first serve!! Meaning first to reply to the email gets it! I was third. Minutes later, I was told the first two dropped out and that’s how I got it!

CP: Any special considerations for getting a permit to go solo?

Ilia: It was the exact same permitting process.

CP: Was the weather better for you in December than on your January trip on GC?

Ilia: Overall, I’d say I was very lucky with the weather this time. The trip in 2023 was much longer, three weeks, and the weather fluctuated more.

CP: Did this first descent give a pretty good appreciation for the trip, the rapids, the conditions?

Ilia:  Definitely!

There is a copy of a partial packing list Ilia used for this trip included under Sources.

CP: You carried some items on your stern deck.  How did you attach them to withstand the waves and possible rolls?

Ilia: This was one of the weaker points, in my opinion, but ultimately the setup held up well. I was paddling a Stinger XP, which has a back hatch with a lid and straps to reinforce the lid. I used the factory buckles for those straps to run extra NRS straps to secure a few additional supplies.

CP: What items were on the stern deck. Looked like your poopsie tube, your day bag and a breakdown paddle. Some orange plastic thing.

Ilia: I carried a back-up paddle, poop tube, and one bigger dry bag that I would “dress” in an extra PFD (The Park requires a spare PFD.) Extra bags were tucked under my feet and in my lap.

CP: Would you do anything differently with the strapping of items onto the stern deck?  You also ran a strap through the stern deck ring. All the strapping worked but it seems like it is putting a lot of strain on those hatch buckles.  Wouldn’t want to compromise the buckles and risk blowing the hatch cover.  Probably wouldn’t happen but….

Ilia: I would consider installing my own attachment points on the bow and stern.

CP: You attached your throw rope on the bow deck ring.  Why did you put it there?

Ilia: I wasn’t certain if I would need to tie my boat when I stop. That didn’t turn out to be the case. I ended up keeping it there the entire trip. It was easily accessible, and I didn’t really have any other room for it, because the cock pit was slam packed. I had items on my legs, under my legs, between my legs, and on my lap! Frankly, I don’t think I used the rope even once!

CP: Were you concerned the rope bag could come open while in turbulent water and scatter line through the water?

Ilia: No. I had it strapped on both ends very tightly and none of the rope came out even once. Although, I would reevaluate it for the next trip.

CP: A park ranger loaned you a metal mesh bag to put your loose items into at camp to prevent mice from gnawing holes in your dry bags.

Ilia: I have never seen such a bag before! That bag was a lifesaver! I think I would have lost some bags and food due to mice if I didn’t have it. It was made from metal mesh, and I say it’s a must-have for kayak self-support trips! Perhaps there are other ways to protect food and gear from mice but I’m not aware of it. Kayakers can’t use metal ammo cans like rafters do.

CP:  We found a link for one type of metal bag.  More options are available on the internet and locally in Flagstaff, the epicenter for GC staging.

CP: You showed video of how mice had eaten into a pad.  You mentioned your sleeping pad was an inflatable.  What pad did the mice eat?

Ilia: I like to sit on the ground cross-legged. I usually use a small seating pad for that, and that’s the pad that got chewed up by mice!

CP:  What kind of sleeping pad did you use? 

Ilia: Hmmm… I used an inflatable pad that never gave me issues before. But I think on the second or third night it developed a hole that I never patched. I kept using it for insulation. Sleeping on sand made it soft enough. If I had to sleep on any rocks, I probably would have tried to patch it.

CP:  We’ve heard of a waterproof (closed cell foam?) sleeping pad that is lightweight, not too bulky and waterproof that could be strapped on the deck.  No luck finding so far.

Ilia: I’d consider using a backpacking pad, I think that would be a good choice!

CP: You appeared to have removed the bow pillar/partition to have extra storage space.  Did the bags you stored there give you foot support?

Ilia: I cut the foam pillar to remove the majority of the reinforcement in front of the bulkhead. I still would insert this loose portion of the pillar between my legs. I also had the regular bulkhead. I had to remove the bulkhead every day to get to my bags. To remove the bulkhead I had to unscrew one of the rails. I installed wing nuts for easy removal.

CP: You carried a collapsible fire pan, as required by the Park Service. Did you build a fire every night?  Was driftwood plentiful?

Ilia: I built fires most nights. Although I skipped a couple nights when it was more important to rest!

 This time the supply of driftwood was limited, although available. I attribute it to the fact that there were some high-volume releases last year in the range of 40K cfs. It cleared up a lot of debris.

CP:  You had a fire blanket made of fireproof material. Was this required?

Ilia:  The fire blanket was a requirement. I placed it under the fire pan in case any ashes or ambers were blown outside of the fire pan.  [It can also be thrown on a fire to extinguish the blaze.]

CP: Can you explain the use of the orange signaling panels you packed?

You are required to bring 2 large (8’ x 3’) orange signaling panels. They are used in case of helicopter rescue and placed on land in X shape to indicate landing spot for helicopter.

CP: You used a cross-over boat, having a rear hatch. Pretty common for self-supported kayakers.

Ilia: I paddled a [Liquid Logic] Stinger XP.

[CP: The Stinger XP is 12ft. 5 inches and fairly narrow in the bow and stern.  The narrow compartment makes packing more difficult. Some paddlers feel the loaded XP dives in waves and is harder to turn.  Others use shorter, broader boats like the 10’ 4” Dagger Katana.

Every boat has its advantages and disadvantages.  See this article on using an inflatable kayak.]

CP: What paddle did you use?  It looks more like a touring paddle.

Ilia: My backup paddle might have been a touring one. I borrowed it. It was the best breakdown paddle I could find 😊. Frankly, I never had to use it. All along, I paddled with my older Sherpa.

CP:  You estimated you would need 3500 calories a day and you also carried food for one additional day. Did the 3500 calories a day work out well?

Ilia: Yes, I think it was a good estimate.

CP: Did you tap into your extra day’s rations?

Ilia: As the trip went on, I was aware of the extra supplies and used them more freely the closer I got to the Diamond Creek takeout.

CP: Anything different you would do about food?

Ilia: No, but I always experiment with food options. I would have enjoyed bringing more fresh, hardy produce if the space allowed.

CP: You had laminated Noncommercial  Regulations?

Ilia: No, I had trip regulations stored in a waterproof pouch.

CP: You had what looks like laminated Maps.

Ilia: I laminated a guide that contained some descriptions of rapids, although I rarely used it.

CP: You had a Grand Canyon guide.  Which one?

Ilia: Grand Canyon Guide by Martin and Whitis – a must have!!

CP:  You had a survival kit in a fanny pack. Worn on your waist?  Any survival food?

Ilia: Originally, I was going to wear it on my waist, but as it worked out, it fit very nicely further down towards my feet in my drysuit. I had two granola bars as a part of it.

CP: Any special packing insights?  Keeping weight to the middle?  Where did you put the two gallons (18lbs) of water?

Ilia: Ha! I wish I could do that, but unfortunately, I packed what I could in every possible open space in that boat! It made my bow and stern very heavy. Which in turn made steering a 12’ boat a nightmare!

The water indeed was in the middle but there were other considerations. For example, I kept all food in the bow, water in the middle, poop-tube at the stern. Maybe I was overcautious, but food safety concepts are deeply ingrained and the last thing I wanted was to get sick out there…

I had three water jugs and two of them were under my knees and one on top of my legs. I refilled them at Phantom Ranch and once I used all the water from there, I downgraded to just two.

CP: Did you make use of your GPS on the paddle?

Ilia: Yes! I used a Garmin InReach communication device. It allowed me to send out an alert in case of emergency. It also allowed me to send basic texts to my family to check in. I was able to check the weather forecast too. Additionally, GCNP is the first park in the Nation to introduce and test emergency notification systems. In case of any emergency in the Canyon, including monsoons, other natural events, or unexpected water flows, I’d get a text message about it, which having this GPS unit made possible!

CP: Did you drive to Colorado?  Can you give an itinerary of travel?

Ilia: I drove my truck with all the equipment. It was about 2100-mile trip one-way to Flagstaff. I left the house around 5am. Stop to sleep around midnight for about 1.5 hours at some rest stop. Finished the drive the next day arriving at Flagstaff around lunch time. I spent that night in Flagstaff, before driving to the put-in the day before my launch date, which is a Park requirement. I had to attend an equipment inspection and orientation that takes place the day before the launch date.

I used River Runner’s Shuttle Service and they were great. A guy picked up my truck while I was on the water, then met me as scheduled on my take-out date, nine days later. Once we got out of the canyon, he had his truck staged and I just dropped him off there – very convenient!  Then I drove to Chattanooga, TN, for my next obligations.

CP:  We’re getting to the actual trip. Your first day paddling had a temperature of 48. Pretty decent.  What was the coldest day?

Ilia: First days were the coldest. As the journey went on, days warmed up some. But I must say that some of those days were very cold. I was generally soaked while paddling, although I had a brand new drysuit. Sun was rarely peeking through the canyon walls; wind could pick up at any moment. I recall the first day was very cold! Then things were more balanced.

CP:  How cold at night?

Ilia: Coldest night was high 20’s. It warmed up some throughout the trip and most nights were in mid to high 30’s.

CP:  Right off you’re contending with lateral waves, big holes.  Did you know they were coming?  Did you do anything to refresh your memory of the rapids?

Ilia: I got comfortable the first day, getting the feel of the boat, steering, river features, etc. I was assessing how I was feeling and how well I was hitting my lines. Overall, the lines were pretty straightforward; Paddling a roughly 350lb. 12’ boat – that was more tricky 😊.

CP:  Did you scout any rapids.  Which ones? 

Ilia:  I read and ran most everything up to some class 7. Some 7’s I scouted (Sockdolager, Grapevine). I scouted all 8’s (Hence, Horn Creek, Granite, Hermit, Crystal, Upset), and Lava (9).

[CP: An explanation about GC river ratings. The GC uses its own scale, 0-10, with the hardest being 10. Lava is regarded as the hardest and should be the 10. Ilia says it’s a 9, which could mean it’s been “downgraded” in some way from previous considerations. As far as relating the GC ratings to the normal International River Ratings scores, it depends on who you talk to.  Most experienced paddlers say the Grand Canyon’s largest rapids are low 4’s or high 3’s.  Make no mistake, it’s big water and very big holes, but most rapids are followed by pools, rocks aren’t much of a consideration, no strainers, shallow gradient, etc. Most people agree you should have Class IV skills in a kayak (or canoe), especially if you are alone.]

CP:  You sort of “talked, grunted or yelled” your way down the rapids.  This help?

Ilia: I’m just having fun! Besides, I’m there by myself, who else can I talk trash to but the rapids 😊

CP:  Seems like most of the time we see you in your video, you are wearing your orange and blue toboggan or have a bare head.  When did you wear a helmet?

Ilia: All my videos when I’m on the water were taken with my GoPro mounted onto my helmet. I wore the helmet on the water most of the time. It kept me warm and safe. I wore my toboggan on water only a couple of times when it was cold in the morning and there were no rapids.

CP:  Looked like the Little Colorado was coming in pretty and blue the day you were there.

Ilia: The Little Colorado was amazing to see! Colors were unbelievable!

CP: You were on a nine-day schedule with a rest day near the end of the trip. Day 3 was your big day, rapids-wise.  Would you break up day 3 differently next time? You saved the off day for day 5 or 6, when you were past most of the hard stuff except Lava.  Would it have been better to take a rest day earlier?

Ilia:  Given the timeframe that I had (9 days total), I wouldn’t have structured my agenda any differently. I wanted to have a layover day. Additionally, I thought it would be a good idea to save that layover day for the second part of the journey (especially taking it after most of the big stuff) to account for the unpredictable. I think Day 3 was an awesome experience!

CP:  Day Three was big.  

Ilia: YES! Day 3 was intense! I started the day at mile 65; paddled ~35 miles with a lunch stop at Phantom Ranch, and finished the day below Crystal, mile 99. This section by far had  the most concentration of the biggest rapids, including five 8’s. Frankly, it is seldom that groups do this in one day. I think, in 2023, it took us three paddling days to cover this section in rafts. Here are the rapids:

Tanner (6) mile 69

Basalt (6) mile 70

Unkar (6) mile 73

Hence (8) mile 77

Sockdolager (7) mile 79

Grapevine (7) mile 82

Horn Creek (8) mile 91

Granite (8) mile 94

Hermit (8) mile 95

Crystal (8) mile 98

CP:  After Phantom Ranch, you pass a tent on river left.  Just beyond we can see something that looks like a big horizontal spray of water in the air. Seems odd. This was before Horne Creek.

Ilia: This was the water line break that caused the entire Phantom Ranch to be shut down. The pressurized water spurting out was impressive! It looked like fireworks, for a moment I imagined it was for me ha ha!

CP: The waves get big at Horne, Granite, Hermit and Crystal.  How did you approach running the waves? Square up to them or something else? 

Ilia: Generally, pointing right into the wave is a good idea, but really depends on the line and features around it.

CP: You did the far-right line at Crystal.  Heard a guide call it “Turning 10’s into 2’s” but it’s still big with rocks to avoid.

Ilia: Some lines were easier in a kayak than they are in an 18’ raft, at least in some ways. The Crystal line was pretty uneventful, although there were rocks to dodge… But after the Southeast creeking I’ve done, it felt like home (minus the huge, heavy boat).

CP:  You found a River Diary left in an ammo can. Was this for passersby to sign? Had you seen it in your prior trip?

Ilia: No! That was an interesting find!

CP: You picked a great spot for your layover day camp.

Ilia: That was so amazing! I got several hours of sun and the views were breathtaking!

CP: You seemed to handle Lava well. How did you run the V-Wave?  Go to right side?

Ilia: Lava wasn’t my favorite line, although it was still very exciting. When scouting, I thought that my bow might hit slow water behind the Hump Wave, and it would turn me. It did! I finished Lava backwards. I might have come on the side of the V-Wave but kept moving right to left. My line was pretty much set and there is not much change of plans once I’m in the moving current. The key here is to drive over Hump Wave and build up right to left momentum.

CP: Any rapids changed much from last year?

Ilia: Dubendorf (mile 132) was completely changed. Everything else was mostly the same. No significate changes in any of the big rapids that I noticed.

CP:  You told me you flipped twice.  Where and when?  Did the boat roll up easily with the 350lbs. of weight?

Ilia: I flipped once on the first day in a no-name wave train, when I came over one of the giant waves and the next wave was a hole. I hit it dead in the middle and it felt like I hit a brick wall. I rolled right up, not much different than rolling a 40lb creeker! All the weight was concentrated in the center (center of a roll) and didn’t cause any issues whatsoever.

The second time I flipped was on flat water on day 8 when I was taking a break from paddling…

CP:  Doing it again next year?

Ilia: I hope to not miss a year. Whether it’s a kayak, a raft, solo, or a group – I’m in!

CP:  You’re getting ready to leave for a group trip to Chile. Can you share just a little about what you will be doing?

Ilia: I’m heading to Pucon, Chile in just a few days – very exciting!! I will be working with Pucon Kayak Retreat, it’s an awesome all-inclusive river front glamping resort that provides all accommodations, food, shuttles, and anything else you might need to make your kayaking dreams come true. I’ll be guiding 2 trips, each one weeklong:

Intermediate Whitewater Kayaking – we paddle different rivers every day throughout the week. Every river is spectacular with crystal clear waters from melting snow coming of volcano peaks that dominate stunning landscapes. We work on skill building while having unforgettable experiences!

Multi-sport week – We take on a different activity every day. Between volcano hikes, horseback riding, whitewater rafting, natural hot springs, wine tasting, or skydiving over volcanos, if that’s your thing, or many other activities to make this weeklong experience stellar.

SOURCES

Ilia made a video of his solo trip down the Grand Canyon.

John Nestler has an interesting, diverse blog where he shares his own and other people’s trip on the GC, among other places.

This is a GC company that specializes in assisting self-support trips.

This article is about a somewhat “average Joe” who does a solo GC trip in an inflatable kayak.  Before the trip, a local expert gave him this memorable advice, “The Grand Canyon is very doable. If you can swim, have a good life jacket, and a dry suit, you have everything you need.”

Ilia’s Packing List  (a few items were changed or omitted)

Editor’s note:  Fats have 9 calories per gram, proteins have 4 calories per gram, so many trippers will carry a quantity of fats disproportionate to what they might normally consume in everyday life.

Food (10 days. 3500cal/day)
• Mixed – 21,820cal
○ Mountain House x9 (5000cal)
○ Nuts 4lb (10,200cal)
○ Peanut butter 1 jar (2660cal)
○ Energy bars 20pc (3960cal)
○ Seed crackers (?)
• Carbs – 9,560cal
○ Instant rice (2200cal)
○ Mashed potatoes 8lg packs (4400cal)
○ Roman noodles (2960cal)
• Protein – 4,720cal
○ Jerky 4lb of raw meat (~4000cal)
○ Tuna 10sm packs (720cal)
Water
• 2 Nalgene bottles
• Water filter
• Extra filter system
• Water treatment tablets
• Bucket
• Water canister
• 3 1gl jugs
Groover supplies
• Storage container
• Wag bags
• Hand soap
• Toilet paper
• Wet wipes
Kitchen Supplies
• Ground Tarp
• Jetboil
• Extra MSR stove (?)
• Fuel
• Lighter
• Fire ignitor
• Spork
• Knife
• Bowl
• Hand sanitizer
• Antibacterial soap
• Food particles strainer
• Sponge
• Thermos
Sleep
• Tent
• Sleeping bag
• Pad
• Pillow
Gear
• Signal mirror (us air force type)
• 3’x8’ international orange colored panels x2
• Kayak repair kit (?) – ducktape, jb weld
• River guide
• Fire starter
• Multitool
• Bituthene tape
• Work gloves (?)
• Extra rope
• Sunglasses
• Extra screw driver for boat
• Headlamp x2
• Hand lotion
River Gear
• 5 essentials
• Throw rope
• Rope for tying boat
• Extra pfd
• Extra break away paddle
• Pouch for papers
• z-drag (2 pulleys, 2 prusik)
Emergency bag
• Water bottle
• Water treatment
• Extra knife
• Sleeping bag
• Fire starter ignitor
• Fire starter
• Energy bars
• Phone
• Gps locator (should be on me, not in the bag)
• Mirror
• Basic first aid (specify)
• Flashlight
• Toilet paper
River and land clothing (not itemized)