Scott Dillard’s Grand Canyon Trip Report
11 Days. 226 Miles. One Kayak. Self Support.
This winter, Scott returned from his 8th trip through the Grand Canyon, an 11-day, 226-mile journey that blends big water, long miles, deep wilderness, and just enough absurdity to keep things interesting. No better place to spend his 45 birthday!
What does “self-support” actually mean?
On a self-support Grand Canyon trip, every kayaker carries everything they need including food, camping gear, and personal supplies, packed into their kayak. Like backpacking, but in a kayak. For 11 days, there are no rafts hauling gear and no resupplies. Your boat is your kitchen, closet, and pantry.
The crew & the miles
Scott paddled with 15 close friends, most of them from Asheville, covering an average of 20 miles per day. The longest day clocked in at 38 miles, while the shortest (after a 20 mile hike) was just 5 miles. The takeout was Diamond Creek, marking 226 miles total through one of the most iconic canyons on Earth.
Boat choice matters
Scott paddled a Stinger XP (thanks to Peter Benedict), which he considers the boat for self-support Canyon trips. With its skeg, rear hatch, and long-haul comfort, it’s designed for exactly this kind of adventure.
The Stinger XP doing its thing in Upset Rapid.
Conditions in the Canyon
Flows stayed low, between 7,000 and 10,000 cfs, making this the lowest-water Canyon trip Scott has paddled. Low water meant more exposed rocks and a few rapids that actually felt harder than at higher flows.
A Canyon veteran’s perspective
Eight trips in, the Grand Canyon still holds its place as a hard-to-beat classic for Scott. With manageable but exciting whitewater, world-class hiking, and incredible camping, it feels like a true expedition every time. Winter trips also come with a bonus: permits are often easier to secure if you’re willing to brave the cold.
Gear wins (and lessons learned)
Biggest win: A Dutch oven… used to bake a birthday cake for a friend.
Biggest mistake: Not bringing enough food. The amount of calories burned with long paddling days and massive hikes adds up fast.
Next time:
More food
Less clothing. With the very cold weather forecast, Scott brought plenty of extra layers, but wore essentially the same outfit every day.
Rapids that stood out
Granite, Dubendorf (now often called Newbendorf), Hance, Upset, and Horn all delivered. At lower water, Horn in particular felt much bigger, and several rapids had noticeably changed character since past trips.
Any close calls?
None. With a highly experienced crew, the trip saw no swims and just three combat rolls among all 16 paddlers.
What people underestimate most
How much you can actually pack into a kayak, especially in a Stinger XP. Scott’s frivolous “essentials” included:
A milk frother
A Dutch oven
A battery-powered air mattress inflator
A pillow
A saw
And zero dehydrated backpacker meals
Cold-weather systems that mattered
On the water: A solid drysuit is everything
Layering setup: IR drysuit, union suit, and a puffy vest (a favorite combo for warmth without bulk)
Hands: Pogies on the river, gloves at camp. Essential for firewood, camp chores, and packing boats
With cold water, long paddling days, desert air, and salty food, everyone suffered from major hand inflamation and hand care becomes a real challenge.
Sleeping in the Canyon
A zero-degree sleeping bag paired with an insulated inflatable mattress kept Scott warm and comfortable, even on the coldest nights. By the end of the trip, nighttime temps were surprisingly mild.
Cold-weather MVP: A wool hat always accessible. Helmet off, hat on, every stop.
Food highlights
Breakfast: Oatmeal
Lunch: Ramen (often pre-cooked and carried in a thermos was total game changer)
Dinner: Meat and veggies grilled over the fire
Pro tip: 22 eggs carried in a Nalgene bottle dramatically improve ramen and enable birthday cakes.
The group joke of the trip:
Everything became a race with this crew. Downriver. On hikes. Packing boats. Completely unspoken, and completely relentless.
Stop to check the map, grab water, or use the bathroom? You’re instantly left behind. As Scott puts it: “There is no safety in numbers, especially with a large, experienced group of kayakers.”
What's your favorite hike in the Grand Canyon?
The Diving board hike from Dinosour camp. That is my favorite, but this year we tried to accesss it from little Nankoweap, two miles downstream, which turned in to an off trail, route finding epic. Highly recommend the diving board hike, just not from Nankoweap.
Scott peers over the diving board.
Why go in the winter?
Fewer groups on the river
Driftwood fires
And most importantly: huge hikes that would be seriously hot in summer.
Winter trips mean short days. Expect 10–12 hours in your tent every night. Scott jokes that the Grand Canyon is where you go in winter to spend to spend 12 hours in a tent, but somehow only get 5 hours of sleep. .
Why keep coming back?
The Grand Canyon is the ultimate multi-sport adventure, paddling, hiking, camping in one of the most epic landscapes on the planet. For those of us in Western Colorado, it’s incredibly special that this kind of experience is so close to home.
For those who dream of the Canyon
Get comfortable in big water. Have a reliable roll. And find an experienced crew, maybe through the RFKC.
Why trips like this matter
There’s nothing quite like experiencing a place like the Grand Canyon, especially traveling through it, carried by the Colorado River. Traveling through time as you decend the layers of rock. These trips deepen our connection to rivers, wild places, each other, and time itself and remind us why protecting access and building strong paddling communities truly matters.