GRAND CANYON, Ariz. — Some people say do-it-yourself river running in Grand Canyon is just for young, strong adults.
That is far from the truth. In late March 2017, 12-year-old (yes, that’s right, 12) Abby Holcombe paddled a pink Jackson Kayak Rockstar XS kayak from Lee’s Ferry to Pearce Ferry. Abby’s Rockstar is five feet two inches long, and if Abby tries really hard, she can just about reach both ends of the boat at once.
kAmp33J 8C6H FA :? 2 A255=:?8 72>:=J[ 42? 9@=5 96C 3C62E9 7@C 2 7F== >:?FE6[ 2?5 925 96C <2J2< C@== 3J E96 E:>6 D96 H2D D6G6?]k^Am
kAmv@:?8 :?E@ E96 C:G6C EC:A[ p33J H2D 2=C625J E96 yF?:@C (@>6?’D uC66DEJ=6 z2J2<:?8 }2E:@?2= r92>A:@?] {:<6 E96 @E96CD 367@C6 96C[ p33J 8C6H :? D<:== 2?5 4@?7:56?46 2D E96 C:G6C EC:A AC@466565]k^Am
kAm“%96 #@2C:?8 %H6?E:6D H6C6 2H6D@>6[” p33J D2:5[ 2?5 3J !92?E@> #2?49[ gg >:=6D :?E@ E96 ag_\>:=6 ;@FC?6J[ D96 E9@F89E >2J36 D96 4@F=5 A255=6 E96 H9@=6 r2?J@?]k^Am
kAm$E:==[ D96 E@=5 96CD6=7 D96 H@F=5 H2=< {2G2 u2==D :7 :E =@@<65 325[ 6G6? E9@F89 “x C62==J H2?E65 E@ A255=6 E96 H9@=6 E9:?8]”k^Am
kAm|62?H9:=6[ 96C A2C6?ED H6C6 E9:?<:?8 E96 D2>6 E9:?8]k^Am
kAm(9:=6 w@C? rC66< H2D 2=D@ “2H6D@>6[” vC2?:E6 H2D E96 7:CDE C62= 492==6?86] p33J 925 E62CD :? 96C 6J6D @? 2 G6CJ D@36C:?8 D4@FE[ E9:?<:?8 92C5 23@FE E96 C2A:5 367@C6 D96 82G6 :E 2 8@[ 6?5:?8 FA CF??:?8 E96 C:89E D:56] p7E6C C@==:?8 2E E96 E@A[ p33J C@==65 282:? ?62C E96 3@EE@> 2?5 DE2J65 F?56C 7@C E6? D64@?5D H9:=6 96C A2C6?ED 2?I:@FD=J H2E4965] “xE H2D ?@E E96 =:?6 x H2?E65 3FE x >256 :E E9C@F89 7:?6] x H2D 2=>@DE D@ D42C65 E92E x >6DD65 :E 2== FA]”k^Am
kAm%92E H2D E96 7:CDE 3:8 4@>32E C@== D96 925 5@?6 E96 6?E:C6 EC:A 2?5 7C@> E96C6 @? p33J <?6H D96 H@F=5 36 7:?6[ 8:G6? 96C D<:==D] “xE H2D 2 A:G@E2= >@>6?E] $96 H2D 2 5:776C6?E <:5 @? E96 H2E6C 27E6C E92E[” ?@E65 p33J’D >@>]k^Am
kAmx? {2G2[ p33J C2? E96 D2>6 =:?6 #:2 925 CF?[ 5@H? E96 C:89E D:56 4FEE:?8 =67E] pE E9:D A@:?E[ p33J <?6H D96 4@F=5 A255=6 E96 6?E:C6 r2?J@?] $96 C67FD65 E@ 86E @FE @7 96C <2J2< 2D E96 8C@FA 7=@2E65 2=@?8 2E =F?49E:>6[ 2?5 A255=65 b_ >:=6D E96 =2DE 52J] “x H2D D@ E:C65 H96? H6 8@E E@ E96 E2<6\@FE] x A255=65 E@ D9@C6 2?5 x H2D D@ 6I4:E65[ x 76=E D@ 8@@5 E@ 7:?:D9 D@>6E9:?8 2?5 86E :E 4@>A=6E6=J 7:?:D965]”k^Am
kAmz:5D :? vC2?5 r2?J@? 8@ H2J 324<] %H6=G6\J62C\@=5 qCF46 (:=D@? 925 9:D 3:CE952J :? vC2?5 r2?J@? @? 2 C:G6C EC:A :? yF=J `hca] %96 @E96C C:G6C CF??6CD @? 9:D EC:A D2?8 ‘w2AAJ q:CE952J E@ *@F’ 2D E96J C2? vC2A6G:?6 #2A:5]k^Am
kAmu:7E66?\J62C\@=5 !C:D4:==2 #2E:42? C@56 H:E9 96C F?4=6 :? 9:D 5@CJ @? `ae[___ 4F3:4 766E A6C D64@?5j D96’D E96 J@F?86DE H@>2? E@ CF? E96 9:896DE H2E6C :? vC2?5 r2?J@? @? yF?6 `a[ `hdf]k^Am
kAm#@3:? $686C3=@@> H2D `h H96? D96[ 96C `d\J62C\@=5 3C@E96C[ `h\J62C\@=5 qFKKJ q6=<?2A[ 2?5 7@FC 25F=ED 8@E :? E:?J @?6\A6CD@? DA@CEJ2<D 2?5 A255=65 7C@> {66’D u6CCJ E@ !92?E@> #2?49 :? `heb] %96J A255=65 2 =@E @7 7=2EH2E6C 2?5 A@CE2865 2 =@E @7 C2A:5D 2D E96 C:G6C H2D CF??:?8 2E `[d__ 4F3:4 766E A6C D64@?5 3642FD6 @7 v=6? r2?J@? s2> DE@AA:?8 E96 ?@C>2= C:G6C 7=@H]k^Am
kAmp?5 E96? E96C6 2C6 E96 <:5D :? <2J2<D] (9:=6 H6 4=62C=J 5@?’E <?@H H:E9 46CE2:?EJ H9@ H2D E96 J@F?86DE @C E96 7:CDE 49:=5 E@ A255=6 :?E@ E96 r@=@C25@ #:G6C 2E {66’D u6CCJ[ 96C6 :D 2 C64@F?E:?8 @7 ;FDE 2 76H @7 E96 2>2K:?8 49:=5C6? H9@ 2C6 6?;@J:?8 CF??:?8 E96 r@=@C25@ #:G6C E9C@F89 vC2?5 r2?J@? H:E9 7C:6?5D 2?5 72>:=J]k^Am
kAm$6G6?\J62C\@=5 $286 s@??6==J[ EC2G6=:?8 H:E9 96C >@> 2?5 525[ EC2G6CD65 E96 vC2?5 r2?J@? :? `e 52JD H:E9 7C:6?5D :? yF?6 a__g[ 8@:?8 7C@> {66’D u6CCJ E@ s:2>@?5 rC66<] $286 925 2=C625J 366? 5@H?C:G6C C24:?8 2?5 925 2 8@@5 C@==[ H96C6 D96 4@F=5 DE2J :? 96C 3@2E 2?5 36 FAD:56 5@H? :? E96 H2E6C 367@C6 C:89E:?8 96CD6=7]k^Am
kAm$286 C@56 H:E9 96C >@> D@>6 :? E96 C27ED H96? E96C6 H2D 2 =@E @7 7=2EH2E6C[ 3FE D96 A255=65 96C A=2J3@2E E9C@F89 2== E96 r=2DD f C2A:5D 2?5 2 76H @7 E96 r=2DD g’D] %96 92C56DE A2CE @7 E96 EC:A 7@C $286’D A2C6?ED H2D <66A:?8 $286’D :?DF=:? 4@=5 :? E96 C27E 4@@=6CD[ 2D $286 :D 2 %JA6 x 5:236E:4] $286’D >@> ?@E65 “(6 5@?’E 36=:6G6 :? AFD9:?8[ 3FE 6?4@FC28:?8 2?5 3F:=5:?8 @? 2 DEC@?8 7@F?52E:@?]”k^Am
kAm$286 H6?E @? E@ 364@>6 E96 E@A &$ $=2=@> yF?:@C r92>A:@? H96? D96 H2D `a[ E96 E@A &$ yF?:@C r2?@6 2?5 z2J2< u6>2=6 $=2=@> !255=6C[ 2?5 2E `e :D E96 4FCC6?E yF?:@C (@>6?’D 7C66DEJ=6 (@C=5 r92>A:@?]k^Am
kAm%9:CE66?\J62C\@=5 #:2 $C:32C H@? E96 tFC@A62? rFA pDD@4:2E:@? yF?:@C r2?@6 $=2=@> :? qC2E:D=2G2 :? E96 DF>>6C @7 a_`e] pE `c[ D96 :D ?@H EC2:?:?8 E@ 4@>A6E6 :? E96 &$ yF?:@C %62> EC:2=D :? r92C=@EE6[ }r[ :? pAC:=] qFE :? a_`c H96? #:2 H2D ``[ D96 A255=65 7C@> {66’D u6CCJ E@ s:2>@?5 rC66< :? 96C D=2=@> <2J2<]k^Am
kAm~7 E92E EC:A[ #:2’D 72E96C ?@E65 “E96 vC2?5 r2?J@? EC:A H2D 2 EFC?:?8 A@:?E 7@C 96C] $96 @G6C42>6 >@DE @7 96C 762CD :? E96 r2?J@?[ 2?5 ECF=J 6I46==65 27E6C E92E EC:A]”k^Am
kAm#:2 EC2G6=65 H:E9 EH@ D6G6?\J62C\@=5 8:C=D E92E H6C6 @? E96 vC2?5 r2?J@? C:G6C EC:A] ~? E96 H2J[ E96 <:5D W2?5 25F=EDX A=2J65[ 9:<65[ 42>A65 2?5 DH2> :? E96 H2E6C]k^Am
kAm%@ 2== E96 >@>D[ 525D[ 2?5 <:5D H9@ 92G6 A255=65 vC2?5 r2?J@?[ 2?5 E@ E9@D6 H9@ 2C6 J6E E@ 2EE6>AE E96 EC:A[ p33J 92D D@>6 25G:46] {:<6 E96 25F=ED[ :E >:89E E2<6 D@>6 4CJ:?8 2E E96 E@A @7 {2G2 u2==D[ “3FE 6G6?EF2==J J@F H:== 4@>6 2C@F?5[ >2J36 J@F H:== D66 E96 =:?6 2?5 >2J36 J@F H@?’E[ 3FE J@F 42? 5@ 2?JE9:?8 2D =@?8 2D J@F D6E J@FC >:?5 E@ :E]”k^Am
kAm(9:=6 E96C6 >2J 36 D@>6 8@@5 ?2EFC65 4@>A6E:E:@? 7@C E96D6 D>2== C:G6C CF??6CD[ #:2’D 72E96C ?@E65 E96 <:5D 2?5 E96:C A2C6?ED 2C6 @FE E@ 92G6 7F?[ 2?5 E92E “9:<6D H:E9 E96 <:5D H6C6 2D >6>@C23=6 2D E96 C:G6C CF??:?8’”k^Am
kAmp== A9@E@D DF3>:EE65 3J k2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^HHH]9@=4@>36A9@E@8C2A9J]4@>^Qm!6E6C w@=4@>36k^2m]k^Am