In July I went on an eight-day rafting trip through the Grand Canyon.

Here are some reflections, videos, and pictures.

Reflections

1. God’s power is immense. The sheer grandeur of the Grand Canyon is breathtaking.
2. God’s creation is creative. He combines raging rapids with calm waters, towering rugged canyons with short sloping hills, hot desert landscape with refreshing waterfalls and greenery, painfully scorching heat with cool, crisp breezes.
3. The folks who organized this trip are very kind. I thank God for Canyon Ministries and Answers in Genesis in this regard. Tom Vail has twenty-five years of experience leading Grand Canyon rafting trips, and it shows.
4. This trip was not as much “roughing it” as I thought. Almost all of the meals were first-class. Very tasty and filling. And lots of snacks in between.
5. The guys on the trip were a joy to get to know. I loved hanging out with my buddy Jim Hamilton, and I especially enjoyed time men such as Jason DeRouchie, Mike Wittmer, Tim Tomlinson, Bruce Compton, Sam Dawson, Dan Kim, Tim Ward, and Tom Keiser.
6. I respect Bill Barrick immensely. (He was one of the four leaders on the trip.) He is humble, scholarly, and warm. His spirit is commendable.
7. In my view young-earth creationism is exegetically superior and scientifically viable and coherent, and it’s even more attractive when it doesn’t demonize old-earth proponents or lump them together with theistic evolutionists.

See also reflections by Jim Hamilton and Jason DeRouchie.

Videos

A montage of video clips (mostly) filmed by Jason DeRouchie:

Rafting through Hermit:

Rafting through Lava Falls:

Pictures

(Click the pictures to enlarge. Photographs by Jason DeRouchie.)

rafting:

We had views like this every day for a week:

drafting behind Jim Hamilton:

on a hike:

discussion:

the thinker:

sitting between Mike Wittmer and Tim Tomlinson:

my sunglasses snapped; duct tape kept them together for a few more days:

refreshing waterfall:

taking a helicopter ride out of the canyon:

the group: