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Memories Of A Canyon River Cook

I have had the great fortune of going on more than 50 rafting trips on the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon. But, I'm no boatman — I'm far too chicken for that. I can barely muster enough courage to row myself through some of those rapids, let alone a boatload of paying customers. So, generally, my job on the river has been that of camp cook.

Being able to cook well is certainly a bonus — but in my opinion, it's not as important as being able to cook successfully. Making three meals a day for at least 20 people is no small feat. Especially when your kitchen moves downriver every day and you're using coolers and 20 ml ammunition cans for refrigeration and storage.

There are no Quickie-Marts in the Grand Canyon, so supplies for three weeks of cooking have to come with you from the start. I don't know how much it all weighs, but I'm guessing it's a few thousand pounds.

And, yes, you lift all of it at one time or another, carrying it from boat to kitchen several times a day. I once used a pedometer to clock how much walking I did in a given day of cooking and it was about 5 miles.

Cooking on the river starts early. I usually have my first cup of coffee at 4 a.m. To some people, this might sound torturous; it certainly can be. But I have learned to enjoy the solitude. Camp is quiet, and the canyon is filled with its own sound: the river moving, the breeze blowing and the Canyon Wren's morning chorus.

When John Wesley Powell first navigated the rapids of the Colorado River in 1869, he nearly starved to death from his meager diet of coffee, bacon grease and whiskey.

Modern river-runners have no such concern, as food has become a major selling point for commercial river trips on the Colorado.

Companies not only advertise two weeks of adventure and excitement, but three gourmet meals a day, as well. The menu below is a sample of food that would have made John Wesley Powell drool. The one thing that hasn't changed since his time is the availability of whiskey.

Main Breakfast:

  • Sausage links and bacon
  • Eggs to order
  • Blueberry pancakes with toppings: whipped honey butter, maple and boysenberry syrup, nuts, raisins and whipped cream

Lunch:

  • Deli sandwiches with several different choices of meat and cheese, as well as meatless "meat" and soy "cheese"
  • Veggies, including red peppers, avocados, cucumbers, tomatoes, onion, etc.
  • A variety of condiments and pickled things
  • Several kinds of potato chips and salty snacks
  • Several varieties of cookies (Oreos, Fig Newtons and Nutter Butters are always crowd favorites)
  • And sometimes, chicken salad or taco salad

Dinner:

  • Appetizers: cheese, crackers, summer sausage, chips, veggies and dip and a variety of pickled things
  • Filet mignon and salmon steaks on the grill
  • Baked potatoes with all the trimmings: sour cream, fresh chives, butter, grated cheese
  • Huge green salad with every salad dressing option known to human kind
  • Steamed asparagus with lemon butter and fresh herbs
  • Homemade triple layer chocolate cake baked in a double-stacked Dutch oven with chocolate frosting, whipped cream and rainbow sprinkles

... And In Between:
Each boat also carries a veritable candy store, where passengers can snack on Skittles, Snickers and Power Bars any time of the day or night.

Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Gillian Ferris Kohl