It can be an awkward conversation to have, but if you’ve never been on a Grand Canyon river trip or other similar adventure, you may have NO IDEA how you’re going to use the bathroom on your trip!

Since it can be an embarrassing conversation for some folks, we thought we’d give you the run down here and let you ask us follow up questions directly if you have any.

The Basics
One of the most challenging things for those who manage popular outdoor destinations can be keeping them free from human impacts, incl Read More

The waters travelling through Grand Canyon don’t follow the traditional pattern of having high flows during rainy seasons or when heavy snow melt is feeding into the river and low flows when precipitation is down. Instead, the changes in the Grand Canyon portion of the Colorado River are dictated more by how much water is being released through Glen Canyon Dam at any given time. Multiple agencies work together to determine how much water should be allowed to flow and for how long in order to achieve different goals. Those goals range from me Read More

We’re back with another post in our “Guide Spotlight” series, helping you get to know the best guides in the Grand Canyon just a little better. Today we’re featuring Nicky G., now in his second year with Hatch!

Years working in the outdoor industry: 6

Trips in Grand Canyon: Six, which my parents think is a lot, but it's nothing compared to the long-time legends that I am blessed to work with at Hatch. One day I'll have as much as experience as them!

Trips for Hatch: 4 Read More

If you’re on an Upper Canyon or Lower Canyon trip with Hatch, you are well aware that the Bright Angel Trail hike into or out of the Grand Canyon is long, strenuous, and MANDATORY.

For this reason, many guests who book this style of trip with Hatch choose to lighten their loads by using our UPS duffel service. It works like this:

If you’re on an UPPER CANYON trip, you’ll pack your gear as recommended and bring it all to Marble Canyon with you. You’ll also make sure to label it clearly (using something like a Read More

It might seem a little counter intuitive to book your couples getaway on a trip that will put you in close proximity to a bunch of strangers for a week, but hear us out! Hatch trips are actually great for couples celebrating anniversaries, birthdays, or just the love that they have for each other.

Here are the top 4 reasons we think a Hatch trip is the perfect vacation for you and your partner:

1) There’s no access to the outside world.

In our normal lives, it’s easy to get caught up in the distra Read More

River season is coming, and we’re psyched that we’ll get to see all of your smiling faces soon. Some of you with early trips may be excited at the thought of seeing all those wildflowers in bloom, but grimacing at the possibility of traveling in colder temperatures. If this is you, we have some packing recommendations to help you keep warm even if the weather on your Grand Canyon trip isn’t.

1) Start with warm base layers

You’ll still probably want a set of moisture wicking underwear or a bathing suit closest Read More

With river trips coming up soon, you’re probably thinking about A LOT. What should I pack? How am I getting to and from my trip? Who is going to walk my dog and water my plants while I’m gone?

But, have you thought about how you’ll record your journey to look back on later? Photos in a Facebook photo album work great for some people, but when you’re looking back in 20 years on that great trip you took, you might not remember the name of that little cove with the waterfall you jumped from, whether Redwall Cavern or the Little Colorado Read More

Welcome to the first in our “Guide Spotlight” series, where we help you get to know the best guides in the Grand Canyon just a little better. Today’s spotlight features David K., one of Hatch’s most senior and most requested guides.

Years working in the outdoor industry: 30+

Trips in Grand Canyon: 300+

(Some say that I have kayaked the Grand Canyon more times than anyone dead or alive ever will)

Read More

Imagine this: It’s your second day in the canyon and you are overwhelmed by how monumentally tall the walls around you seem to have gotten in such a short time. In the distance you see what appears to be a small sliver of cave and beach (though when you get close you will realize it is actually the enormous Redwall Cavern—large enough for a comfortable game of Frisbee or Wiffle ball). Over your head, dark clouds have been gathering, and as you approach the cavern, they break open and begin to rain. All around you, waterfalls begin to cascade Read More

“Drink more water.”

You’ve probably heard this advice so much that you’re sick of it! But the reason this phrase makes its way into all the health and self-care checklists right between “get enough sleep” and “exercise regularly” is that water is vital to maintaining an adequately functioning body and mind. Nowhere is this more important than on an active vacation in a remote and arid outdoor setting. Don’t let the Colorado River fool you—you’re still in a desert in the middle of summer. It’s important to hydrate accordingly.