Canyon Solitude: A Woman's Solo River Journey Through the Grand Canyon

by Patricia McCairen

"It's well known that Mother River doesn't like a smart aleck," says Patricia McCairen. Accordingly, she plies her oars with reverence and skill on a sometimes hair-raising solo rafting trip along the Colorado River that winds though the stupendous stone valleys of the American Grand Canyon. Like the waters of the Colorado, which change from long, still stretches to boiling white water that barely clothes sharp rocks and hides holes that can suck down a raft, McCairen's moods--and even her name--change as the miles unwind. One moment, she's the cocky, athletic river guide Babe; the next, she's an earthier, more spiritual woman who answers to the name of Patch. Hours later, she seems more vulnerable, less convinced of her strength and joy in the solitude she so zealously courts. Canyon Solitude records these shifts and beautifully limns a journey that tests McCairen's mettle and shows that determination, grit, and the will to spurn conventional rewards offer their own deep satisfactions.

Genres: Nonfiction, Travel, Memoir, Nature, Womens, Book Club, History

246 pages, Paperback

First published March 25, 1998

Reviews

[Sandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Without leaving my chair, I felt the trepidation of oncoming whitewater rapids. Without having to pack any bags, I felt the serenity of floating on the Colorado River, looking up at majestic, colorful Grand Canyon walls. I loved Canyon Solitude, Patricia McCairen's travel memoir of her solo rafting trip through the Grand Canyon. The author narrated her journey with the same expertise she used to steer her boat through swells and along eddies. I took my time with the book, letting my imagination visualize the detailed scenes she described with literary skill and even grace. Along the way, we share her exciting encounters and successes navigating dangerous whitewater, and are privy to her mastery of the even more daunting challenges of loneliness, dependency, and insecurity. Kudos to this female adventurer and wonderful author!

[Jessica Kelley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I first read this as a single woman in my early 20s, and picked it up again last week - 20 years later. I was about half-way through the book before I realized I'd read it previously. It was interesting to re-read passages that used to jump out at me (about being alone and not having a partner) that no longer resonate with me, now that I'm a married mom in my early 40s. But, I still loved her description of the rapids, and her thoughts about the river, and her general courage at running the Grand alone. Pretty cool accomplishment!

[Sara Streit · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was handed this book with a suggestion that I might find it interesting, but found that I was completely absorbed by the story of inner-search and self-knowing just a few paragraphs in.

A unique voice and intimate tale of a journey few have experienced in the company of others, let alone in the brilliant solitude of a lone voyage. Beautifully written and a freeing memoir to experience.

[Julie Barrett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Canyon solitude: a woman's solo river journey through Grand Canyon by Patricia McCairen
A woman's journey in a boat down the grand canyon waters. Scary parts but also fun parts.
What I really liked about this journey is that she describes all the flowers and animals and trees and she makes you feel like you are there.
Very colorful! She was under no deadline as others books I've read along similar themes.
I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device).

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

My husband and I ran the "big ditch" in 1980 along with 2 other rafts. (I'm 80 now). Of course all the details about the river, beaches, canyons and rapids brought back vivid memories of the most memorable thing I ever did. Beautiful descriptions! But this is more about a woman's confidence, self doubt, and introspection. The sincerity was very easy for me to relate to. I recommend it to women who are bold enough to take on such an adventure, and to all who love the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a delightful book. I admire McCairen's spirit in traveling through the Grand Canyon's River alone ... satisfying read and inspiring as well.

[The Bookish Gardener · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kingston Library, like many libraries, is an intriguing place where regulars and visitors gather. Some bring their own computers, some use the ones already there. And within these ranks there is a tribal system of disinfectant wiping, favourite chairs and investment advice and personal phone calls, often at the same time, on loudspeaker.
Alongside the bank of computers and photocopier/scanner is the adventure travel bio section, where I Itake frequent expeditions. And this is where I found this title.
My favourite titles in this genre include overland motorbike trips, walks in the wilderness and stories about people who have flung their regular life to the winds and taken up on a lifechanging journey.
McCairen was one such author and her solo trip on the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon, told such a tale.
Her prose was poignant, but not purple, easily allowing the reader to slide into the water alongside her and watch her on her way.
The personal reflections were touching and telling and some lines called out for me to underline them, but that would get me banned from the library. Or at least compelled to buy the book. Which wouldn't be such a bad thing. I can understand why some travellers have taken her tiny tome along for the ride.
My favourite scene was when she caught a glimpse of a traveller in a restroom, admired what she saw, and suddenly realised she was looking at her own reflection.
Canyon Solitude will do this to the reader, time and again. McCairen's moods are as the sunrise and sunset skies and cast different shadows and hues on her world at that time.
A must read for solo travellers and people compelled to take group tours, to realise what they might be missing.
My only criticism was that I found the timeline a little hard to follow. I wasn't sure at different times whether she was on her first trip, or second, and at which point she worked as a river guide. I know it was her goal, but the story moved around and for me, that wasn't always clear.
I was sad to see she hasn't written more, although there is a camping recipe book that I am hoping holds more than recipes.
A good read.

[Karin · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you are going to read one solo river journey down the Grand Canyon and you like literary nonfiction, look no more. McCairen writes superbly about her solo journey as the first woman to to down all the way without portaging once. She wasn't the first to go down it. I didn't give it 5 stars because there were a couple of things she mentions about herself I thought got a bit redundant (how many times does she have to write about how she was raised to become a wife and a mother? I get it--that was her generation, but tell me once or twice and that is plenty).

She is quite interesting, and in some of the reflective parts that go back over her time before this journey she writes about the years she lived in a teepee and some other impressive feats, as well as some of her travels and other journeys. However, much of the book is about this journey. She has just the right balance between the actual journey and what is around her with out going overboard on the geology or the creation of the Grand Canyon.

[Laurel Clarke · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved reading the story of Patch McCairen’s solo trip down the Colorado river through the Grand Canyon. Her prose is lovely, her bravery and tenacity are inspiring. We experience her doubts, her strengths and her triumphs as she makes her way downstream. She is a woman who bucks the system, refusing to take an imposed path through life in order to carve out her own journey- not unafraid but willing to take risks that lead to great rewards.

[Greg Golz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Most adventurers are not the best authors. However, Patricia McCairen, is one of the exceptions. She keeps her story focused enough on her solo Grand Canyon adventure, but smoothly integrates her background that influenced her arrival to this stage in her life. She also tells a story that is easy for many of use "armchair adventurers" to connect to.

[Rachel Helden · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best books I read while traveling solo to national parks. I picked it up in one of the parks Visitor Centers and read it again and again while on the road. An inspirational story of a woman who was determined to see her adventure through, to be the first woman to float the river of the Grand Canyon, solo. An incredible journey you won't forget!

[Jo · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good book, but a bit repetitive of the same thoughts and themes. Could’ve used a good cut/edit to be shorter and been much better. That being said, I did relate a lot with many things the author said.

[Rebecca Gregory · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great prep for my trip through the GC

[Kyle Unruh · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's a quick read. Very forgettable, I finished it in like two days.

[Joy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I felt like I was in the raft with her but I would never have the guts to take this trip alone.

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Both wanderlust- and self-evaluation-inducing.

[Valarie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved reading the descriptions of the rapids and the different beaches. Made me feel like I was back there again.

[Liz Logan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully written story of what it means to have a wandering soul in a society that requires a certain quietude of body and mind.

[Elstirling · Rating 5 out of 5]

Friends recommended this book written by their fellow campsite person. Well written story about challenging oneself and finding oneself.

[Lynette · Rating 2 out of 5]

the river parts were great - all the angsty self-examination "women's issues" stuff was awful... sigh

[Leah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow, this was inspiring. I need to read more memoirs like this.

[Maddy Peeples · Rating 3 out of 5]

S/he? Just say they

[Cathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved her determination on this journey. I envy the life she lived surrounded by nature and some that loved the same lifestyle.

[Tina Cipolla · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was good, but not great. I generally like books about women going off and doing some crazy brave thing alone which is why this book appealed to me in the first place (the author takes a 25 day river trip down the Colorado River and through the Grand Canyon ALONE). What really was not appealing was all the whining about her mother. Ok, so fine, you got a bad mother. Lots of people survive bad mothering. And as a mother myself I know I try my absolute best with my children and to think that someday they might compare me to strychnine in print like this ungrateful 42 year old brat, really made me lose my sympathy for this woman. By the end I had also had heard enough about her issues with men. If you are looking for a book that examines a woman in self-imposed temporary solitude go with An Unknown Woman by Alice Koller. If you are looking for a grand adventure type of book I know there a million of those out there that do a better job with the adventure part. It is a shame this book came out the way it did, because the raw material of the trip itself is really great stuff.

[Jean · Rating 5 out of 5]

This may be one of the best memoirs I have read to date. There is an excellent balance between her journey down the river and her interior journey. McCairen has a gifted way with words. The descriptions of the canyon bring the reader right on to the raft with her.
You might note her determination to be skilled enough to make the trip, the courage it took to make it and the success she had both internally and physically at the end.
The end of the book leaves one wanting to make a solo journey (not necessarily through the Grand Canyon), wanting to experience that solitude, wanting to have time with oneself and Mother Earth. It was quite a journey and I could not help but celebrate with her at the end. This is well worth the read!
Remember this is not an adventure type book, it's the memior of an adventure. Those are two very different kinds of writing.

[KathyJ · Rating 3 out of 5]

A woman on a solitary journey, testing her limits, in a stunningly beautiful natural setting -- what's not to like? Just the sort of book I love to discover. And McCairen's book delivers on many fronts. However, the author's wild swings between states of confident determination and insecure vacillation become tiresome. Sure ... rafting through the Grand Canyon alone is an intimidating and formidable challenge not to be undertaken lightly. It is dangerous even for those with experience and solid skills. And I realize that the memoir is as much about the author finding herself and facing her demons on land as it is about rafting the river. Still, the shifts start to feel whiny after a time, and detract from what otherwise would be an even better read.

[Kathleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having rafted the grand canyon this past summer, i'm a sucker for books about other peoples' adventures. This book is about a woman rafting it by herself in the 80s. Even in 2015 there are not many women guides/boatwomen, because companies didn't want to hire them for a long time. (My trip had 3/8 women guides and they were super duper badass.)

I often compare being a woman in tech to being a woman in some other male-dominated field. This story seems like it was from a previous era (because it was) when the author had internalized so much societal/family pressure against having strength and independence as a woman... and the book was a lot of her processing that cognitive dissonance and finding her inner 'Babe'.

[Katrinka · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this book and would like to hear more from her. This is more than just a travel adventure of a woman's courageous trip down the Colorado river alone--it is a spiritual journey. It was one of those books I carried around with me until I finished it. I wish it were longer though--and I don't say that often about a book. I wanted to know more about her relationship with her family and her childhood. She has a gift for narrative that immerses me in her story. The one thing I found disconcerting was repeated use of her alter-ego name "Babe" which without fail jolted me out of the story she was telling.

[Mare · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great book to pick up after my first backpacking adventure in Colorado. There were so many thoughts and emotions that were still so raw in my soul and I felt a deep connection with Patricia (Patch). Although my heart does not long to raft raging rivers as hers does there is a similarity of wild freedom in each of us. I appreciate her how real and open her writing is. I am inspired by her solo journey and look forward to the day when my cahones are big enough to wander solo into the wilderness..................

[Miss Walker · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great, quick, and interesting read. I doubt I'll ever raft the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon, which made this was a fascinating look into a whole community of individuals gripped by their passion for the majesty of the canyon and the river that created it. It also delved into the politics of the river, water rights, native rights, and general respect for and conservation of our natural resources.