You went to the verge, you say,
and came back safely?

Conrad Aiken, prelude xiv

Awaken to the fragile five-note trill of the Canyon wren. Absorb both the stillness of Olo Canyon and the roar of Lava Falls. Make your way between rock walls that were ancient before the human race began. Drift into sleep beneath a ribbon of brilliant stars filling a narrow slot of sky. These things, and more, beyond words to describe.

The Heros Path is an opportunity for a small and committed group to share the beauty and challenge of the Grand Canyon with other individuals and couples prepared to enjoy both the physical and spiritual aspects of the journey. In addition to the thrills and excitement of a wilderness whitewater adventure, our descent into the depths of the Canyon—the Inner Gorge—will serve as a metaphor for our creative endeavors and life journeys. The Heros Path.

At the end of each day spent on the water and exploring the hidden side-canyons that feed the Colorado River, we will have an opportunity to reflect on the stages of the Hero’s Path by sharing poetry, song, and our own experiences of the process. Participants are encouraged to celebrate and extend their individual creative processes through photography, painting, dance, music, storytelling, writing or whatever your medium of choice may be.

Find out more:

Trip Leaders

About the Boats

A Day on the River

Sampler of the Heros Path

Books of Poetry

Join us on the Hero's Path!

The Hero's Path trip planned for May 1-12, 2021 has been tentatively re-scheduled for April 30-May 10, 2022. To add yourself to the contact list or the waiting list for 2022, please send your name, phone number, and e-mail address to Ted McMahon at the address below.

Cost of the trip includes 10 days in the Canyon, lodging and dinners in Flagstaff and in Marble Canyon prior to the trip, and shuttle to the river and back. It does not include your airfare to and from Flagstaff, or the cost of trip cancellation insurance, which is STRONGLY recommended.

A deposit of $500 per person will be due at the time of reservation.

For further information about the 2022 trip, contact Ted McMahon by e-mail at hero@innerjourney.info or by phone at 206-679-0068.

Suggested readings: Joseph Campbell, The Hero With 1000 Faces; Carol Pearson, The Hero Within.

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Photographs Copyright © 2003 by Rosanne Olson
Web site design by Robin Stewart
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Last updated: February, 2020