QUESTION 1- List all key survival factors as identified by the team.

Question 2 . What was the consensus survival strategy.

a) Discuss the team rational in support of.

b) Was this different than what you selected why or why not (explain).

Question 3 . The team utilized a silent feedback technique for presenting individual ideas while everyone remains quiet. This allowed you as well as other team participants to present their conclusion without distractions or influence from other members of the group, and helps combat problems with group thinking.

a) Outline the pros and cons as experienced during your silent feedback session.

b) Why do you think the helps combat problems with group thinking?

The Backdrop

You and your son have decided to go on a once in a lifetime vacation by rafting the Grand Canyon. You have decided to book your trip operated by Grand Canyon Whitewater, LLC., a Concessioner under contract with the U.S. Government and administered by the National Park Service. The Concessioner is responsible for conducting these operations in a safe and satisfactory manner.

Rafting the Grand Canyon?

The decision of when to raft Grand Canyon or the best time to visit grand canyon comes down to personal preference. If you are someone hoping for the chance of experiencing big whitewater in the Canyon, your best bet would be to travel during July or August. Coincidentally and historically, this is when most people visit grand canyon and the rims. This is when the hydroelectric needs in the Southwest are at their peak, and the most water is released. Typically, the water flows during July and August are being released between 12,000-18,000 cubic feet per second. Many of the renown rapids in the Grand Canyon, such as Crystal and Lava Falls, get larger and become more exciting during higher water flows, and are at their peak for big whitewater.

If you are hoping to not have the big whitewater rafting experience in the Grand Canyon, you will want to consider rafting during slightly lower water season. April, May, September, October, November all tend to have lower water flows being released and this slower water means just about 1 mph slower than June/July/August. Trends show that April has the lowest water levels. Typically, in April you can expect to see steady flows, where there is minimal fluctuation of water levels being released. Generally, these flows are between 5,000-8,000 cubic feet per second. December, January and February tend to have more fluctuation due to winter storms, meaning the CRMP allows the water to be released between 5,000-18,000 cubic feet per second during these months.

Key Points to Keep In Mind

All of this information is useful if you understand water flows and cubic feet per second. But it can mean very little to someone who has yet to learn about water flows on high volume rivers, such as the Colorado River. If you dont understand fluctuation or the Colorado River Management Plan, no need to worry. Your guides will educate you on this during your trip. At this time, here are the key points to keep in mind when considering the best time to visit the Grand Canyon:

The higher the water level (cubic feet per second) being released, the larger many of the big rapids in Grand Canyon become. The big whitewater tends to be in late June, July or August. On the same note, the lower the water level, many smaller rapids become larger or rated at a higher level, due to additional waves created by rocks or obstructions in the water, or they become more technical to run. This means that anytime you raft in the Grand Canyon, you will have exciting rapids and get to experience some big whitewater.

Regardless of the water flow speeds, there is one constant and that is the fact that towards the mouth of lake mead, when nearing the end of your full or lower canyon raft trip, the water does slow down. Couple this with some headwinds that occur in certain parts of the river and the non-motor rafts can be a bit more challenging to keep pace. Have no fear however, your guides are prepared for this and any slower rafting is already anticipated in any given itinerary or trip length that the outfitters offer.

Those who have visited the canyon rim tend to ask how big is the grand canyon and this is a question that is not so easy to answer. The total length of the river is 280 river miles as the start of Grand Canyon begins in Marble Canyon at Lees Ferry and ends at Pearce Ferry near the mouth of Lake Mead. Along the way, the canyon walls fluctuate in height answering another often asked question of how high is grand canyon. The tallest part of the canyon is at the north rim with an elevation of 8,297 ft. The south is 7,522 ft in elevation. Often, it's easier to answer this question of how big is Grand Canyon, by simply saying "you need to see it to believe it".

Timing for your trip pros & cons

Typical rafting season runs from April to October but any time is a good time to go rafting if you are prepared. If you are looking for milder weather, book a trip in April, May, early June, September or October. If your availability is in the peak summer months, during our monsoon season, expect to see some dramatic desert thunderheads, which can help make those high temps feel less extreme. Because the Colorado River flowing through Grand Canyon is controlled by Glen Canyon Dam, water levels are fairly consistent, providing great whitewater throughout our entire season. Keep in mind that Arizona typically has very low humidity and a dry heat, so higher temperatures are often welcomed to balance the cold splashes of river water! Temperatures at river level, and average rainfall is as follows;

The Situation

On November 30^th, you left Lees Ferry at 1:00 pm and began your journey down the Colorado River. The current water temperature is 48 Degrees Fahrenheit, the air temperature is 62 Degrees Fahrenheit, sunny with no rain in the forecast. The launch captain at Lees Ferry said we would have the river pretty much to yourself s as the next group wasnt scheduled to leave until December 7^th. She also noted that the water from Glen Canyon Dam was currently flowing at a rate of 8000 to 10000 cubic feet per second. Washout maintenance is scheduled for one day only, December 5^th which will increase the flow rate to 14000 16000 cubic feet per second.

Team Makeup as follows:

1. Tim Slater (32) Boatsman & Guide
2. Bill Mazurek (54) Engineer
3. Jon Mazurek (16) Student
4. Mary LaJoyce (63)
5. Jone LaJoyce (59)
6. Harry LaJoyce (65)

Off you and your team goes. You have an instant bond to Tim S. (he reminds you of your nephew). On the river Tim covers the safety protocols once again and gives us a crash course on maneuvering the raft on the Colorado0 River. At the current flow rate, the forward progress will typical be 2.50 - 3.25 miles per hour travelled depending on the geological drop rate and canyoning narrowing. Tim makes sure everyone has taken turns rowing the raft under his supervision and instructions. The next several days the group builds on their experiences with camping, hiking, rafting and rowing. By now the river is becoming more challenging as we descend deeper into the canyon walls. Last night (day #3) as we sit and look at the stars, reflecting on the almost still water of the Little Colorado River, Tim state how far we have come as a team and he is confident we are become certified outdoorsmans and continues to hand out the complements by stating we could probably run Class VI rapids without his guidance.

It is the morning of December 4^th four day of our journey.

The team gets up at sunrise, eats a good breakfast and heads out for a morning parameter hike. Tim has the raft packed and is ready to go. After a light lunch we set back out on the river. After what seemed to be a few hours, Tim enters Horn Creek Rapid (90.8 miles into your journey) and the current pushes him left of center and one of his oars becomes dislodged from the oarlock by the intensity of the rushing water. As Tim stands up to grab the oar, the raft dipped forward and pitched violently upward resulting in Tim falling overboard as well as most of the supplies (insufficiently tied down). The team could only watch as Tim and numerous supplies were swept into the churning Colorado River and quickly disappeared from sight. By some miracle, the raft managed to stay upright as we passed through Horn Creek Rapid while we all held on for dear-life. As the river turned clam, Bill finally got control of the oars and managed to row until we could safely beach our raft on the rocky inlet downstream. After a several minutes of being in a state of confusion what just happened, we did a quick health check, tied-down the raft as best as we could, and began frantically looking far and wide for Tim. The sun was not beginning to set making it extremely difficult to see downstream due to the sheer cliffs, narrow terrain, numerous boulders and dark shadows of nightfall. After 60 minutes, reality set in that it was most dangerous and futile to continue searching for Tim during night fall.

The weather remained clear with seasonable temperatures for December. You and the team decide its best to honker down as best as possible for the evening. You secure the raft and off-loaded the few remaining supplies. Tims bag containing the satellite emergency phone was swept overboard with no trace.

At sunrise (12/5), we once again pick up the search for Tim. The team climbs up onto the higher elevation rocks, moves up and down / side to side yelling and scanning the area for Tim for the next few hours. As we continued scanning the rocks, Harry noticed the raft began twisting violently back and forth in the river current. We all descended the rocks as quickly as possible in hopes to secure the raft. The tie-down rope broke free and the raft quickly drifted down stream. Everyone panicked and ran to save the raft causing Mary to severely twisted her ankle during the ordeal. A quick assessment indicated moderate swelling of Marys ankle and was unable to bear any weight on her right foot. There was no bleeding and no indication of a break. On the positive side, the river current maneuvered the raft into an area of swirling water about 100 yards down river, and lodged on a mud-bank adjacent to the shoreline.