We're heading west today with a family from North Conway.

They'll raft and camp and witness firsthand how a changing climate is affecting one of America's great rivers.

Welcome to Windows to the Wild.

I'm Willem Lange.

The Davidson family of North Conway returned home recently from a trip on the Colorado River.

They filmed the spectacular journey, and we're going to get a look at some of their adventures today.

But first, we're going to take a little rafting trip ourselves on the Androscoggin River and around New Hampshire with, of course, the Davidson's Miles Carter, Sara and Annie.

What could be better?

Oops and Keeky, How is Keeky doing this?

A little nervous.

It's like dad what did you get me into?

It would take a little while longer to make her a water dog.

We're on the Androscoggin River.

It flows from Lake of Magog in Errol New Hampshire, to the coast of Maine.

And Mary meeting Bay, total distance, about 169 miles.

We'll ride a raft and kayak along a small section of the river.

At some point, we'll pull ashore and take you west to the mighty Colorado River.

Outdoors is really important, you guys, as a family?

Yes.

I mean, why?

The outdoors has formed a connection for our family of four, but it's a greater connection to our community and to nature itself.

And we all feel at peace when we're outside.

We all feel at peace right now.

Yes.

Feet are in the water and no black flies and no black flies at the moment.

The Androscoggin runs all through the human history of the Northeast.

It was a water route and food source for indigenous peoples at that time.

It was also home to Atlantic salmon.

Centuries later, dams went up and the salmon disappeared.

The river was transformed into an artery of New England industry.

Textile and paper mills.

More than 100 dams still span the river, now mainly for recreation, power and flood control.

Androscoggin is a popular destination for anglers and people who like to play outdoors.

The Davidsons spend time together on the river and they hike the mountains that surround it.

We're a big hiking family as well, and Addie completed her 4000 footers before she turned ten.

And on every summit someone would ask.

Oh, you're out here hiking.

Are you going to make it to the top or.

This is so great that you're out here hiking.

And, you know, I think children are continuously underestimated and their potential in their capacities.

So more exposure and to the outdoors is where it needs to be for this next generation.

They need to feel connected in order to be stewards.

And we have to remember to get them outside.

We return to the Androscoggin a bit later.

Right now we head west.

The idea of an 18 day descent of the Colorado River came to Sarah and Carter years before they were a family.

That permit was over 20 years ago when the first entry to the permit was placed.

I've known Sarah for about 20 years now, and that permit was placed for the first time long before I met her.

So she's really the one that should be answering.

Yes.

I was a raft guide in Maine on the back river right out of high school and fell in love with the waters and put in a permit to go on the Grand Canyon when I was 19, thinking that I would be going soon after in my early twenties and I'm 41 now.

And finally made it down the river.

And now I have married and have two wonderful children that also love the outdoors.

So they were invited on this permit that we had 16 people.

It is a perfect example of better late than never.

Absolutely.

Absolutely.

As it turns out, the timing is perfect.

It's an opportunity for Sarah and Carter to include their children on a trip where they can learn about themselves and a new environment.

It's a first time in the Grand Canyon and it's pretty cool.

Never seen anything like it.

Never been to the desert.

Never been far.

This far away from North Conway.

It's pretty cool.

The outdoors, I think, is special for the Davidsons for a number of reasons.

There's something to be said about the journey right from leaving the driveway and getting to whichever destination.

The road that that we take is just, I think, so special.

The experiences are so special.

It's sort of hard not to love.

It may maybe on a river or be on a mountaintop.

Yeah, yeah.

And certainly our trip to Arizona and on the Colorado.

River was more than special because completely foreign type of country to me coming from New Hampshire and covered in green, for example.

A lot of it for me, I think is the journey.

The river trip begins just below the Glen Canyon Dam.

At Lee's Ferry, Arizona.

To complete the journey, the family will navigate the waterway to Diamond Creek, Arizona.

225 miles downstream.

I am feeling great, man.

It doesn't get much better than this.

They are not alone.

A group of friends joins them.

Okay, We're heading to scout Hance rapid approach to the bigger rapids so we stop as a group.

Joe Clementovich also made the trip to Colorado with the Davidsons.

He's a New Hampshire photographer.

He and Miles will film the journey.

Nice way to cap it off.

Carter, way to roll through that.

Why are you guys here?

We're here in the Grand Canyon, to run the Colorado River.

I think one part for the white water.

I think one part for the adventure of being on a long trip.

And when I say stow the ores you drop right down by your knees.

I'm thinking of this as a camping and hiking trip with rapids in between.

We're covering 225 miles.

25 of those are going to be intense Whitewater, which I think we're all excited about.

But we're also excited to get out and enjoy the hikes and see the different venues as well.

Just one on the left.

Perfect.

Get ready.

Just float.

One on the left.

Flow stow them.

And have in places like this available right.

It's inspiring.

And we're just at the put in right now.

Okay, Whatever else.

Grand Canyon is just unbelievable.

And I think the importance of having access to these beautiful parks.

I mean, it's it's in there.

It sits right here, you know, Don't get wet.

Yeah.

Yeah.

You're doing great.

This is zen.

Don't let the big rapids fool you.

The Colorado River is in trouble.

Prolonged drought and demands on its precious resource have left it parched.

Several years ago, we flew with the conservation group over the lower section of the river water was in short supply then.

It is being diverted from the river to grow food and to support about 15 million people.

The Davidsons will experience this lifeline up close for the first time just past mile 117.

Back there at 117 was LS Charles which was a beautiful little little creek.

I guess you could call.

And I think the formal name of the terrific creek is Royal.

Arch Creek.

Little waterfalls.

The water, I think, was a little cooler than the the Colorado River water, which is the first time.

I think we felt that all of the other tributaries that we've seen so far, which there's hasn't been many.

I'd say maybe five or six.

They've been warm or on the warmer side.

A lot of these canyons coming out of them are pretty dry.

And we're in spring.

We're in spring.

Yeah.

I mean, we get a little bit of rain a couple, three nights ago, maybe, but just enough breakfast to make you want to put on a shell or a splash top.

Then the skies parted and with a decent weather run through the.

And I think it was.

But not a lot of rain.

A lot of wind and pretty dry.

90% of the river's flow originates in the upper basin north of Lee's Ferry where the rafters put in.

Scheduled water releases from the Glen Canyon Dam produced what's known as tides or flows on the river, according to the Nature Conservancy.

The average flow on the Colorado River has declined 20% since 2000.

It's good to stop at Phantom Ranch because we were able to chat with the Ranger and get a flow.

It's been running low tide at seven grand.

High tide at ten.

10.2 grand.

Yeah.

Just.

Just looking at the shoreline.

Right.

It hasn't seen over ten grand.

And I don't know how long, certainly since we've been on the trip.

Hasn't been over ten.

And I would guess that we'd have to go back and look which the data is there.

I don't think it's seen much more than ten in the past month plus.

And this is a typical time where we'd be getting snow in the mountains melt.

And because of the reservoirs are so low, they're probably just filling up as much as they can.

That's how I understand it.

Yeah.

Powell and Mead are drastically lower.

When we arrived, you could tell what had changed in the 20 years that we put our permit in we've been researching water flows and water levels to figure out what we were in store for.

And anticipated Trend was 17,000 cubic feet per second.

And when we got there in April, it was trending more towards 7 to 10000, and that's just what's going on in our environment with global warming and that the changes that's occurring.

Now, the Colorado's got a lot of dams, but they are so much for flood control as they are for irrigation and power, right?

Yes, sir.

Yeah.

So our put in was at least very so just below Glen Canyon Dam.

Yeah.

On the empowerment there is Lake Powell, which was at a record low last year and leading up into our put on date back in April record low.

So seeing that perspective and then coming back here and running the, you know, the rivers here and New Hampshire and Maine and that are also trending lower has just opened up conversations as a family of how we can become better activists and educate ourselves and how we can make simple changes to so that in 20 years, when my kids want to take us down the Grand Canyon, we'll still have enough water to do stuff.

Well, for example, what can we do right here?

That is a great question.

Thank you.

I've got a lot of more.

So we've been talking as a family as simple measures that we can take.

And Addie and Miles has been learning in school through their outdoor education classes what they can be doing.

But we're riding bicycles more.

We're limiting our water usage at home.

We're just being mindful of where we're going and trying to stay more local and have local adventures to, you know, lower the impact of our travel and fuel costs and, you know, trying to find adventures close to home that still have a significant impact.

And then just continuing to learn and have conversations and share that knowledge with others.

And I think it's important to to to just be an advocate and a steward.

And and it's sort of that simple.

At least it is in my mind that the respect that you give nature, be it a river or a mountain, you know, it needs it needs an ambassador, if I can say it that way sometimes.

And I would love nothing more than our children to to be right that to be exactly that.

Once the sun disappears beyond the canyon walls, the rafts and kayaks pull ashore and the group settles in for the night, it's where they eat and sleep.

How'd you start your day today?

On the other side of.

I started my day white knuckled.

I actually started my day waiting until the day before.

I only stayed overnight at above hands.

And I got to listen to the roar of the river all night, which just made the butterflies bigger.

And fast forward to a little before 8 a.m. it was grip and grin.

Let's go for it.

And had a great partner along the way with Sarah giving directions.

Hold on, guys.

Miles, give her some space.

Don't mess with that.

Addie hold on a moment.

Day 14 of our 18 day river trip.

And today, today's a big day.

This is going to be our lava run, which is the largest rapid on the Grand Canyon.

How do you how do you feel about that?

I'm nervous.

Did you have a good day yesterday?

Yes.

How many miles did we get in?

22.

It's one thing to get the boat down through.

It's totally different scenario with a ten year old and a 12 year old.

And they're your daughter and son.

It makes you think long and hard about every move that you make.

Even though the water level on the river is lower than normal, it can still play tricks on rafts and kayaks.

Carter and Sarah aren't taking chances.

They send Adeline and Miles to shore to hike those sections rather than risk dangerous rapids.

And how are they about being in that decision to not be on the boat?

They seemed okay with it, but we have had a ton of conversations with them long before this trip started.

Just about the reality.

I get the vibe that they got it and they certainly sensed my nervousness or the stress of running.

So I think they understood.

After 18 days on the Colorado River.

The journey ends.

There were Adventure Time together as a family and experiences they bring home to New Hampshire.

Any surprises?

You know, what was surprising was we we were noticed as having four children under the age of 13 along the way.

You know, and it was sort of a pleasant surprise in that, you know, we just sort of got the vibe that not a lot of children participate on this type of a trip or adventure.

And, you know, out Addie at ten Miles at 12 Carter at 12 Harper at 13, and nothing better, I think, than than to have them in the crew working every day.

Oh, yeah.

Yeah, you bet.

Yeah, This is Addy.

She's setting up for her first rapid.

Yeah.

If you're going to give advice to people taking kids on a river like the Colorado, the green, the snake, what would it be?

You know, I think with trips of this caliber, there's a lot of planning that goes ahead of the trip itself.

And kids have a great opportunity to participate right from the front in terms of itineraries and packing lists and preparation and food pack.

And I think making them children involved as much as you can from the beginning is huge.

Yeah.

And then with a permit like this, you have a couple of years to prepare before your launch date.

So that's where all the micro adventures come in at home just to try out new gear and gain confidence on whatever, you know, part of the outdoors you're exploring whether it's water or mountains and just being as dialed as you can and comfortable with each other and having a plan A, B, and C every time you go out with kids and plenty of snacks.

No injuries on the river.

While we were paddling our rafting, we had one slip and fall during a side hike onto a cactus where we had some in the hands that impacting paddling and one some hammer injury, you know, with the stakes.

But as far as an adventure of this size goes, I would say that we had minimal injuries.

We end the story back where we started on the Androscoggin River.

But first, a tribute to a journey taken by a family.

It's read by Adeline and Miles Davidson.

An adventure of this magnitude is difficult to explain.

Every minute of this 18 days flooded our senses.

We learned to live in the moment, rapid to rapid campsite, to campsite to embrace the beauty of nature and the importance of teamwork with new and old friends.

For that, we are grateful for the flow of life that the river provides.

Well, as you can see, we've survived the perilous rapids.

We're safe at the foot and we're about to, I guess, disperse and go to our respective homes, but not without saying goodbye.

And thank you, Addie and Sarah and Carter and Miles.

It's just been a wonderful family to be with.

I wish I could have been in the Colorado with you.

Oh, but someday.

We have to say goodbye to you all.

And so we shall.

I'm Willem Lange.

And I hope to see you again on windows to the wild.

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The spirit of travel through the Grand Canyon got a turbo in the back, and turbo in the front