Last Day on the River

Thursday, December 12th, 2013
Our last day on the river. We wanted to get up early to get a quick start and be at the take-out point before the PRO trucks got there. I got up at 5:30 am. It was well below freezing again but it didn't feel too bad.
We packed up most stuff in the dark, had a quick breakfast and were on the river by 8 am. We rowed steadily for 6 miles and arrived at the Diamond Creek take-out by 9:25 am. We unloaded the rafts, removed the aluminum frames, cleaned the rafts, hauled them onshore and deflated them. The PRO truck and van arrived by 10:20 and with the drivers' efficient direction, we had the truck loaded by 11:25 am.

 Diamond Creek is the first place since Lee's Ferry, 226 miles upriver, that there's a road right down to the Colorado River. In the foreground of the picture are the big coolers that are strapped into the aluminum frame and used as seats in the raft.

Once we got the everything loaded, we drove about 9 miles up the creekbed of Diamond Creek and then another 13 miles to the little town of Peach Springs, Arizona which is on Route 66. We were on Hualapai tribal reserve land. At Route 66, we stopped at a highway rest stop and ate a lunch brought by the PRO drivers. Some of us walked over to a Hualapai restaurant and gift shop to use the washroom. It was strange to be inside a building.

We were back at the Motel 6 in Flagstaff by 3 pm. That night we all went over to a sports bar and chicken wing restaurant in the shopping mall across the street. We had called ahead and they gave us a private glass-walled room. The Idaho group joined us. This sports bar had 91 (I think) large flat-screen TVs on the walls, all showing the same 5 or 6 sporting events. It was quite a culture shock after the quiet of the canyon. Nevertheless, we enjoyed the beer and wings and even had one last chorus of Bohemian Rhapsody, sung along to Queen on the sound system quite by chance.

The next morning, we all got to the Phoenix airport by different shuttles and rented vehicles. Jeffy rented a van that 7 of us packed into for the ride. On the original ride from Phoenix to Flagstaff, I hadn't realized that there was such a difference in elevation, which explains why Flagstaff is all pines and snow while Phoenix is desert.

Everyone got on their various flights and naturally United Airlines managed to lose lots of luggage. Back in Ottawa, it was very cold. Zack and Annie had a car at Park'n'Fly as did Jeffy. Thankfully, both cars started and we all got back to Beachburg by 4 am. Anita was already at Zack and Annie's waiting for us.

Despite a few days that were a bit cold for comfort, this was definitely the trip of a lifetime. The Grand Canyon is unique in the world and to share it with such great travelling companions was an experience never to be forgotten.

Next up: Turkey and Greece.

Granite Park and Middle 220 Mile Campsites

Tuesday, December 10th, 2013
This was another cold clear morning below freezing but at least my water bottle didn't freeze in my tent. Since our crew was on breakfast, I got up at 6 am. Working in the kitchen was cold on the hands. However, by 9:30 am as we finished packing the rafts, we were in sunshine.

 The canyon has opened up considerably so we're getting a lot more sun now. We ran Kolb (6) and some smaller rapids through the day. We traveled 10 miles, camping at Granite Park campsite by 1 pm. This is a big sunny flat at Mile 209.

 I pitched my tent on top of a small sand dune where I could enjoy the sun and the view.

In the afternoon, I hiked a little way up the side canyon but not too far. I thought that some trout may have gotten trapped in the cut off section of river in the picture when the water level went down a couple of weeks previously. Later, Zack and I tried fishing there but didn't get anything.
The sun went down about 4 pm but this is a great site for winter camping.

Wednesday, December 11th, 2013
This was a cool morning with only a bit of ice in the water pails.

 Dawn from my tent. It's always great waking up to scenery like this.

 All through the trip, Jeffy has been doing a great job setting up the "groover". He picks a private spot near camp, with a scenic view whenever possible. On the path, he leaves a series of canoe paddles stuck in the ground so everyone can find the bathroom in the dark. If a paddle is laying across the path, that means the groover is in use. Near the groover is a wash station, as in the picture above. It's very important to have clean hands after using the groover and before eating. An outbreak of an intestinal virus could sweep through all 16 people and ruin a few days of the trip. It's happened to other groups.

 Finally, the groover is a large square ammunition can with an extension for greater height so we can fill the actual can to the top. There is a toilet seat, a small canister for toilet paper and a big bucket for urine. Only solids go into the can because we have to pack all the cans out. It's strictly no trace camping. The urine bucket is dumped in the river.

 A typical morning in camp. Coffee is the first objective followed by breakfast. Anyone not on the kitchen crew that day usually packs their personal gear with a coffee in hand.

 We were in full sunlight by 9:30 am, which always feels great. Duane joined Zack and I in our raft today and we "drafted" quite happily in the sun. "Drafting" is drinking and rafting. Beer isn't just a breakfast drink. In the picture we're approaching Pumpkin Spring which is a mineral spring pool right beside the river. The sides look a bit like a pumpkin. It was "hippie day" so many people dressed up. I never dressed up to look the part 45 years ago either. It just comes naturally.

Pumpkin Spring from above. Apparently it has high arsenic content so is not recommended for drinking.

By 3 pm we had arrived at the middle campsite at Mile 220. The Idaho group is camped for a layover day at the upper campsite a few hundred metres from us.  Clo, Zack and Dan are enjoying a beverage in the sun. It always makes a father proud to see his eldest son in a blond wig. Later, Matt cut up some old jeans to make a pair of assless chaps that he wore throughout the evening. I think he confused hippie day with male stripper day.

Like the previous campsite, this one has lots of flat spots for tents. After we got all set up we found our way up to the Idaho campsite where they had built a sweatlodge on the river bank. Supper on this night was basically leftovers since PRO had confused how many days we would be on the river. Nevertheless, the ladies put a meal together out of what they could find and it turned out well. I think a lot of people went back up to the Idaho campsite for a party but I went to bed. Another great day on the river.

Best Layover Day Ever!

Monday, December 9th, 2013
This morning was clear and a little below freezing. Zack seemed to be over his illness. Last night there had been talk around the campfire about building a hot tub in the sand. Annie told everyone that I've been known to decline sitting in hot tubs in the past since I've claimed that if I wanted to sit in filth I could just sit in my own septic tank at home. I was skeptical that they'd get the water hot enough anyway.

However, quite a few of the group set to work and dug a pit in the sand, lined it with a tarp and started heating rocks on the fire and boiling water with the propane heaters.

Zack's (or Zink's) Bar opened about 9:30 or 10 am, serving Bloody Caesars in our insulated mugs to keep us all lubricated, but unfortunately we ran out of ingredients after 2 each. Beer would have to keep us going. For some reason, Matt decided that his coconut bra was suitable apparel for hot tubbing.

We discovered that we have lots of propane left so we can use as much as we need. The builders worked hard to fill the tub with hot water.

 At first, the plan was to soap and rinse in the river before getting in the tub, since no-one has showered in almost 3 weeks. However, the river water is so cold, I think that plan eventually died. Zack, in the picture, did quite a dance hopping out of the cold water.

Eventually, the builders hit the tub and seemed pretty satisfied with the result. It took constant heating of water and rocks to keep it warm.

 Annie thought a sweat lodge was a good idea so that got built with a tarp over 4 paddles in the sand. Lots of steam was created by placing hot rocks in the middle of the enclosure and pouring water on them. The ladies tried it first. The gentlemen outside had a lot of raised eyebrows listening to all the moaning in there. We tried not to speculate on what was going on.

We made a rule that everyone had to have a sandwich for lunch before Zack's bar served them a whiskey sour. That kept everyone going but I don't think it sobered anyone up.

Eventually, I had to try the sweat lodge, which worked really well. After a quick dip in the cold river, I jumped in the hot tub. I had to admit that I had been wrong - it was a complete success and felt great, even though the water was really silty and foul looking. 

 At some point, the Idaho group arrived. They had camped upriver somewhere and were on their way downriver when they happened upon our party. They joined us for a couple of hours in the sweatlodge and sauna.

The sun disappeared behind the cliffs at about 2:30 pm so I decided to hike (stumble) up the side canyon until I found the ancient agave roasting pit that I'd read was there. It was really only a big ring of stones but it again felt humbling to walk where, centuries ago, the natives had eked out a living for so long.

 The view from above the roasting pit down toward our camp in the distance.

Back at camp, Andy was keeping an eye on things. We'd found an old ripped basketball somewhere on the river that made a good hat. Happy man.
Finally, our crew somehow got supper together, although the memories are vague. But everyone got fed and I think for most of us it was a fairly early night.
Best layover day ever!

National Canyon, Anvil Rock and Lava Falls

Saturday, December 7th, 2013
When we got up this morning it was about 5C and felt very warm compared to the morning before. We managed to get our gear together and get started down the river by 9:30 am - possibly a new record. There were no big rapids ahead for this day. I wore sunscreen and sunglasses in the morning hoping for clearing but it gradually got totally overcast.

 We stopped at National Canyon for lunch and a short walk. This slot canyon looks much the same as the rest so it didn't have any particularly interesting features. Zack is in the foreground of the picture with Annie and Chris behind.

 Zack, Annie and I posing in our river gear in National Canyon. I've been wearing this stupid looking skull cap under my helmet for the whole trip to keep my head warm. It's not fashionable but it helps.
After lunch, we ran National, Fern Glen and Gateway rapids, none of which were very memorable. Zack was looking more and more uncomfortable and after Gateway he rowed no more. He had a sick stomach. Annie quit kayaking around noon so she and I took turns rowing through the afternoon while Zack rested. It had started raining right after lunch.
We camped at Above Anvil campsite at mile 178 so we travelled about 19 miles today. We set up in the rain. Annie helped Zack set up their tent so he could rest while she was on kitchen duty. I set up my tent and rammed all my stuff under the vestibules. Since it was raining and about 5C, I crawled in to read until supper. Fortunately, the wind wasn't too strong but it was still miserable weather.
When I finally crawled out and wandered down to the group under the kitchen tarp, Jen introduced me to a "pisskey". We had just used up a container of pickles so we had a jar of pickle juice. A pisskey is a shot of whiskey chased with a sip of pickle juice straight out of the jar. It's the perfect before dinner drink for such an occasion.
The rain stopped about 7 pm and the weather turned colder.

Sunday, December 8th 2013

There was ice on everything when we got up this morning, although it looked like we would get some sunshine. However, it was cold enough through the day that when I got my barrel pack out of the raft at the next campsite, it still had ice on it.

 Shortly after leaving camp we passed Anvil Rock, a sacred site to many of the native tribes. Volcanic activity in this area of the canyon actually dammed the river here at one time.

 Magnificent views as always.

 Dan paddling.

Scouting Lava Falls, Class 9. Although it may not look big from this height above the river, there is a ledge in the middle of the rapid at the top with a hole below it that can easily flip rafts. Our chosen approach was to skirt just to the right of the middle hole, power through the waves and be sure to be left of the rock at the bottom right. Zack was still feeling weak so he and Annie walked around this rapid. Jeff Bos took the oars on our raft with John and I paddling. Jeff took a good line so we sailed through with no problem, missing all the holes. However, there were definitely big waves so it was a wet run. My hands were too cold to grip my paddle well by the time we got to the bottom. All our rafts got through safely, as did the kayakers.
Later in the day, we camped at Parashant campsite at mile 199 so it was a good 21 mile day. Tomorrow is a layover day. It's looking like another fairly cold night.

Mordor

Thursday, December 5th, 2013

When we got up this morning it was clear and very cold. Any buckets of water had ice in them. I don't think the temperature got much above freezing all day.
About 2 miles down the river, we dropped off 8 of our group at Tapeats Creek so they could hike up, around and down on a 7 mile trek to the mouth of Deer Creek. The rest of us rafted to a campsite across from Deer Creek at Mile 137. We were there in the early afternoon.
Through the day we rafted through Granite Narrows where, at 76 feet wide, the canyon is at its narrowest point ("Mordor" as Andy calls it). There was a fairly strong headwind and little sun due to the high canyon walls. We stayed dry but it was still a cold day.
Near Tapeats, we passed another group camped for a layover day. The women were all in some kind of costume and mooned each raft as we went by.

Our campsite across from Deer Creek is small, shady and cold. Water froze in the buckets in the middle of the afternoon. I crawled into my sleeping bag and slept for an hour just because that was the warmest place to be. Six of our rafters ferried across the river to pick up the hikers. When they arrived, they told us that they had a beautiful hike but at one point were walking in a bit of snow higher up the canyon.
Our crew was on kitchen duty but then it was an early night.

Friday, December 6th, 2013

 We woke to a very cold, clear morning. The water in my water bottle froze to slush in my tent through the night. Anything wet in camp, like the water pails, water lines for hand washing or any of the cam straps are all frozen. Everyone was anxious to get packed and get out on the water where we might get some sun.
It was just Zack and I in our raft this day. We ran quite a few Class 3 & 4 rapids plus Upset Rapid (8) which had a big hole in the middle that we skirted nicely. We were going to camp at Ledges campsite at Mile 152 but we got there about 2 pm. It was shady and cool so we decided to push on. Once we had gotten going in the morning, the day wasn't too cold and everyone was warm enough. This narrow part of the canyon is as beautiful as the rest but everyone is looking forward to the canyon widening out so we can get more sun.

 We stopped at Havasu Canyon, a side slot canyon, for a quick look at the turquoise water coming into the Colorado.

Eventually, we camped at Mile 158.7 on some rock ledges. We had travelled about 22 miles. I found a patch of sand for my tent but most people were camped on flat rock. We were very careful near the water's edge because the river is fast and deep. Falling in during the night could easily be fatal.

Lower Bass Camp to Stone Creek

Tuesday December 3rd, 2013
This morning when we got up there was a mix of sun and cloud and the temperature was above freezing. We packed up and ran Shinumo (4), Hakatai (4), Walthenberg (6) and a lot of other smaller rapids. We met a solo kayaker who was paddling the Canyon from Lee's Ferry to Diamond Creek, the same as us, but in only 9 days. He was travelling light and fast. We gave him a couple of beers but there was nothing else that he needed.

 Partway through the day, we stopped at a small slot canyon called Elves' Chasm. We climbed up about 100 metres to a waterfall and pool. It's possible to climb up behind the big boulders in the waterfall and jump off into the pool. Some of our group took the leap, like Sass in the picture.

 In the afternoon we camped at Upper Blacktail campsite and walked up the Blacktail slot canyon a few hundred metres.

 The way the streams have eroded these narrow slot canyons is always interesting.

I set up my tent on a nice sandbar at the mouth of the canyon, a little ways away from our main kitchen area. It looked like a great spot for the nice warm weather we were having in the afternoon. A warm front came through and the temperature rose to about 18C. Unfortunately, that didn't last long. In the evening and early in the night, big gusts of wind covered everything in my tent with about 1/16 of an inch of sand. The sand is so fine that it will go right through a tent screen, even though I had my vestibules closed. As I went to sleep, I could feel the sand landing on my face.
At 3 am I woke to the sound of the wind howling and the rain pelting down. The pegs pulled out of the sand on one of my vestibule flaps so in the morning I discovered that my boots, camp slippers and socks were all wet. It was one of those nights when you just snuggle up in your sleeping bag and hope for the best. There's nothing else to do.

Wednesday, December 4th, 2013
By 7 am the rain had stopped and the temperature was a bit above freezing. The wind wasn't as bad but it felt cold. We had breakfast and had the rafts loaded by 10 am at which point there was a little bit of rain/snow mix. It was a cold morning but the scenery still looked good.

 Another group had camped below us at Lower Blacktail. Dan had gone down to meet them and discovered that they were mostly forest fire fighters from Idaho. In the morning, they pulled out earlier than we did.
Zack decided to kayak so Jeff Bos took over the oars on our raft and partway through the day Clo joined us. There were strong headwinds through the morning so we had to row hard. We ran 122 Mile (4), Forster (5), Fossil (5), 127 Mile (3), 128 Mile (3), Specter (6), Bedrock (7) and Deubendorff (7) rapids, along with some smaller ones. Just after lunch, Clo and I were sitting on the gear at the back of the raft to stay dry when we went through a small rapid. One of the waves bounced Clo out but she managed to hang onto the side so I grabbed her by the lifejacket and pulled her back in.
As we approached Bedrock Rapid, we could see the Idaho group scouting from shore. Zack, in a kayak, was scouting for us. When they saw him starting to enter the rapid, they cheered. He responded by pulling his open can of beer out of the top of his pfd and saluting them with a drink. They cheered some more and he floated down the rapid without a paddle stroke. They had seemed a little nervous so maybe that put them at ease.
Jeff, like the rest of our group, took a good line at the top of the rapid so we were easily able to make the right channel around the big rock in the middle and avoid the hazardous left channel. One of the Idaho rafts wasn't so lucky. They went to the left, dump-trucked (went right up on end) and almost got pinned on a rock. One of the women fell out and was caught in a nasty re-circulating eddy until Dan, who was waiting there in a kayak just in case, rescued her. She was okay but got a pretty good scare.
By 3:30 pm we camped at Stone Creek at mile 132.5. It was promising to be a cold night.
The Idaho group arrived later and not wanting to go further, camped on the sand bar just downstream. They were setting up their kitchen almost in front of my tent when Zack asked them if he could help them move a little further down in case they wanted to stay up late and be noisy. They were very friendly and agreed right away. After Dan's rescue heroics, I don't think we could do any wrong.

 That night we all gathered around a big fire to have a few drinks and stay warm.

At some point, it was decided that we would send Matt in his sasquatch suit down to hand the Idaho group a note inviting them up for a party. He needed a note since obviously sasquatches don't talk (as far as we know). It was dark and treacherous and Matt can't see well in the suit anyway, so Annie had to lead him down to their camp. In a short time, most of them came up to our fire. One guy turned out to be a fine musician on guitar, harmonica and vocals so he jammed with Andy, Duane and the rest of the chorus. It was apparently an epic night that lasted until 1 am although I only managed to hang in until 10:15 pm, which was still a couple of hours past my usual bedtime.

Lower Bass Layover Day

Monday, December 2nd, 2013
This was a warm, sunny layover day without a cloud in the sky. The temperature was 14C in the early afternoon. Everyone was happy for a sunny, warm rest day to dry out gear again and take life easy. JJ and the boys cooked up some passport brownies for lunch dessert.
A few more pictures from the night before.

 The previous day had been "white trash" day so there were quite a few costumes.

 Chris is grilling chicken breasts over a charcoal fire while Matt looks on. Dan, Jeff B and Zack are in the background.

 We usually have a few beers while waiting for dinner.

 Around the fire that night, Patrick impressed all the ladies with his fashion sense, showing off his size 78 waist pants.

In the morning, the fisheries research guys stopped by for a chat. Their boats are double-hulled to withstand the rough use through the rapids. The researchers have different projects, including electrocuting rainbow & brown trout in the vicinity of Phantom Ranch to allow the native humpback chub to have less competition. Trout had been introduced many years ago to the detriment of some native species like the humpback chub. There is a movement now to try to return the Colorado River to a more natural state, although unless they remove the Glen Canyon Dam above Lee's Ferry, I doubt that the current intervention amounts to anything other than more tinkering with the environment. We'll see. We always offer any visitors a few beers to take with them since we have more than enough.

 In the morning, I walked upstream about 1/2 mile to the sandbar near Bass Rapid. I found a sheltered spot and just enjoyed the sun for awhile.

 Later, Zack and Annie came along and we found the Parkins Inscription on a rock, stating "Geo. W. Parkins, Washington DC, 1903". In those days, Canyon travellers probably thought they might die any day, since some of them did, so they left inscriptions indicating at least how far they had come.

Just below Bass Rapid, Annie (in her green costume) is posing beside the remains of the Bass Cable Crossing, used from 1908 to 1925 to ferry people and equipment across the river. Not much is left.

 The view down the slope toward our camp.

The view back upstream into the sun.

Back at camp, we set out lunch, which was our crew's last task before turning kitchen duty over to the next team. The rafts provide lots of carrying capacity and PRO has equipped us with great food and great menus to follow. We have 5 huge coolers along with other food boxes, 3 kitchen tables that turn into raft seats, a big propane stove and 2 big fire pans. All of the meals are 5*. Each kitchen team tries to outdo the previous one so it's a winning situation. It's hard to believe we're eating this well in the middle of a 22 night trip in such isolation.

In the afternoon, I re-organized my gear and relaxed in the sun, until it disappeared about 2:30 pm. Others hiked, slept or played poker. At one point a solo traveller stopped in for a chat. He had a pontoon rig all outfitted for one person. It seemed like he knew what he was doing. There are some Canyon travellers who have taken this trip multiple times.

There's nothing more pleasant than a layover day in the warm sun.