We paddleded through sunny hail storms and found our local bald eagle friends at the confluence munching on a huge salmon.
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
February 1 2010 put in
The rented metal boxes don’t fit in out boat we load boats into the sunset but the restaurant up the road waits for us and serves us well
Launch Day 2/2/10
MARBLE CANYON
Mile 0 - 16.7
Badger Creek Rapid (5) 15’ drop
Soap Creek Rapid (5) 17’ drop
Browns Riffle 7/9/1989, President of Denver CO Canyon and Pacific Railroad
Frank Mason Brown had some bad dreams while camping at soap creek, woke up and hit the wall here with no life jacket in a woden boat and died, his friend Peter Hansbrough caved an inscription memorial on the wall for him, 6 days later Peter perished, his body was found in the eddy of President Harding camp).
Sheer Wall Rapid (2) 9’ drop
We get ourselves together and out before too long, after many LAST CALL FOR BREAKFASTS screamed for hours by our neighbors which was hilarious an hour after the first call… I’m thinking those 16 people might get to hear that a lot for the next month…
The canyon is AMAZING we are immediately enthrawled by the magic of the canyon as we immediately enter solitude and high walls passing under the last bridge of civilization.
We stop at Hot Na Na. Our Ravens have adopted us and we meet our first ringtail cat who brazenly enters our garbage bag while all 6 of us are less than 10 feet away, and doesn’t go far when we chase it away making many more attempts for any morsel we wonder how it got there and where it will go next as there seems no way off its small homeland but water and steep canyon walls.
Day 2
Mile 16.7 – 29.5
House Rock Rapid (7) 8’ drop
North Canyon Rapid (5) 12’ drop
Twentyone Mile Rapid (5) 12’ drop
Twentythree Mile (Indian Dick) Rapid (4) 5’ drop
Twentythree and One-Half Mile Rapid (4) 4’ drop
Georgie (Twentyfour Mile) Rapid (6) 4’ drop
Twentyfour and One-Half Mile Rapid(6) 9’ drop
Twentyfive Mile Rapid (6) 8’ drop
Cave Springs Rapid (5) 5’ drop
Twentyseven Mile Rapid (5) 7’ drop
Twentynine Mile Rapid (2) 7’ drop
!!!
Today we find out that those big waves and eddy lines we found sucking and spinning our fully loaded 18 foot raft yesterday can make some big rapids. The level as we last checked it was between 17,000 at low water when the dam is off and peaking at 20,000 during dam release. In a narrow canyon with massive surging eddy lines, endlessly deep convergence boil holes and boat encompassing lateral waves the enormously large waves and hidden pourovers pale into the background of our many scouts. We wake up to House Rock Rapid less than 1/2 mile downstream our first grade 7 rapid not that we know what that really means yet since the Grand Canyon is the only section of river that uses a grading system from 1-10 vs the class 1-5 we are used to but it does inspire true fear and awe as we carefully watch all 20,000 cfs shoot into a canyon wall then crush back out into an eddy wall.
Our hands are starting to crack and bleed from the tips for Shelby and from my knuckles, all of them, the water stings at times and the creeping sand on everything is not helping.
We land safely at Shinumo Wash camp with silver grotto just upstream. The creek is dry dark and cold and we only have time to visit the mouth, which looks intriguing , I would love to come back and see this narrow slot canyon during full daylight. Our Ravens have adopted us, after relentless effort they manage to get a bag of food, which they reluctantly leave on a ledge, I climb to retrieve it later they get the coffee to a higher ledge where it stays as we try ropes and sticks to no avail. The Raven trys some tobacco then leaves. I finally retrieve our trash as our boats are about to take off, by catching the Raven as it returns to the bag on the ledge, I told the Raven he must return our trash and encouraged him with a large rock warning, he gracefully drops the ripped up coffee bag at my feet and I clean up our mess. This morning will be the last time I see the moon until Day 18 at mile 222.2
Day 3
Mile 29.5 – 44.0
Thirtysix Mile Rapid (4) 4’ drop
President Harding Rapid (4) 4’ drop
In total Awe of the canyon cruising slowly through flat water with difficulty we pass Vasey’s paradise a green spring with endangered snails, Sherman Cave, Redwall cavern (yes we are very very small), Natural Bridge and see a buck lazily resting at the river at Buck Canyon. We land at President Harding Camp where multiple bodies have been found, there is an old inscription on the wall reading PMH for Peter who’s body was found in this eddy after he wrote the Brown Inscription upstream at Browns Riffle. There is also a pile of stones that make a grave for the boyscout who drowned over 60 miles up river in Glen Canyon and was found here in 1956. We never (?) see the Anasazi foot bridge on our way into camp. The sunset is amazing with the pink clouds, red canyon walls dusted with snow at the rim.
Day 4
Mile 44.0 - 53.1
Nankoweap Rapid (3)
Today we find the rapids are not that bad in fact we can’t wait until the next one, anything to get out of the slow swirling wall bashing current and tube sucking eddie boils. We almost crash into a sharp upstream pointing crescent shaped wall with current running straight into it down the river on one side and into an eddie swirl that we give into to save our selves on the other.
We stop in Nankoweap to visit the 1,000 year old granaries and find some friendly neighbors spending lots of hiking time. It is obvious that this would be a good farming area as we look down on camp from the granaries we can almost imagine the irrigation systems and the river winds on down the canyon inviting us to go further.
Day 5
Mile 53.1 – 74.6
Kwagunt Rapid (5) 7’ drop
Sixtymile Rapid (4) 3‘ drop
LCR
Lava Canyon (Chuar) Rapid (4) 4’ drop
Tanner Rapid (4) 20’ drop
Basalt Rapid (2)
Unkar Rapid (6) 25’ drop
73.6 Mile Riffle
We meet the confluence of the Little Colorado River today, rushing in brown muddy water, the main Colorado will be brown from here on out.
Shelby and I escape for a min to visit the Unkar Delta archeological site and see some pottery with inc, some ruins and an amazing view.
We made it to a much needed layover Day at Upper Rattlesnake just in time for the rain, apparently as we will find out at the Ranch it snowed 6” on the rim this night, considering the average snow fall I was surprised at how small a rainstorm it was, there was water falling much of the night but there were breaks to set up camp and eat in peace and plenty of sun to dry out in the next day.
Day 6
Layover
I wash some clothes and dry everything out in the ample sun and hike towards the Tabernacle getting some amazing canyon rim views. Surf and Turf grill dinner with chocolate cake mush in the DO
Day 7
Mile 74.6 – 89.9
Nevills Rapid (6) 16’ drop
Hance Rapid (8) 30’ drop
Sockdolager Rapid (7) 19’ drop
Grapevine Rapid (7) 18’ drop
Eightythree Mile Rapid (4) 7’ drop
Zoroaster Rapid (5) 5’ drop
Eightyfive Mile Rapid (3)
Phantom Ranch –
Bright Angel Rapid (3)
Pipe Creek Rapid (3) 7’ drop
Very tired and frustrated by the eddys we stop just after our first contact with any level of civilization at Phantom Ranch, the Saints won the Superbowl and we are now loaded with Candy from Zack’s loving mom, for his birthday and Valentines Day.
Day 8
Mile 89.9 – 97.2
Horn Creek Rapid (8) 10’ drop
Salt Creek (3)
Granite Rapid (8) 10’ drop
Hermit Rapid (8) 15 ‘ drop
We shift some weight around in the boats, get readjusted, those 8’s are no joke and the boat still weighs a ton or more. Why do we use metal in rubber boats again???
Day 9
Mile 97.2 – 120.3
Boucher Rapid (4) 13’ drop
Crystal Rapid (9) 17’ drop
Tuna Creek Rapid (6) 10’ drop
Lower Tuna (Willies Necktie) Rapid (4)
Agate (3)
Sapphire Rapid (6) 7’ drop
Turquoise Rapid (3) 4’ drop
Emerald (5) 4’ drop
Ruby (5) 11’ drop
Serpentine Rapid (7) 12’ drop
Hundred and Nineteen Mile Rapid (2)
We wake up rested and take off toward Crystal Rapid our first 9. I am on the bow as we spin and eyelash Crystal Hole with the bow pointed directly into the deepest part of the hole, I said hi to the biggest frothing pit of whitewater I’d ever been that close to… besides standing on the shore of POW at 14,000 cfs in the Tumwater back home.
The rocks are as amazing as the rapids as we enter the Granite Gorge and witness all the not yet seen forms of rock that appear today including the fluted Vishnu shist the oldest exposed rock, we are deeeeeeep! We stop for lunch at a beautiful waterfall and frolic behind the gushing water.
We end the day with a swim in Elve’s Chasm as amazing and magical as its sounds. We get into the falls and get a fresh water rinse for our drysuits. No Big Dune camp for us as it is taken by some Oregonians so we settle for 120 mile camp.
Day 10
Mile 120.3 – 135.1
Blacktail Rapid (3)
Hundred and Twentytwo Mile Rapid (4)
Forester Rapid (5) 7’ drop
Fossil Rapid (5)
Hundred and Twentyseven Mile Rapid (3)
Hundred and Twentyeight Mile Rapid (3) 8’ drop
Specter Rapid (6) 6’ drop
Bedrock Rapid (7) 7’ drop
Deubendorff Rapid (7) 15’ drop
Tapeats Rapid (5) 15’ drop
More fun whitewater and huge waves, the biggest rapid of the day was an unmarked ripple that was mentioned in the text of the guide book only; a nasty lateral that fed into the hugest tubesucking eddy. Our playboater ran a crash course into most of the other boats. We end the Day at Owl Eyes Camp named for the obviously staring Owls eyes in the canyon wall overlooking the camp.
Day 11
Mile 135.1 – 152.1
Hundred and Thirtyfive Mile Rapid (3) 10’ drop “Helicopter Eddy”
Narrowest Point on the River
Doris Rapid (4) 5’ drop
Hundred Thirtyeight and One-Half Mile Rapid (3)
Fishtail Rapid (4) 10’ drop
Hundred and Fourtyone Mile Rapid (2)
Kanab Rapid (3)
Makatamiba Rapid (1) 3’ drop
Upset Rapid (6) 15’ drop
I wake and walk up to get closer to the eyes and find some more amazing rocks this time with streaming red purple white stripes in undulating patterns. We leave the open skys and views of snow covered rims to enter into the depths of the canyon for a while, immediately after the helicoptor eddy we are in the narrowest point of the river surrounded by fluted red rocks. We take a morning wash in the spray of Deer Creek Falls that practically blow us over with the air forced out by the water that shoots out of the crack of a slot canyon. Another to do on the hiking list.
Upset brings up forgotten levels of uncontrolled adrenaline we go left under strickt direction, down the HUGE lateral waves around the raft flipping hole. The right looks so easy but we know what a slight bump from the many boulders would mean and brave the biggest laterals we’ve ever seen with success. This rapid is a reminder to not be a Shorty Burton who got pined under his Hatch motor rig in 1967 and perished here.
We stop at Ledges and sleep on our second story fluted apartment ledge and I just can’t get over the rocks here, so grateful I got to touch them !
Day 12
Mile 152.1 – 168.6
Sinyella Rapid (2) 2’ drop
Havasu Rapid (3) 3’ drop
Hundred and Sixtyfour Mile Rapid (2) 4’ drop
National Rapid (2)
Fern Glen Rapid (2) 3’ drop
We leave our ledge and visit a fairy land of torquise water and red walls, I will be back to Havasu. We get to another resting post at Fern Glen and Shelby starts off the layover with a few turns around the eddy on his paco pad.
Day 13
Layover
Short hikes to crystalin falls in the short but sweet Fern Glen Canyon for Valintines day. Then its Bocci on the beach and Jambalaya with pinapple upsidedown cake mastered in the dutch oven
Day 14
Mile 168.6 – 183.1
Gateway Rapid (3) 10‘ drop
Lava Falls (9) 13’ drop
Lower Lava (4) 14’ drop
We did not flip at Lava, so much bigger than it looks. When I first saw it I thought well theres no way through that wall, where the river gets sucked back into its self, then I saw the options thinking oh we could go right or left no worries, but left is riddled with boulder pourover holes, and well at least if we go right and make it past the river wide ledge pourover suck then at least we will only flip towards the end of the massive waves. We made it past the pourover, then spun out through some massive waves and into the biggest wave sideways I highsided going for the dryflip thinking this fully loaded 18er will go slowly I hope, then we were underwater it went dark and in a poof we were out upright and covered in glory.
We randomly camped at 183.1 mile having missed the pull in just past lower Lava for our camp of choice.
Day 15
Mile 183.1 – 198.9
Hundred and Eightyfive Mile Rapid (2) 2’ drop
Whitemore Rapid (3) 3’ drop
Stopped at Parashant Wash
Day 16
Impromptu layover
Hiked up the Parashant wash for miles with no change in the ever-interesting creek bed. You can see the water in the dry bed and it is an uneasy feeling seeing how huge the rapids will be when the water enters again.
Day 17
Mile 198.9 –222.2
Two Hundred and Five Mile (Kolb) Rapid (6) 13’ drop
Two Hundred and Nine Mile Rapid (5) 8’ drop
Little Bastard Rapid (3)
Three Springs Rapid (2)
Two Hundred and Seventeen Mile Rapid (5) 16’ drop
Trail Canyon Riffle (2)
Granite Spring Rapid (2) 10’ drop
Enjoying the last days of waves, getting some good rides on the train.
Found a big black bute and a box full of notes of boater love, cleaned up to head out with the amazing Diamond peak and a beautiful setting moon to wish us fair well.
Day 18
Mile 222.2 – Diamond Creek Take out 225.9
Two Hundred and Twentyfour Mile Rapid (3) 6’ drop
Almost got tube sucked under in an un-named Riffel again, our right tube was completely submersed for a few good counts, one last swim for our Kayaking leader and we made it out only 20 min late for the bus. We passed over the Lees Ferry Bridge said our goodbyes and headed to SLC in some full starwars UT snow / sleet / gropple storms that left havic on the roads for miles.
The rented metal boxes don’t fit in out boat we load boats into the sunset but the restaurant up the road waits for us and serves us well
Launch Day 2/2/10
MARBLE CANYON
Mile 0 - 16.7
Badger Creek Rapid (5) 15’ drop
Soap Creek Rapid (5) 17’ drop
Browns Riffle 7/9/1989, President of Denver CO Canyon and Pacific Railroad
Frank Mason Brown had some bad dreams while camping at soap creek, woke up and hit the wall here with no life jacket in a woden boat and died, his friend Peter Hansbrough caved an inscription memorial on the wall for him, 6 days later Peter perished, his body was found in the eddy of President Harding camp).
Sheer Wall Rapid (2) 9’ drop
We get ourselves together and out before too long, after many LAST CALL FOR BREAKFASTS screamed for hours by our neighbors which was hilarious an hour after the first call… I’m thinking those 16 people might get to hear that a lot for the next month…
The canyon is AMAZING we are immediately enthrawled by the magic of the canyon as we immediately enter solitude and high walls passing under the last bridge of civilization.
We stop at Hot Na Na. Our Ravens have adopted us and we meet our first ringtail cat who brazenly enters our garbage bag while all 6 of us are less than 10 feet away, and doesn’t go far when we chase it away making many more attempts for any morsel we wonder how it got there and where it will go next as there seems no way off its small homeland but water and steep canyon walls.
Day 2
Mile 16.7 – 29.5
House Rock Rapid (7) 8’ drop
North Canyon Rapid (5) 12’ drop
Twentyone Mile Rapid (5) 12’ drop
Twentythree Mile (Indian Dick) Rapid (4) 5’ drop
Twentythree and One-Half Mile Rapid (4) 4’ drop
Georgie (Twentyfour Mile) Rapid (6) 4’ drop
Twentyfour and One-Half Mile Rapid(6) 9’ drop
Twentyfive Mile Rapid (6) 8’ drop
Cave Springs Rapid (5) 5’ drop
Twentyseven Mile Rapid (5) 7’ drop
Twentynine Mile Rapid (2) 7’ drop
!!!
Today we find out that those big waves and eddy lines we found sucking and spinning our fully loaded 18 foot raft yesterday can make some big rapids. The level as we last checked it was between 17,000 at low water when the dam is off and peaking at 20,000 during dam release. In a narrow canyon with massive surging eddy lines, endlessly deep convergence boil holes and boat encompassing lateral waves the enormously large waves and hidden pourovers pale into the background of our many scouts. We wake up to House Rock Rapid less than 1/2 mile downstream our first grade 7 rapid not that we know what that really means yet since the Grand Canyon is the only section of river that uses a grading system from 1-10 vs the class 1-5 we are used to but it does inspire true fear and awe as we carefully watch all 20,000 cfs shoot into a canyon wall then crush back out into an eddy wall.
Our hands are starting to crack and bleed from the tips for Shelby and from my knuckles, all of them, the water stings at times and the creeping sand on everything is not helping.
We land safely at Shinumo Wash camp with silver grotto just upstream. The creek is dry dark and cold and we only have time to visit the mouth, which looks intriguing , I would love to come back and see this narrow slot canyon during full daylight. Our Ravens have adopted us, after relentless effort they manage to get a bag of food, which they reluctantly leave on a ledge, I climb to retrieve it later they get the coffee to a higher ledge where it stays as we try ropes and sticks to no avail. The Raven trys some tobacco then leaves. I finally retrieve our trash as our boats are about to take off, by catching the Raven as it returns to the bag on the ledge, I told the Raven he must return our trash and encouraged him with a large rock warning, he gracefully drops the ripped up coffee bag at my feet and I clean up our mess. This morning will be the last time I see the moon until Day 18 at mile 222.2
Day 3
Mile 29.5 – 44.0
Thirtysix Mile Rapid (4) 4’ drop
President Harding Rapid (4) 4’ drop
In total Awe of the canyon cruising slowly through flat water with difficulty we pass Vasey’s paradise a green spring with endangered snails, Sherman Cave, Redwall cavern (yes we are very very small), Natural Bridge and see a buck lazily resting at the river at Buck Canyon. We land at President Harding Camp where multiple bodies have been found, there is an old inscription on the wall reading PMH for Peter who’s body was found in this eddy after he wrote the Brown Inscription upstream at Browns Riffle. There is also a pile of stones that make a grave for the boyscout who drowned over 60 miles up river in Glen Canyon and was found here in 1956. We never (?) see the Anasazi foot bridge on our way into camp. The sunset is amazing with the pink clouds, red canyon walls dusted with snow at the rim.
Day 4
Mile 44.0 - 53.1
Nankoweap Rapid (3)
Today we find the rapids are not that bad in fact we can’t wait until the next one, anything to get out of the slow swirling wall bashing current and tube sucking eddie boils. We almost crash into a sharp upstream pointing crescent shaped wall with current running straight into it down the river on one side and into an eddie swirl that we give into to save our selves on the other.
We stop in Nankoweap to visit the 1,000 year old granaries and find some friendly neighbors spending lots of hiking time. It is obvious that this would be a good farming area as we look down on camp from the granaries we can almost imagine the irrigation systems and the river winds on down the canyon inviting us to go further.
Day 5
Mile 53.1 – 74.6
Kwagunt Rapid (5) 7’ drop
Sixtymile Rapid (4) 3‘ drop
LCR
Lava Canyon (Chuar) Rapid (4) 4’ drop
Tanner Rapid (4) 20’ drop
Basalt Rapid (2)
Unkar Rapid (6) 25’ drop
73.6 Mile Riffle
We meet the confluence of the Little Colorado River today, rushing in brown muddy water, the main Colorado will be brown from here on out.
Shelby and I escape for a min to visit the Unkar Delta archeological site and see some pottery with inc, some ruins and an amazing view.
We made it to a much needed layover Day at Upper Rattlesnake just in time for the rain, apparently as we will find out at the Ranch it snowed 6” on the rim this night, considering the average snow fall I was surprised at how small a rainstorm it was, there was water falling much of the night but there were breaks to set up camp and eat in peace and plenty of sun to dry out in the next day.
Day 6
Layover
I wash some clothes and dry everything out in the ample sun and hike towards the Tabernacle getting some amazing canyon rim views. Surf and Turf grill dinner with chocolate cake mush in the DO
Day 7
Mile 74.6 – 89.9
Nevills Rapid (6) 16’ drop
Hance Rapid (8) 30’ drop
Sockdolager Rapid (7) 19’ drop
Grapevine Rapid (7) 18’ drop
Eightythree Mile Rapid (4) 7’ drop
Zoroaster Rapid (5) 5’ drop
Eightyfive Mile Rapid (3)
Phantom Ranch –
Bright Angel Rapid (3)
Pipe Creek Rapid (3) 7’ drop
Very tired and frustrated by the eddys we stop just after our first contact with any level of civilization at Phantom Ranch, the Saints won the Superbowl and we are now loaded with Candy from Zack’s loving mom, for his birthday and Valentines Day.
Day 8
Mile 89.9 – 97.2
Horn Creek Rapid (8) 10’ drop
Salt Creek (3)
Granite Rapid (8) 10’ drop
Hermit Rapid (8) 15 ‘ drop
We shift some weight around in the boats, get readjusted, those 8’s are no joke and the boat still weighs a ton or more. Why do we use metal in rubber boats again???
Day 9
Mile 97.2 – 120.3
Boucher Rapid (4) 13’ drop
Crystal Rapid (9) 17’ drop
Tuna Creek Rapid (6) 10’ drop
Lower Tuna (Willies Necktie) Rapid (4)
Agate (3)
Sapphire Rapid (6) 7’ drop
Turquoise Rapid (3) 4’ drop
Emerald (5) 4’ drop
Ruby (5) 11’ drop
Serpentine Rapid (7) 12’ drop
Hundred and Nineteen Mile Rapid (2)
We wake up rested and take off toward Crystal Rapid our first 9. I am on the bow as we spin and eyelash Crystal Hole with the bow pointed directly into the deepest part of the hole, I said hi to the biggest frothing pit of whitewater I’d ever been that close to… besides standing on the shore of POW at 14,000 cfs in the Tumwater back home.
The rocks are as amazing as the rapids as we enter the Granite Gorge and witness all the not yet seen forms of rock that appear today including the fluted Vishnu shist the oldest exposed rock, we are deeeeeeep! We stop for lunch at a beautiful waterfall and frolic behind the gushing water.
We end the day with a swim in Elve’s Chasm as amazing and magical as its sounds. We get into the falls and get a fresh water rinse for our drysuits. No Big Dune camp for us as it is taken by some Oregonians so we settle for 120 mile camp.
Day 10
Mile 120.3 – 135.1
Blacktail Rapid (3)
Hundred and Twentytwo Mile Rapid (4)
Forester Rapid (5) 7’ drop
Fossil Rapid (5)
Hundred and Twentyseven Mile Rapid (3)
Hundred and Twentyeight Mile Rapid (3) 8’ drop
Specter Rapid (6) 6’ drop
Bedrock Rapid (7) 7’ drop
Deubendorff Rapid (7) 15’ drop
Tapeats Rapid (5) 15’ drop
More fun whitewater and huge waves, the biggest rapid of the day was an unmarked ripple that was mentioned in the text of the guide book only; a nasty lateral that fed into the hugest tubesucking eddy. Our playboater ran a crash course into most of the other boats. We end the Day at Owl Eyes Camp named for the obviously staring Owls eyes in the canyon wall overlooking the camp.
Day 11
Mile 135.1 – 152.1
Hundred and Thirtyfive Mile Rapid (3) 10’ drop “Helicopter Eddy”
Narrowest Point on the River
Doris Rapid (4) 5’ drop
Hundred Thirtyeight and One-Half Mile Rapid (3)
Fishtail Rapid (4) 10’ drop
Hundred and Fourtyone Mile Rapid (2)
Kanab Rapid (3)
Makatamiba Rapid (1) 3’ drop
Upset Rapid (6) 15’ drop
I wake and walk up to get closer to the eyes and find some more amazing rocks this time with streaming red purple white stripes in undulating patterns. We leave the open skys and views of snow covered rims to enter into the depths of the canyon for a while, immediately after the helicoptor eddy we are in the narrowest point of the river surrounded by fluted red rocks. We take a morning wash in the spray of Deer Creek Falls that practically blow us over with the air forced out by the water that shoots out of the crack of a slot canyon. Another to do on the hiking list.
Upset brings up forgotten levels of uncontrolled adrenaline we go left under strickt direction, down the HUGE lateral waves around the raft flipping hole. The right looks so easy but we know what a slight bump from the many boulders would mean and brave the biggest laterals we’ve ever seen with success. This rapid is a reminder to not be a Shorty Burton who got pined under his Hatch motor rig in 1967 and perished here.
We stop at Ledges and sleep on our second story fluted apartment ledge and I just can’t get over the rocks here, so grateful I got to touch them !
Day 12
Mile 152.1 – 168.6
Sinyella Rapid (2) 2’ drop
Havasu Rapid (3) 3’ drop
Hundred and Sixtyfour Mile Rapid (2) 4’ drop
National Rapid (2)
Fern Glen Rapid (2) 3’ drop
We leave our ledge and visit a fairy land of torquise water and red walls, I will be back to Havasu. We get to another resting post at Fern Glen and Shelby starts off the layover with a few turns around the eddy on his paco pad.
Day 13
Layover
Short hikes to crystalin falls in the short but sweet Fern Glen Canyon for Valintines day. Then its Bocci on the beach and Jambalaya with pinapple upsidedown cake mastered in the dutch oven
Day 14
Mile 168.6 – 183.1
Gateway Rapid (3) 10‘ drop
Lava Falls (9) 13’ drop
Lower Lava (4) 14’ drop
We did not flip at Lava, so much bigger than it looks. When I first saw it I thought well theres no way through that wall, where the river gets sucked back into its self, then I saw the options thinking oh we could go right or left no worries, but left is riddled with boulder pourover holes, and well at least if we go right and make it past the river wide ledge pourover suck then at least we will only flip towards the end of the massive waves. We made it past the pourover, then spun out through some massive waves and into the biggest wave sideways I highsided going for the dryflip thinking this fully loaded 18er will go slowly I hope, then we were underwater it went dark and in a poof we were out upright and covered in glory.
We randomly camped at 183.1 mile having missed the pull in just past lower Lava for our camp of choice.
Day 15
Mile 183.1 – 198.9
Hundred and Eightyfive Mile Rapid (2) 2’ drop
Whitemore Rapid (3) 3’ drop
Stopped at Parashant Wash
Day 16
Impromptu layover
Hiked up the Parashant wash for miles with no change in the ever-interesting creek bed. You can see the water in the dry bed and it is an uneasy feeling seeing how huge the rapids will be when the water enters again.
Day 17
Mile 198.9 –222.2
Two Hundred and Five Mile (Kolb) Rapid (6) 13’ drop
Two Hundred and Nine Mile Rapid (5) 8’ drop
Little Bastard Rapid (3)
Three Springs Rapid (2)
Two Hundred and Seventeen Mile Rapid (5) 16’ drop
Trail Canyon Riffle (2)
Granite Spring Rapid (2) 10’ drop
Enjoying the last days of waves, getting some good rides on the train.
Found a big black bute and a box full of notes of boater love, cleaned up to head out with the amazing Diamond peak and a beautiful setting moon to wish us fair well.
Day 18
Mile 222.2 – Diamond Creek Take out 225.9
Two Hundred and Twentyfour Mile Rapid (3) 6’ drop
Almost got tube sucked under in an un-named Riffel again, our right tube was completely submersed for a few good counts, one last swim for our Kayaking leader and we made it out only 20 min late for the bus. We passed over the Lees Ferry Bridge said our goodbyes and headed to SLC in some full starwars UT snow / sleet / gropple storms that left havic on the roads for miles.
Monday, June 15, 2009
Monday, June 1, 2009
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
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