Colorado River Rafting in the Grand Canyon -- April/May 2007
These pictures were taken during
a 15-days rafting trip on the Colorado River through the Grand
Canyon -- a total of 280 river miles, from Lees Ferry to Lake Mead. This was an
OARS
organized outing and one of the best adventure trips that I have been on. The trip leader was Michael P. Ghiglieri,
assisted by river-guides Scotty
Stevens, Scott Mascher, Bob Hart, Bill Bowker, Eve Barnett and Kore
Dausz.
(Click on the thumbnail of each
picture to view the full image.)
Day 1: Mile 0 (Lees Ferry) to Mile 16 (Hot Na Na Wash)
Day 2:
Mile 16 to Mile 35 (Nautaloid Canyon)
The day included a hike into the Rider Canyon and a visit to the Redwall Cavern.
Day 3: Mile 35 to Mile 52 (Nankoweap Canyon)
This day started with a short scramble up into
the Nautaloid Canyon to see the fossils.
After lunch, went on a hike in the Saddle Canyon to see a beautiful waterfalls.
The day ended with a hike near the Nankoweap camp, up to the Anasazi Indian
Granaries high above the river.
Day 4: Mile
52 to Mile 72 (just before Unkar Rapid)
The day included a stop at Little Colorado River and ended with a
beautiful moon-rise.
Day 5: Mile
72 to Mile 86 (Cremation Creek)
Day 6: Mile
86 to Mile 93 (just before Granite Rapid)
The day included a walk to the Phantom Ranch in the morning and a
scramble/hike up a side-canyon near Monument Creek at the end of the day.
Day 7: Mile
93 to Mile 114 (Garnet Canyon)
A very cold and wet day with a bunch of great rapids, starting with
the Granite Rapid, followed by Hermit, Boucher, Crystal, Tuna Creek, Sapphire,
Turquoise, 104-Mile, Ruby, Serpentine, Bass, Shinumo, 110-Mile, Hakatai and
Waltenberg Rapids.
Day 8: Mile
114 to Mile 131 (just before Dubendorff Rapid)
This day included a hike into the Elves Chasm up to the waterfall
(true to the name, an elf did appear at the waterfall!) in the morning and a
short hike at the end of the day to a waterfall in Stone Creek.
Day 9: Mile
131 to Mile 152 (Camp Ledges)
The day included passing the narrowest point of
the Grand Canyon (76 ft wide) about Mile 135, and a hike across the Surprise
Valley to the Deer Creek Falls. There are some ancient hand prints on the canyon
walls along the Deer Creek.
Day 10: Mile
152 to Mile 164
Day-long hike into the Havasupai tribal lands along the Havasu Creek
up to the Beaver Falls -- one of the most beautiful places in the Grand
Canyon...
Day 11: Mile 164 to Mile 185.8
Entered the lava section starting with the
Vulcan's Anvil and the temperature rose as Lava Falls Rapid approached... Bob
Hart became very artistic in preparation for this huge rapid, while Scott Mascher
took a quick swim in the rapid !
Day 12: Mile 185.8 to Mile 198
Another hot day started with a hike to the top
of the lava rocks near Whitmore Wash and a stop to see 1000-years old
pictographs by Anasazi Indians.
Day 13: Mile 198 to Mile 220
The day included a short hike in the Indian
Canyon to see the desert vegetation and Anasazi Indian artifacts, and a stop at the
Pumpkin Spring.
Day 14: Mile 220 to Mile 242
The day started with a short hike into the
canyon near the camp to see up close the "great unconformity" in the Grand
Canyon; later in the morning, another hike to the Travertine Falls and finally,
at Mile 237, a short hike in search of fossils. This was the last day of
rafting as well as rapids.
Day 15: Mile 242 to Mile 280 (Lake Mead)
Jet boat ride from Mile 242 to South Cove boat
ramp in Lake Mead ...
