226 miles in 16 days. Our group met Sycamore (John) in Flag the night before we drove to the put-in (Lee's Ferry). He gave us all invaluable pointers in canyon craft. Thanks John!
Scenery was, without a doubt, the most spectacular thing I've ever seen. Every where you looked at almost all times was amazing. We slept on the boats most nights. The moon was full a few nights and I remember waking up, looking down canyon and seeing red cliffs in the moonlight.
Got to run my hands along the Vishnu Schist (1.75B YO rocks ) and place my hand across the Great Unconformity (1.2B year gap). Two bucket list things I've wanted to do.
Had some grand thunderstorms the first seven days or so. Cooled things off nicely in the heat of the afternoon.
I've come to understand why the use a 1-10 scale in the canyon vs the normal I-V scale on other rivers. A 5 in the canyon isn't a 2.5 on others. It's more exponential.
The day we ran adrenaline alley (Crystal, Granite, Hermit, Ruby) the river had been stained red from Nankoweap creek getting blown out from a flash flood (we'd layed over there for two days a couple of days earlier). Red rapids are far more intimidating than normal clear water. I tried to make a sneak route around to miss the wave train in Ruby. The water was so opaque that I didn't see a rock in the top that I hit. For a brief second I thought we might flip, But I managed to hit it straight and we came through it fine.
Lava Falls was HUGE. When we were in it I couldn't believe that we were running something that big. Made it upright
Had one boat flip in 209 mile rapid. Complete end-o of a 18 foot raft. Looked like a blue whale breaching. No injuries, just egos bruised. The same boat dumped all passenger going over a ledge in the 4th day (I think). Again no one hurt.
Anyway will try to get pics and a clip of us running Lava up soon.
Looks awesome, Steve. Would like to do a kayak trip down the GC someday. Eire a shorter self support trip or a longer one with raft support (they hold more beer!)...
Gotta love those horizon lines!
It ain't what you don't know that makes you an idiot...it's what you know for certain, that just ain't so...
Most people don't want to believe the truth~they want the truth to be what they believe.
I love rafting, and particularly when the water gets a bit lumpy
I'm pretty certain when we sing our anthem and mention the land of the free, the original intent didn't mean cell phones, food stamps and birth control.
gets my vote to be in the running for best thread of the year!
as happy for you as a jealous man can be Steve (grin)
I'm pretty certain when we sing our anthem and mention the land of the free, the original intent didn't mean cell phones, food stamps and birth control.
We're supposed to have a photo/video exchange pot luck in the next week or so and I'll get more stuff to post then. Also will go through more of the photos my wife took and post.