We again awoke with the sun on our enormous beach and got on the water just after 8 am.

With mellow water ahead, I opted to ride on a raft for the first half of the day’s miles.

There is no combination of words I can use to describe what it feels like when the varying-and apparently competing-currents carry you along a path known not even by the water following it.

Combined with the way this place challenges all the senses, it is like the opposite of the (in my opinion) over-used term “multi-tasking”. If you can detach yourself enough from your own personal agenda, you just may be able to become aware of the magnitude that one or even two senses are stretched to the extreme.

We arrived at the confluence the with the Little Colorado River in the late morning, perfect timing to be in the hot desert sun while frolicking in its bright blue water a few hundred yards above its inevitable date with close relative, the mighty Colorado.

After great fun swimming and letting the mild current scoot us along some Disney-like features, we got on our way. The rapids were few and forgiving along this stretch-we soon made our goal of Tanner Canyon.

At this point, a trail from the top of the Grand Canyon reaches the river. We had been holding out hope that a hiker would meet us to carry out media holding our photos and this journal.

Instead we found only very hot rocks and no ability to use our satellite phone. Tanner also presents a rapid that should not be ignored, so I “geared up” and re-entered my kayak for the ride, which was a blast.

On the shore along the mild few-mile stretch to our destination we saw a small fawn with no Mommy in sight, and we hoped the best for this graceful little creature.

This is by far the widest the canyon has been since Lee’s Ferry. It allows we mere mortals at the bottom to have clear expansive views of the rim many thousands of feet above including the Desert View Tower, from which we were also being viewed.

Upon making about sixteen miles for the day, at about 3:30 pm we pulled out on the right side near some ruins of those who came a Grand of years before.

Not long after, the group who helped us push our boats out of the mud at Lee’s Ferry came floating by. Seems they were running low on canned adult beverages, so we happily replenished their supply. As my Dad would say, “friends come and go but enemies accumulate”. These folks will be friends for at least the next two weeks.