The Grand Time

Tom's Journal

June 24, 2007 - Day 40

View A Different Day

Another carbon copy weather day-no need for a tent; if you get too hot there is plenty of 50-odd degree water to cool you. Brag, brag, brag.

8:20 am was the departure time and after just a mile we saw our friends who had lifted our boats and our spirits at the low water we had at Lee’s Ferry. Steve and I stopped and said hi, then moved on to catch our group at a special place called Matkatamiba (mat cat amoeba).

I’m not a geologist but I would say this very tight slot canyon is not of sandstone, but something closer to limestone. Whatever it is, it looks very clean and it is so cool to play on. Something like successive small bathtub-sized pools connected by a slow waterslide.

Soon a throng appeared, mostly from commercial trips so we again were again on the river.

The only large rapid today is named Upset. True its name, there is a wave at the bottom of this rapid that can flip a large raft if it is not heading straight in to the wave. Worse yet, during the upper part of the rapid the current moves you to the left-in the direction of the large wave.

Gary went first, couldn’t get far enough right but wall still trying when he hit the wave sideways and nearly flipped. Steve and I were next, couldn’t get far enough right, but straightened the boat before we hit the wave. Steve hit the front tube of the boat when the wave did and we barreled on through.

We camped on ledges after traveling a total of sixteen miles on the water. It was especially nice to have shade at our early arrival time before 4 pm. Some very cagey crows managed to open one of our zippered bags and take some contents while scattering all the rest.

As I write this, it is the morning of the 25th and I am where Havasu Creek meets the river. Havasu’s water is colored blue from all the minerals it carries, and it forms pools and small waterfalls that are perfect for playing. I haven’t been up it since it was heavily damaged by a flash flood, but I’ll run to catch up.

Also, hoping the disk with this on it makes out at Havasu. I’m taking it and $20 in hopes of finding someone who is hiking out.

View A Different Day

Mile by Mile Photos

June 24, 2007 - Day 40
Mile 809 through Mile 824

May 16 2007 - Day 1May 17 2007 - Day 2May 18 2007 - Day 3May 19 2007 - Day 4May 20 2007 - Day 5May 21 2007 - Day 6May 22 2007 - Day 7May 23 2007 - Day 8May 24 2007 - Day 9May 25 2007 - Day 10May 26 2007 - Day 11May 27, 2007 - Day 12May 28, 2007 - Day 13May 29, 2007 - Day 14May 30, 2007 - Day 15May 31, 2007 - Day 16June 1, 2007 - Day 17June 2 - 11, Day 18 - 27June 12, 2007 - Day 28June 13, 2007 - Day 29June 14, 2007 - Day 30June 15, 2007 - Day 31June 16, 2007 - Day 32June 17, 2007 - Day 33June 18, 2007 - Day 34June 19, 2007 - Day 35June 20, 2007 - Day 36June 21, 2007 - Day 37June 22, 2007 - Day 38June 23, 2007 - Day 39June 24, 2007 - Day 40June 25, 2007 - Day 41June 26, 2007 - Day 42June 27, 2007 - Day 43June 28, 2007 - Day 44June 29 2007 - Day 45June 30, 2007 - Day 46July 1 - 13, Day 47 - 58July 15, 2007 - Day 59
The last day; The river’s end