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.