Day 10 (mile 136)

Back in the paddle boat, but we had no head wind so a whole lot more fun. A couple of rapids today that could have gone either way, if done well nice fun rides if not then things could have got messy. Service to say they both went without a hitch so no problem.

Stopped at a place called dear creak. This starts with a walk along the top of a truly exceptional slit canyon where you can hear the water below but you can’t actually see it so this requires carful foot work as I have no desire to see how deep this actually is.

The valley at the end of this is actually quite lush, not a word you use a lot around here. It is amazing how a little stream can change things so much only 20 meters wither side of the stream it is back to desert but here it is actually a little overgrown.

We then walked up to the start of the stream, it is strange to see it just spurting from a hole in the canyon wall but that is what it is.

Some camper with too much energy and spear time have moved a whole lot of rocks into chairs in what is known as the throne room. It is surprising that a chair totally made from lumps of sandstone can be quite comfortable. Maybe it is just that I haven’t seen a real chair for so long but I don’t think so.

Day 9 (mile 122)

My second day on an oar boat, it is amazing how relaxing this can be after exertion of yesterday. Today also has less in the way of rapids than yesterday.

Two walks today to see waterfalls up side canyons. Elves chasm in particular was simply stunning and well worth the scramble up some rocks.

At lunch we meet up with some people who had special light weight canoes that they had carried in to the canyon themselves. Now that is really the hard way to do the canyon.

Apparently in the outside world today is 1 October. This is the first day that you are allowed camp fires out here. This adds a whole new appeal to camp life as we sit around and ate dinner by fire light.

Day 8 (mile 110)

The very useful guides on the websites of the rafting companies have all sorts of information about life on the river, one TLA that they don’t explain is ABC – Alive Below Crystal. Crystal rapid is one of those that all the guides out here have the outmost respect for and I can see why. Its not all that technical but it has a lot of water going though a very small area very quickly. Again I was in the paddle boat and we ran though it without major incident but I really think that if something did go wrong it could go very wrong.

The rest of the afternoon had a series of rapids collectively called the ‘gems’ as they are all named after gem stones. A lot of fun as they were all very good rapids (and only one person out of the boat though the day). Unfortunately we were faced with a strong headwind which made the day very very hard going and my arms were burning by day end.

Just before camp we stopped and saw a waterfall in a side canyon, the difference to the landscape by a little flowing water is just starterling.

Day 7 (Mile 96)

Very strange day today, 5 of our people are only doing the upper part of the canyon so they leave us today. It is wired you only know people for a week but the goodbyes are very hard.

Spent the morning around Phantom Ranch, which is the first meeting with ‘civilsation’ in a week. Not sure how to take this, but a nice change of pace. Sent some postcards from the bottom of the canyon which is odd but cool thing to do.

We then waited for our 7 new people who are doing the bottom canyon. They all seam nice enough it is just a wearied transition into what is becoming a tight group. The afternoon had some of the best rapids to date so fun was had by all on the paddle boat.

Day 6 (mile 87)

Another day on the paddle boat after a relatively quite morning we went for a walk over and then down a dry river valley with nothing really growing in it. It was clear that it floods regularly and as if to prove this point I looked up and saw the first clouds of the trip, with the canyon being very deep this brought a bit of pause for thought, the clouds were only very wispy so no chance of any rain, but I made sure I knew how far it was to get out of here.

After lunch there was a serious of very good rapids, not Shotover like but still a hell of a lot of fun.

In the evening a birthday cake for the two people on the trip who were having their birthdays while we are on the river.

Day 5 (Mile 78)

Today is my first day in the grand Canyon. Officially up to the meeting of the Little Colorado we were in the Marble Canyon, who knew. The result of the change in name is the canyon opens up and you often can’t see the rims on either side, both of which are now over a mile above river level.

Today was also the first day where we didn’t move camp which did make things more relaxed in the morning.

Mid morning we hiked up a valley. The first thing we came to was a 19th century attempt at a copper mine, in these conditions it is no surprise it didn’t succeed but the work to even attempt this here must have been truly immense.

Some of us then walked up a bluff, about 500 vertical meters up a sharp, slippery, very hot, very steep hill on a day well into the 30’s this was a whole lot of work. The view from the top was amazing, truly the view that people come from around the world to see, and we didn’t have to put up with the crowds of the south rim to see it.

After the trip down I just fell into the river and had a cold beer, there must be something in the beer here because it has never tasted that good anywhere else.

Day 4 (mile 78)

My first day in a oar boat where one of the crew paddles and all I need to do is sit back and take in the view. Rapids become a much tamer experience as all you do is hold on and try not to fall in, not needing to paddle over flat water has some appeal.

At one point someone asked what the date was, the best I could do was ‘day 4’. Days of the week leed alone days of the month are such ‘outside world’ concepts that don’t have any meaning out here.

At lunch we stopped where the little Colorado river flows into the Colorado. This is much less clear and warm(er) we went up to a spot where you can just go with the flow and float between some rocks.

Latter a few of us took the opportunity to ‘swim’ a rapid. I got a mouth full of water early on so this was quite a hard trip down at the end I was totally tiered and all I could do was lie in the boat and get my breath back. Saying that it was one of those things I am pleased to have done.

We then walked up to the ruins of an ancient native building. No one is quite sure what it was for as it is far bigger than any dwelling site. Seeing the truly amazing outlook I imagined it was some sort of temple, but who knows.

A few miles down river we set up camp for 2 days, had dinner of stake cooked on the Barbie (we do live well out here). Latter our crew had an concert with ukulele, garter and violin. The songs ranged from ‘Fulsome prison blues’ to ‘I danced in a lesbian bar’ much fun was had by all.