Grand Canyon 2008 - Part 1

I don't know how much I'm going to write about my trip last week down the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon. This is labeled 'Part 1' which implies that there will at least be a 'Part 2' so I hope that I can motivate to write down some of the great stories that I have to tell. Don't let me just give up on this...I've got some good ones, I just need some encouragement!

Most importantly, I have some great photos to share with you! Finally, I had a fantastic digital camera that I took down the river and managed to bring home with me. Unfortunately, I can't say the same thing for my Bose headphones and iPod Shuffle because I left those somewhere in the Las Vegas Airport...and I really don't think I'll ever see them again (even though my name, address, email, phone number, and all sorts of contact info was inside the case)!!

The trip began with a morning drive to the Orlando Airport (thanks Dad) and a non-stop flight to Vegas on US Airways...the only saving grace for it not being a United flight was that I still get the miles!! I arrived in Vegas a few minutes after Sally landed from Austin and we met up at the baggage claim to go grab some lunch. We had about 90 minutes before the St. George Shuttle departed so we made the most of the minutes in a so-so Mexican restaurant in the terminal.

In Orlando, I picked up a book to read on the flights and it was so good...and I can read SO fast...I realized I should pick up the sequel in Vegas if I wanted to have reading material for the rest of the week. Check out Stephenie Meyer's Twilight Series if you like quick reads, vampires, werewolves, and romance novels...yes, I'm a sucker for that kind of stuff...just as long as it's good! I was over half-way thru the first book before I deplaned in Vegas...right now (Tuesday night), I'm starting on to the fourth and final book of the series!

Back to the task at hand...Sally and I caught the shuttle to St. George and caught a ride with another river guide (Marty) to the warehouse in Kanab, Utah. It was mid-afternoon by the time we pulled in to the GCE headquarters, but I already knew that I would find my brother there waiting for us! Dustin's trip with Irv was leaving the next morning from Lee's Ferry but they were riding the bus with the passengers the next morning. We managed to hang out for a few hours...dinner that night at the local Mexican joint (can you see the food pattern in this area of the USA?) and then a slumber party in the bunk house and then breakfast the next morning before he headed off on his river trip.

About that time, Sally and I started to pack up for our trip two days later (see the boats above in a random stage of disarray). Since my last trip with GCE, four years ago, they have started using trailers for the boats so they no longer have to be completely assembled and disassembled between each river trip! This makes the whole 'working' experience SOOO much more manageable!

Here is Sally...trying to find an umbrella for our boat that is in semi-decent condition. It only took three or four tries before we found one that would stay open, had all its parts, and wasn't going to be needed by someone else during our trip.

I snuck away for five seconds at Lee's Ferry to take a photo of all the action that was happening on the launching beach. Sally, Den (the second swamper) and I volunteered for 'Ferry' duty and we managed the task just fine! It was a VERY busy Friday afternoon with five or six trips preparing to depart the next morning. We pulled in with one boat at 4:00pm, rigged the side tubes by 5pm and then had to wait around until our second boat showed up around 7:30pm. Dinner didn't come early that evening...but we did have a good time driving to the nearest town thanks to the company truck that is left on the ramp for the transportation necessities of the guides and swampers.

And we were off! Saturday morning dawned with bright skies and clear water (even after a huge thunder storm threatened our water quality all night). Our passengers arrived a bit early (admittedly, Sally, Den and I were not prepared when the bus pulled up) and it was only then that we realized that 11 of the life jackets had blown off one of our boats on the way to the ferry!! No panic...just calm problem solving...and between the spares on the boat, spares in the company truck, and a few borrowed from the other boats launching that morning...we soon had enough to go around!

Our trip included a lot of beautiful hikes in the side canyons. This was an early hike on the trip and that is Art, the lead guide, taking us along the path. (I promise I will figure out the name of this particular side canyon ASAP!!)

I love the few places where the wind has blown just right, the water has dripped just right, and the rocks have fallen just perfectly to leave a small arch of rock remaining so that we can peer up through the opening into the blue skies beyond! (It also makes a pretty good photo:)

I snapped this photo as we headed out on the hike up Saddle Canyon. The rain clouds were threatening again but they did nothing more the make the skies dark. I absolutely LOVE this photo and with a bit of cropping (because the dark parts take up too much of the shot) this might make my 'landscape' wall in my new house. Remember that great one from SLO a few weeks ago...well, I'm going to start making a point to take great nature shots from the places I visit, pick out the best one, enlarge it, frame it, and dedicate a wall to my new hobby. This one might be my Grand Canyon pick.

Our return hike from the waterfall at the top of Saddle Canyon. I was pulling up the rear and making sure that no passengers were left behind...and in the process, I almost got left behind:)! But it did give me a chance to watch the people hiking and get an idea of the scale of our surroundings.

Actually, this one might be my choice for the 'landscape' wall!! What do you think? I can't decide!!

And I will leave you at the end of Part 1 with some of the wildlife that we saw at the river's edge. This was a beautiful male mule deer with some HUGE antlers. He was munching away at the greenery and taking a few drinks of muddy river water. (Did I mention that we had clear water all the way to the second day?!?!)