Rafting the Grand Canyon –Mystery, Music, Magic and Thunder Falls!

 We crammed a whole lot of fun stuff into Thursday, 10/1, our tenth day on the river. Rog and I started off the morning in the paddle boat. We did an easy paddle to Elves Chasm. For me the name conjured images of lush greenery inhabited by flittering fairies. I didn’t see any little people, but it nailed lush. Even more fun there was a waterfall that you could climb behind and jump off. I was content to document the crazies, but Rog was quickly in line. The drop was “only” about 15 feet, but Rog landed wrong and managed to injure his hamstring. Getting old sucks. Lol.

Elves Chasm.

Just a few of the jumpers - Mara, Tim and Rog with James waiting his turn.

A few miles further downriver and we stopped for lunch and a hike into Blacktail Canyon. What a magical place. The hike in passed an area where we got a close look at the Great Unconformity. I talked a little about the amazing layers of stone exposed in the canyon that act as a geological record. Mysteriously, in some places a large part of that record is completely missing. The Great Unconformity involves up to 1.2 billion years of missing deposits! Relatively young Tapeats Sandstone rests directly on the much, much older Vishnu Schist. We could span with our hand a mind-boggling billion+ years. Wow. Try wrapping your head around that!

 

The Great Unconformity.
(I'm talking about the rocks, honest.)

Further into Blacktail Canyon we stopped and Mandela brought out her digeridoo. Then Tim, who is a professional musician (check out his band, The Mother Hips, online!) brought out his guitar and sang. It is impossible to describe the special connection you feel in that extraordinary setting with enchanting music and wonderful people. No wonder Mandela said it was one of her favorite places in the canyon.

Towering cliffs line the trail into Blacktail Canyon. 

Another magical spot in Blacktail Canyon.

Mandela with her digeridoo.

Mandela and Tim make music together.

 After lunch we switched up and I rode with Nancy in her oar boat while Rog tried out the inflatable kayak. Rog took a quick swim leaving the shore when he hit the eddy line and flipped the kayak, but after that he rocked it through all the rapids. Eddy is a real jerk. Lol.

 

The river provides majesty and magic too. 

Daddy does the ducky!

The guides pulled the duckies above Fossil Rapid (7 on a scale of 10) and Rog rode on Mara’s boat with Catherine. We hit several larger rapids, but my favorite was Bedrock Rapid. Most of the time the lines through the rapids are pretty straightforward, but Bedrock had (did you guess it) huge rocks in the middle so the guides had to avoid the left run, come in center, go right and row like hell.

 

Matt enters a rapid.

Watch out for the rocks!

Paddle hard!!!

Mara rows Rog and Catherine. 

We made camp that evening at Talking Heads (river mile 133.5). The next morning (Friday, 10/2) we had breakfast and packed a sack lunch. Rog and I were back in the paddleboat, but less than a mile downriver we pulled into the mouth of Tapeats Creek. Then we had a choice to make. You could disembark here and do a 9-mile hike or float a few miles downriver to Deer Creek and do a much shorter hike and hang out at a lovely oasis called the Patio. The guides would split between the two groups and again do the reverse hike to ferry all the boats to Deer Creek. Hmmmmm. I just wasn’t feeling motivated to do a long, hot, arduous hike – a few hours of reading and relaxing sounded like just the ticket. Rog, on the other hand, had read about the area and was determined to do the long hike and see Thunder Falls.

 

Decisions, decisions...
Nine miles of arduous hiking or a day of leisure?

So we left Rog and most of the group at Tapeats Creek. They would hike up the creek, past Thunder Falls, across Surprise Valley, and then join us at the Patio. Given his bum hamstring, maybe it wasn't Rog's most brilliant decision, but Thunder Falls was certainly worth the trek. Thousands of gallons of water shoot directly out of the sandstone cliff creating an island of green in a sun blasted desert environment.

 

As always, the hike starts with a climb. 
Tim stops for a breather.

Gwen gestures as the group walks along the precipice... 

...then through the valley, and...

...past colorful formations and a lovely creek.

Destination: Thunder Falls!
(photo credit: Andy)

Rog enjoys the payoff. 

Water shoots right out of the rock wall.

After a break at the falls, it's a long hot hike to the Patio.

Meanwhile, I rode with Nancy to Deer Creek. We passed the narrowest spot in the canyon – just 76 feet wide! Of course, my camera was still stowed on the paddleboat. Arrrgh! The hike to the Patio was considerably shorter, but challenging in its own right - scrambling up steep rocks and walking along narrow ledges. The Patio was a beautiful, shaded area with a stream and small waterfall to play in. Barb, Bode and I hung out there. Catherine didn’t feel comfortable doing the hike so Mandela set her up at the base of Deer Creek Falls and then split her time between Catherine and the Patio.

 

Our hike involved a lot of UP too!

Nancy hikes along the ledge to the Patio.

We met a group of backpackers doing yoga at the Patio.

The patio playground. Lol.

After the group reassembled at the Patio we hiked back down to the boats. We stopped and picked up Catherine at the falls where she’d spent the day. Deer Creek Falls is an absolutely stunning 150 ft. waterfall. I think Catherine won the lottery. Lol.

The group reunited at the Patio.

Hiking back to the boats.

Shadows fill the canyon as we return to the river.

Deer Creek Falls. Wow!

We stopped just a mile downriver for camp at the Football Field (river mile 138), a huge sandy beach. The long hikers were especially happy to relax. 

Tim relaxes after the long hike.

The crew surprised me with an early birthday pineapple upside-down cake which was most appropriately served on an upside-down Mandela. Really! She did a sort of handstand seated yoga position while Mara balanced the cake on her to light the candles. I know I’m not describing it well enough, but it was truly memorable and, of course, I had no camera! But it almost made turning a year older worth it! Lol.