Rafting the Grand Canyon – The End of a Grand Adventure!

Just wanted to start off the final installment with another gorgeous shot of the river. :)

I am determined to wrap up our amazing trip through the Grand Canyon in this post. So please bear with me if this runs a little long. It has been incredibly difficult to sift through hundreds of pictures and the memories they spark and pick out a “reasonable number” to share. (Reasonable is so subjective! Lol.) Thanks to all who have stuck with me so far. So let’s get on with it…

Monday, 10/5, was our 14^th day on the river and it promised to be a memorable one. Mandela began our morning with a “multimedia” presentation on Lava Falls Rapid. Lava is a potential boat-eater and even at moderate flows the crew was cautious and wanted to make sure everyone was prepared in case things went sideways. Mandela gave us instructions on what to do if we ended up in the water… if it’s early in the rapid, swim LEFT hard….past this point, swim RIGHT hard. Ugh, the entire rapid only takes 14-20 seconds to go through. Is there really any chance in middle of that churning maelstrom that I’ll be able to determine left from right, let alone where I am in the rapid?? Hell, no. I guess I better not fall out of the boat then. 😊

We listen attentively as Mandela describes Lava Falls Rapid.

Lava Falls Rapid has some distinctive landmarks, several large volcanic boulders, descriptively called “lavacados”, and the Anvil, a large rock formation marking the approach. Within the rapid there are several areas any sane person will avoid at all costs – ledges with dangerous pour overs and big holes with washing-machine hydraulics that can fold up and suck down even the larger commercial boats. We got out to scout above the rapid. I’m always amazed at how different the rapids look from above. Pshaw, that little ripple? A piece of cake. However, once your butt is sitting in the river, let me assure you the perspective is very different.

Scouting Lava Falls rapid.

Approaching in the dory we pass the "lavacados" and the Anvil. 

The guides stand to get a better view.

The Lower Canyon A-Team prepares for Lava Falls Rapid.
Mandela, Phil, Karen, Patrick, Tom, James and Kendall.

Our highly competent crew all made it through without incident. Rog and I were in the dory with Jesse and it was a great ride! Hang on, keep your weight centered in the boat, and then bail, bail, bail! No pictures during the rapid, but after we were through we did manage to get a few of the paddle boat and Mara’s oar boat. 

The paddle boat nearly disappears in the waves!

Mara and Tim are having too much fun!

While Lava Falls was the headliner for the day, the fun was nowhere near over. We passed incredibly convoluted formations of basalt with cool names like the Phoenix and huge lava pour overs.

Cool volcanic formations in the lower canyon.

More lava flows and intriguing basalt formations.

At lunch Mandela provided instruction on primitive weapons and we got to try our hand at both the atlatl (an early spear-chucker) and the long bow. I was a fan of the bow, the atlatl not so much. We were soon so proficient that you will no longer find a single mastodon in the canyon! 😊

The mastodons didn't stand a chance! lol.

Evening camp was at Lower Parashant (river mile 199.5). Notice there was no hiking today, the crew had another treat in store for us. To celebrate our successful run through Lava and because we’re quickly running out of days together, the crew offered an after dinner libation. A large pot of Jungle Juice – a tasty combination of tequila, seltzer water, and papaya juice, served alongside a Costco-sized tub of M&M’s. Hmmmm… Tim partook and then stated, “Tequila and M&M’s – that is one great big bucket of Fuck Off.”  Agreed!

To add to the evening’s entertainment, it was onesie night. While I didn’t get the memo, other’s did. Mark and Andy both rocked it! We also tried our luck at a game of headlamp Twister. Pass the Jungle Juice!

Andy rocks it! and the group goes for Twister. 

Tuesday, 10/6, would be our 15^th and last full day on the river. Our “Junetober” weather continued, with daytime temps in the low triple digits. Too hot for any long hikes, but we did a short one to get a closer look at Pumpkin Springs.

Jesse is perfectly framed in a water worn volcanic rock. (photo credit: Andy)
The Pumpkin Springs hike was a scramble over boulders at the river's edge.

The aptly named, Pumpkin Springs.

On the river we had mostly calm water with a few moderate rapids. The water flows faster in this part of the canyon and we made good time. Rog and I rode on Mark’s oar boat, although Kendall spent most of the day on the oars. Kendall normally runs motorboats for another outfitter and is working on gaining experience so he can crew an oar boat too. The paddleboat pulled along side and the tub of M&M’s made another appearance. This time in a tossing contest that I’m going to call in Mark’s favor!

Faces in the rock.

Kendall takes the oars.

Impressive toss and an equally impressive catch!
Such a skilled crew.😜 

 

A little white water to spice up the day. 

We made camp at Three Springs (river mile 216) and were happy when Tim pulled out his guitar.

 

A great way to spend our final evening in camp.

Take out day. ☹ All good things must come to an end. Crap. Wednesday, 10/7, our last day on the river started with a 5AM conch call. After a light breakfast we were off the beach and headed to take out. The crew pulled over for an impromptu concert with Mandala on the digeridoo and Tim on guitar.

 

The sky is still pink after the 5am conch sounds. 

Early morning light on the canyon walls.

We spent our first and last day on the river with Mara.

A beautiful morning to be on the water.

Our last concert.

Jesse rows the dory downriver.

So sad to leave these views behind.

We reached Diamond Creek (river mile 226), our take out spot, by 9:30am. We quickly had our marching orders and everyone lent a hand to unload, clean, and then deflate and pack the rafts. Brunch was provided and we also transferred all our personal gear from the Can-X dry bags to plastic bags.

We all help pull the boats out of the water.

Gear is quickly stowed and packed. 

The Hualapai tribe provides transportation from the river to Peach Springs – 19 miles of dirt road and 1 mile of paved. At Peach Springs we transferred to a Can-X bus for the 2-hour ride back to Flagstaff. As consolation, we were promised a stop for ice cream along the way. Unfortunately Covid (argh!) had closed the Route 66 ice cream shop so we settled for a quick stop at an A&W. We ran into Mara there and I stole some puppy kisses from her adorable Frenchie, Ferdinand. Better than ice cream!

 

Ferdinand! We love you. 

Back in Flagstaff we unloaded and checked back into the Doubletree Inn. After a long, hot shower (ok, maybe two) we gathered for pizza and beer at the hotel’s outdoor gazebo. It was tough to say goodbye to all the new friends we’d made. We’re hoping our travels will bring us together sometime in the future. You know you all have a standing invitation if you’re in the Seattle area!

Tim, Mandela and Andy.
Hey, we clean up pretty good!

Rog and I had scheduled an extra day in Flagstaff to relax before heading back to Phoenix for the return flight home. We strolled the town, enjoying the local coffeeshops and breweries. On the recommendation of the crew, we hit Winter Sun for handcrafted lotions, balms and bling!  Score!!

 

Fun in Flagstaff.

Bling from Winter Sun to commemorate our trip.

When we arrived at the Sea-Tac airport Friday evening, 10/9, Rog said he wanted to grab a bite. So, at 9pm he was eating prepackaged airport sushi and taking his sweet time about it. You have no idea how out of character that was! Turns out our youngest daughter, Rian, was flying in to surprise me for my birthday and he was stalling until her flight arrived. The sacrifices a father makes. Lol.  I’m glad Rian was able to visit and join us for a fundraiser at our favorite Taproom on Saturday. It was a welcome distraction from a return to reality. It was so nice to be in a bubble for those couple of weeks – no political news, no Covid worries. Also no laundry. Sigh.

Reality sucks.
Three weeks of laundry. Sigh.

Happy to see Rian and the grandpuppy, Floyd. 
Rog and with our boy Riley at the Taproom.
Our kitty Clyde (who I'm sure missed us - NOT). 

We’re not sure when or where we’ll be going next. So much depends on how the pandemic plays out. For those who weren’t on the river with us, thank you for coming along vicariously and we hope to have something fun in store for 2021!