Day Seven! COFFEE! And another beautiful morning in the Grand Canyon. This day started out a bit differently. We had our breakfast, broke down the camp, loaded the rafts, and climbed aboard. But instead of firing up the outboard and motoring away downriver, John pulled out a well-worn copy of Desert Solitaire, a book by the late Edward Abbey, author, environmentalist, and champion of the sanctity of the desert southwest. Ed Abbey considers cities like my home town of Phoenix an abomination, and he venerates the purity of the wilderness. John read several passages from the book, read to us for at least half an hour, and we all listened with rapt attention.
The text was perfect for the setting, and after our experiences over the last few days, we all had a new-found appreciation for the sentiments expressed.
Our first order of business, once we got moving, was 209 Mile Rapid, not all that rough, but longish, with an 8 foot drop. Next came 212 Mile Rapid (also known as the Little Bastard), and a mile or so beyond that, Pumpkin Springs:
The reason for the name was immediately obvious: a rounded, gourd-shaped travertine bowl extended out from the bank and down into the river, and the smooth sides of the formation were stained an orange color by the minerals in the water. We pulled over and scrambled up the slope for a closer look, and it was quite interesting. This was a thermal spring, with the appearance of a perfect, natural hot tub, but this was not a place where a good soak would be therapeutic. The water, a sickly green in color, was loaded with floating clots of minerals that looked a whole lot like sewage.
Worse: the water in this spring is chock-full of arsenic, around 1100 ppm. (Anything above 50 ppm is considered toxic). Not the most inviting feature on the river. We stayed just long enough to see it, then climbed back aboard the rafts and motored the heck out of there.
At mile 215 we hit Three Springs Rapid, and at mile 216 we entered Lower Granite Gorge. We were back to the basement rocks, dark black stone, and further evidence of the Great Unconformity that we’d observed so graphically in Blacktail Canyon. In fairly rapid succession we hit 217 Mile Rapid, a Class 5 with a whopping 16 foot drop, then Granite Spring Rapid, and finally 224 Mile Rapid. A formation known as Diamond Peak loomed on the horizon directly ahead of us, a cone shaped mountain, topped by a narrower cone that looked a whole lot like a nipple—which of course gives rise to an alternate name for the mountain, which I won’t repeat here.
Beyond Diamond Peak we passed a broad, flat area on river left, and were a bit shocked to see several vehicles parked near the riverbank. There were at least a half dozen rafts pulled over, and a ramada-like permanent shelter. This was Diamond Creek, the only place along the river below Lee’s Ferry that’s accessible by road. The road itself isn’t much, steep switchbacks and a washboard surface that will rattle your teeth. Some rafting trips take out at this spot, exiting the canyon in trucks or vans that travel up that rough track to the rim, then along 21 miles of primitive road across the Hualapai Reservation to Route 66, near Peach Springs. Didn’t seem like all that appealing an option to me, but what the heck, to each his own.
Immediately below that beach we hit Diamond Creek Rapid, then Travertine Rapid, where we pulled over to the bank at Travertine Canyon. The creek that entered the river here flowed across huge, slippery boulders in a series of small waterfalls, and we had great fun taking turns standing in the flow, almost like a natural shower.
If only the water had been warm, I would have broken out a bar of soap and lathered up! We took a short hike up the slope, climbed around a bit, and then trudged back to the rafts. On river left we passed an extraordinary formation known as Travertine Falls, which is exactly what it sounds like: a waterfall cast in stone, layer upon layer of minerals deposited by water flowing over a cliff, built up into the perfect shape of a cascade, frozen in time.
The rest of the afternoon was a long series of small rapids: 231 Mile. 232 Mile, 234 Mile, Bridge Canyon, Gneiss Canyon, 237 Mile, Separation Rapid, 241 Mile, and finally Lava Cliff Rapid.
A couple of those were Class 7, the rest a bit smaller, but it made for a heck of a joyful ride on this, our last afternoon in the canyon, and the last rapids we’d be seeing, because the last thirty miles of river, from here to Pearce Ferry, is nothing but flat calm water. We pulled over at mile 248, Surprise Canyon, and that’s where we made our last camp. It was a beautiful spot, surrounded by blue-black rock, and because it was our last night, the crew broke out a special treat for us: the last of the ice from the food storage lockers. There was just enough to go around, and by chipping off some small pieces and inserting them into our water bottles, we had the exquisite luxury of a truly COLD drink of water for the first time in days. Pleasure is obviously a relative concept, and highly subjective, but I think we were all in agreement on this one: that cold ice water was heavenly—probably the most supremely satisfying drink of water I’ve ever had the pleasure of tasting.
The slide show below has a few additional pictures from Day 7. Click any of the images to expand them to full screen, with captions.
(Unless otherwise noted, all of these images are my original work, and are protected by copyright. They may not be duplicated for commercial purposes.)
The Adventure Continues:
This is an interactive Table of Contents. Click the pictures to open the pages.
A Grand Adventure! White Water Rafting on the Colorado River
Grand Canyon Rafting Expedition: Day 1
The two rafts were shoved away from the beach until they floated free, and the boat drivers eased them into the middle of the channel. We were mostly moving with the current, but the beach dropped behind us pretty quickly, and in a matter of minutes we were out there, rafting down the Colorado River, heading squarely into the enchanted depths of the Grand Canyon...
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Grand Canyon Rafting Expedition: Day 2
The cliffs and buttes were a perfect composition, the different colored layers of stone were all but glowing in the afternoon light, and we had this incredible world all to ourselves, not another boat in sight.
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Grand Canyon Rafting Expedition: Day 3
The waters of the Little Colorado are a turquoise blue that is so startlingly bright it doesn't even look real. There’s a well-defined spot where that warm, turquoise blue water from the small river collides with the cold, deep green water flowing upstream from the big river. The two dramatically different colors mix, forming a shifting, swirling line of chartreuse. That spot is the confluence. It's magical, and utterly unique.
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Grand Canyon Rafting Expedition: Day 4
I was still a little dazed by the whole thing, scenes of frothing, churning whitewater playing over and over in my head. Fleecy white clouds were piling up above the canyon rim, nearly filling the narrow patch of sky, until the lowering sun set them afire, a Grand Canyon sunset display that was the finest we’d seen, worthy of the spectacular setting. A fitting end to one of the most amazing days of my life.
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Grand Canyon Rafting Expedition: Day 5
The trail meandered for a mile or so, finally dropping down level with the creek, giving us access to a series of perfect swimming holes. There’s something about that exotic turquoise water that welcomes swimmers--you have to get in it, if only to assure yourself that it’s real. The creek was cool, but far from cold, and a welcome change from the icy water in the river. We stopped at a particularly inviting spot to swim, relax, and eat our lunch. Sitting beside that creek, with our simple repast--it was like having a picnic in the Garden of Eden.
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Grand Canyon Rafting Expedition: Day 6
“Two Hander!” John called out rather gleefully, and we all clung to the ropes for dear life as the raft picked up speed. We were headed straight for the boil of Lava Falls, which was roaring like a freight train, bearing down. We entered the churning whitewater pretty much dead center, then moved hard to the right to avoid the standing waves and the big holes in the middle of the channel. We got good and drenched at least three times, almost like running under a series of waterfalls, bucking and lurching like crazy, but the whole thing was over in less than a minute.
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Grand Canyon Rafting Expedition: Day 7
Immediately below that beach we hit Diamond Creek Rapid, then Travertine Rapid, where we pulled over to the bank at Travertine Canyon. The creek that entered the river here flowed across huge, slippery boulders in a series of small waterfalls, and we had great fun taking turns standing in the flow, almost like a natural shower.
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Grand Canyon Rafting Expedition: Day 8
The river broadened as we approached Lake Mead, and at mile 278 we entered the lake itself. Pearce Ferry was right there, and we were all pretty quiet as the rafts pulled in to shore for the last time. “Thrill of a lifetime” is a pretty strong statement, but it’s appropriate for this journey. There’s nothing else like it.
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Grand Canyon Rafting
You find a rope, any rope, and you grab on with both hands for all you're worth. The river boils like the North Sea in a gale, great, rolling green waves and troughs. The raft plummets sideways into a hole fifteen feet deep, the outboard motor shrieks, a monster wave towering ten feet above your head comes crashing down across the deck, pummeling the passengers like a gigantic liquid fist that takes your breath away, leaving you suspended, time stopped, frozen in mid-scream.
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There's nothing like a good road trip. Whether you're flying solo or with your family, on a motorcycle or in an RV, across your state or across the country, the important thing is that you're out there, away from your town, your work, your routine, meeting new people, seeing new sights, building the best kind of memories while living your life to the fullest.
Are you a veteran road tripper who loves grand vistas, or someone who's never done it, but would love to give it a try? Either way, you should consider making the Southwestern U.S. the scene of your own next adventure.
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