DAY 1Lees Ferry to 19 ½ mile camp

DAY 219 ½ Mile Camp20.5 North canyon hike Roaring 20’s32 Stanton’s cave33.3 Redwall cavern36 bridge of sighs39.7 marble canyon damRainfall waterfalls43.3 Anasazi bridge50 mile camp

DAY 350 Mile Camp52.4 Nankoweap Ck & Granaries61.7 Little Colorado72.9? Unkar delta75.3 Nevills Camp

DAY 475.3 Nevells Camp77.1 Hance Rapid79.1 Sockdolager Rapid88.1 Bridge & Phantom ranch90.8 Horn Ck Rapid93.9 Hermit Rapid98.2 Crystal Rapid101-106.5 Gemstone Rapids108 Metal boat117.2 Elves Canyon = Cave jump109 Bass Camp?

DAY 5?109 Bass Camp120.6 Song canyon=Blacktail Canyon131.1 Bedrock Rapid132.3 Deubendorff Rapid135.6 Granite Narrows = 76ft136.9 Deer Creek Falls = tall waterfall/patio137.12 OC/9mm camp

DAY 6137.12 OC/9mm Camp149.9 Upset Rapid156.7 Havasu Canyon168 Fern Glen Camp

DAY 7168 Fern Glen Camp178 Lava Pinnacle/Vulcan’s Anvil179 Lava FallsHot lunch187.4 Whitmore Helipad213 Pumpkin Spring216 Camp

DAY 8216 Camp 225.9 Diamond Ck Takeout

DAY 10 Lees Ferry Put In19 ½ Mile Camp

• The night before leaving, our group met at the Flagstaff Doubletree • AZRA personnel helped introduce everyone, and went over trip logistics• Everyone received their “blue” (camp stuff) and “white” (river stuff) dry bags• A variety of merchandise was available for purchase• We bought another water bottle (rather than count on our Camelbaks) and a sarong

(convinced it would be good shade & cooling if dunked in river water)

(not our group, stolen from web…)

DAY 1

DAY 2

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DAY 5DAY 6

DAY 7

DAY 8

19 1/2 mile (River left)

50 mile (River right)

Nevills main camp (75.3 River left)

Bas

s (1

09

Riv

er r

igh

t)

OC

’s a

ka 9

mm

(1

37

.12

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ft)

Fern

Gle

n (

16

8m

i Riv

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igh

t)

Three Springs (216 River right)

While it was stressed that “plans are made to be broken” – here’s where we actually ended up camping each night

Here come 7-8 slides with my various attempts to map the river….

Detailed Maps & pictures of river campsites can be found at https://grandcanyon.usgs.gov/gisapps/adopt-a-beach/index.html DAY 1

DAY 2

DAY 4

DAY 5DAY 6

DAY 7

DAY 8

DAY 3

120 110

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Ho

rn C

reek

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id (

7-9

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nit

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apid

(7

-8)

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mit

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id (

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stal

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id (

7-1

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rap

ids

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ves

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asm

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ran

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6.9

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eer

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avas

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.1 -

Kai

bab

Bri

dge

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10

0

11.4 - Soap Creek Rapid (5-6)

8.0 - Badger Creek Rapid (4-6)

14.5 - Sheer Wall Rapid (2-3)

17.1 - House Rock Rapid (4-7)

32.0 - Stanton's Cave33.3 - Redwall Cavern

36.0 - The Bridge of Sighs

43.3 - Anasazi Bridge

52.4 granaries

72.9 Unkar delta7

7.1

Han

cera

pid

s

79

.1 S

ock

do

lage

rR

apid

s

I was interested in the names of the rock formations that we passed… So I got 1:100000 topo maps from https://ngmdb.usgs.gov/topoview/viewer/#8/36.213/-112.129 And river miles from https://grandcanyon.usgs.gov/gisapps/adopt-a-beach/index.htmlAnd combined them to get what I think is a pretty accurate topo map with miles and some major features marked. If you want, you can select it and enlarge it to see more details!

19 1/2 mile (River left)

50 mile (River right)

Nevills main camp (75.3 River left)

Bas

s (1

09

Riv

er r

igh

t)

OC

’s a

ka 9

mm

(1

37

.12

Riv

er le

ft)

Fern

Gle

n (

16

8m

i Riv

er r

igh

t)

The two parts are enlarged a bit on the next 2 slides

80

70

60

50

40

30

20

10

11.4 - Soap Creek Rapid (5-6)

8.0 - Badger Creek Rapid (4-6)

14.5 - Sheer Wall Rapid (2-3)

17.1 - House Rock Rapid (4-7)

32.0 - Stanton's Cave33.3 - Redwall Cavern

36.0 - The Bridge of Sighs

43.3 - Anasazi Bridge

52.4 granaries

72.9 Unkar delta

77

.1 H

ance

rap

ids

79

.1 S

ock

do

lage

rR

apid

s

Temples of Apollo,

Venus, Juno & Jupiter

Templ

eButte

Zuni

Point

Horseshoe Mesa

Angels’Gate

VishnuTemple

0

19 1/2 mile (River left)

50 mile (River right)

Nevills main camp (75.3 River left)

Start

120 110

130

140

150

160

170

100

90

90

.8 -

Ho

rn C

reek

Rap

id (

7-9

)

93

.9 -

Gra

nit

e R

apid

(7

-8)

95

.5 -

Her

mit

Rap

id (

7-8

)

98

.2 -

Cry

stal

Rap

id (

7-1

0)

10

1.1

-10

6.5

Gem

rap

ids

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7.2

-El

ves

Ch

asm15

7.3

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avas

u C

anyo

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88

.1 -

Kai

bab

Bri

dge

S Rim Visitor Center

IsisTemple

Zoroaster

Temple

BrahmaTemple

BrightAngel

Canyon

Confucius

Temple

HorusTemple

Tower of Ra

Hermit’sRest

DoxCastle

Montezuma

Point

Explorers’Monument Mt

Huethawali

MasonicTemple

13

5.6

-G

ran

ite

Nar

row

s

13

6.9

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eer

Cre

ek F

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Bas

s (1

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8m

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Mile 2.8 - Cathedral Wash (2)

Mile 4.2 - Navajo Bridges

Mile 8.0 - Badger Creek Rapid (4-6)- First significant rapid in

Marble Canyon with a large pour over in the center right

Mile 11.4 - Soap Creek Rapid (5-6)

Mile 12.1 - Brown's Riffle (2) On July 9, 1889, the President of the Denver, Colorado Canyon and

Pacific Railroad, Frank Mason Brown, drowned at this point when the boat he was in capsized. He

was not wearing a life jacket.

Mile 14.5 - Sheer Wall Rapid (2-3)

Mile 17.1 - House Rock Rapid (4-7)- The second large rapid in the Canyon. A large

hole on the left side of the river forms at most water levels, necessitating a right run. Mile 17.7 - Redneck Rapid (3)

DAY 1: AUGUST 3rd 2017Lees Ferry to 19 ½ mile camp

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.Mile 17.7 - Redneck Rapid (3)

Mile 17.1 - House Rock Rapid (4-7)- The second large rapid in the Canyon. A large hole on the left side of the river forms at most water levels, necessitating a right run

Mile 14.5 - Sheer Wall Rapid (2-3)

Mile 12.1 - Brown's Riffle (2) On July 9, 1889, the President of the Denver, Colorado Canyon and Pacific Railroad, Frank Mason Brown, drowned at this point when the boat he was in capsized. He was not wearing a life jacket.

Mile 11.4 - Soap Creek Rapid (5-6)

Mile 8.0 - Badger Creek Rapid (4-6)-First significant rapid in Marble Canyon

Mile 4.2 - Navajo Bridges

Mile 2.8 - Cathedral Wash (2)

Mile 0.2 - Paria River Riffle

Mile 0.0 - Lee's Ferry

DAY 1: AUGUST 3rd 2017Lees Ferry to 19 ½ mile camp

Up at 5:30AM, we loaded the bus to

where we’d meet the river

No pre-trip jitters evident here!

We got our first view of the river from The Navajo

Bridges-looks pretty tiny eh?

The original 18ft wide bridge (now pedestrian) was built in 1929.

The 44ft one was built in 1995.

Both are tied for 9th highest bridges in the US

Funny how different the bridges look in Google Maps….

We put in at Lees Ferry – about 5 miles upstream from the bridges - the “only place in hundreds of miles from which one can easily” access the Colorado River from both sides:

The crossing is named for John Doyle Lee who operated a ferry there from 1872-1928.

Loading the rafts went smoothly But four buckles on these life jackets? Seems like a lotUnless…

10:20

We met our

guides

Rachael Rankin(a critical care nurse when not rafting)

Chris & Kaelin Zielinski(Chris grew up in Bangor, Me!)

Owen Ludwig(from Damariscotta, Me!)

Wryht Short

Rachel seemed happy to be underway…See the raft

See how clean and dry it isRemember that

And we’re off!

Yippee! We survive the first rapids!

Oh wait, those weren’t real rapids?Those were the Paria Riffle?

Hmm…

Wait a minute…The Navajo bridges looked a lot

bigger from up top….

This could get interesting…

And I thought he rocks were supposed to be next to the river?

(10 mile rock from Kaibab?)

Might as well introduce the rocks: Only 3 “layers” appear near the Navajo bridges

• That’s right, the youngest rocks at the canyon are 250,000,000 years old!

• Any newer rocks have long since eroded away

• (You know how ‘disposable’ new things have become…)

name type source Age (my)

Thickness (ft)

Kaibab limestone ocean seds 270 350Toroweap Sandstone beaches 273 250Coconino sandstone beaches 275 300

270mya

273mya

275mya

1:43 The first of many yummy lunches!

Sandwiches are eaten at the river’s edge so

scraps are washed away – rather than

contributing to red ant problems

After lunch – more river…See the rocks staying out of the river…Good rocks!

1:48

More good rocks!

1:53 1:48

• A Century Plant – named for its long life • Of course they do no

live 100 years, more like 30 or 40. But a “Four Decades Plant” is not a catchy name.

• At the end of its life, the agave grows this shoot, which can grow up to 35 feet tall. It will flower soon. Then it will die.

• It’s also known as a Sentry Plant, because the spear looks like the spear of a Roman Sentry.

1:57

More good rocks

See….You can even get up close

They don’t bite!☺

13 mile?

2:18

Float, float, float your boatGently down the stream…

2:19

Wait, you want us to do what? Well, it is cozy…

See the wavesBe afraid

Be very afraid…OK, save a little fear

Bigger ones are still to come

See Rachel look serious

2:43

Mile 8.0 - Badger Creek Rapid (4-6)- First significant rapid in Marble Canyon with a

large pour over in the center right.

“Run down the tongue in the center of the river. There’s a

big hole along the right edge of the tongue. Look for a

smooth horizon line with a slight hump to it just right of

center at the top of the rapid. The hole is right behind the

horizon line hump. The entrance to the rapid is turning left

and tends to push you off to the right towards the hole so

make sure that you don’t go into it. To the right of the hole

it’s all rocks and ledges and to the left of the tongue there

are many rocks too. “

Mile 11.4 Soap Creek Rapids

The river turns to the

left just before the

rapid causing the boats

to go too far right

unless approached

correctly. As you

approach the rapid stay

close to the left shore

and pass to the left of a

large rock near the left

shore. After the

shoreline turns left stay

just to the right of the

eddy line. This will line

you up with the tongue.

Soap Creek Rapid is

two to three times as

long as Badger and the

waves are bigger.

3:04

Mile 12.1 - Brown's Riffle (2) On July 9, 1889, the President of the Denver, Colorado

Canyon and Pacific Railroad, Frank Mason Brown, drowned at this point when the

boat he was in capsized. He was not wearing a life jacket.

Mile 14.5 - Sheer Wall Rapid (2-3)

Mile 17.1 - House Rock

Rapid (4-7)- The second

large rapid in the Canyon.

House Rock Rapid is a great raft flipper. The rapid turns hard right and there are two holes on the outside of the turn. All

the water feeds into the holes so you must be rowing HARD right all the way down the rapid. Row 90 degrees to the

current (not just 90 degrees to the shoreline). When leaving the scouting beach it's best to row backwards and get to the

right of the tongue. If you're in the tongue your bow willget turned downstream and you'll end up trying to row uphill and

end up hitting the holes. There’s a small curler right at the top of the rapid on the right side of the tonguIdeally, you want

the back of your boat going over that curler as you pull toward the right. Don’t dig your downstream oar into the water too

deep, as it may hit a rockand come at you like a rocket. Use your upstream oar to keep your ferry angle. Go sideways over

two small pour-over’s on the right hand side and you are through. At flowabove 17,000cfs, there’s an easy right hand run

along the right shore. This rapid is much easier to run in the afternoon when the water from the dam is higher

Mile 17.7 - Redneck Rapid (3)

Bad rock… from Supai formation (boulder narrows mile 19)

Maybe it came from up there?

2:55

Know (250mya gray-white Kaibab)The (255mya yellow-gray Toroweap)Canyon’s (260mya white sand Coconino)History (265mya red erodible Hermit)Study (285mya red to tan Supai)Rocks (335mya Redwall)Made (515mya Muav)By (530mya Bright Angel)Time (545mya Tapeats)

Home for the night:“19.5 mile camp”

After claiming campsites and unloading the rafts, we settled down to relaxing & chatting…And then learned the tricks of river camping….

One table (stretch) held a 1st aid kit, electrolyte mix, a cooler of fresh water, and the ever=present hand-wash station

From the raft came a well-organized kitchen

And yes, a charcoal grill & grillmeister (and photobomber)!

A gas stove with Chef Rachel

Dishes wen to the dishwashing station: trash bucket, cold wash, hot wash, hot rinse,

bleach rinse

And cans went to the “recycling station” – drop the heavy thing on your cans and watch them almost disappear

After dinner….

Guests for dinner?5:55

END DAY 1