Saturday, June 12, 2021

Grand Canyon Rafting Trip - Day 4


 


Day 4 is swap out day.  We change rafts so Will can drop off the people hiking out and pick up the people hiking in.  It takes a while for the swap and we have time to hike to Phantom Ranch.  The pilots are in communication as to the status of the hikers hiking the Bright Angel Trail,   The $5 dollar lemonade at Phantom Ranch was well worth the money.   


As we attempt to back away from Phantom Ranch the NPS rangers request our assistance in a raft accident.  They need us to take a repairman and pilot with supplies down river to repair a raft and assist in piloting the raft out of the canyon.  


NPS picks up two individuals from Flagstaff and fly's them with equipment to Phantom Ranch for transport on our raft.  The crew arrives with two wheel barrels of equipment for repairs.   


With the new crewmembers on-board, we are ready to depart. 

 

Since we switched rafts, JJ is our new pilot and is ready to assist.  JJ is a solid 5'2" ball of TNT.  



We finally arrive at the accident site and look over the situation.  We deliver the repairman and pilot.  The repairman says it will take two days to complete the repairs before they can continue.  They thank us for a job well done! 


If you click on the photo you can see Oliver and Morgan, the two crewmembers assisting Pilots Will and JJ, trying to find a good support for holding the rafts.  We were amazed at their climbing abilities.  



Our next stop is a waterfall .  You can see the walk is along a creek bed. 



They finally reach the end of the hike and everyone take a turn under the waterfall. 


A video of the waterfall.  


Our camp for night 4.  Before we can get our tent, sleeping pad and large dry bag, we have to form a line and off load all the cooking equipment and tables,   This is a tedious task and requires many people to complete.  The beaches are sandy and hard to walk on.   


End of Day 4





Grand Canyon Rafting Trip - Day 3

 


This is the third day of our Grand Canyon Rafting Trip. Each day has been better than the last. We are excited about our upcoming side hike into the Little Colorado River.


We welcome the morning shade along our route because we know the afternoon sun will be very hot.  We constantly drink water to keep hydrated during the day, Believe me you do not want to get dehydrated in the Grand Canyon.  Serious medical conditions can occur quickly. You also need salt content to absorb the water.    



Fun Fact
The Grand Canyon might look like the perfect place to go looking for dinosaur bones, but none have ever been found there, and for good reason. The rock that makes up the canyon walls is vastly more ancient than the dinosaurs – about a billion years more ancient, in some cases – but the canyon itself probably didn't form until after the dinosaurs were long gone.


With it's amazing turquoise waters, the Little Colorado River is an incredible sight... not to mention the swimming. This was the highlight of our trip. The swimming was amazing as you ride the water down stream.


We encounter anther group of visitors up ahead at the start of our body ride down the little Colorado..



The water here is warmer than the water it meets at the Colorado River.  I tried to video my ride down the river.  I had the waterproof camera attached to my left wrist.  Do you know how hard it is to film while trying to swim.  Needless to say I was underwater much of the time.  My video file is too large to insert it as a video.  



Kathy trying her turn in the river. 


Kathy narrating a waterfall hike.  You make your own trail in the canyon.  



The hike was well worth the effort. 

End of Day 3

Pulling up Anchor at Acadia National Park

 I thought it would be nice to add a few facts about Acadia National in each of the photos below. We decided that our last trip here at Acad...