Our Grand Canyon raft trip started in Lee's Ferry on the Colorado River. Officially, this part of the canyon is Marble Canyon (it's not truly the Grand Canyon until you reach the point where the Little Colorado River joins.) Nevertheless, the canyon walls get pretty steep in no time!

After loading our clothes into a dry bag (you get one duffle sized bag each!) and fitting on a life jacket, we climb aboard these large pontoon rafts--fourteen rafters and two guides. Two rafts set out together on a trip.

The rafts are essentially five large pontoons, maybe two feet wide each, that are sewn together. Ice chests and gear are stored in the middle. You either sit on top of the chests (the best view), behind the chests in the "chicken coop" (where you're most likely to stay dry and have a less bumpy ride), or on the tubes in front. Because of the way the raft flexes, the tubes are where all the action is--the most splash in the rapids, the first part of the raft to dip and then go straight up in the air as you hit a "hole". And where Bob rode most of the trip--right up front, taking the worst (or best) of the river! (Diane was mostly on the ice chests.)

Not sure which is more amazing: dashing through the rapids, the hikes to choice spots within the canyon, or floating along, seeing 190 miles of this natural wonder. Every mile is something new: another geological layer of rock, strange formations, a beautiful side canyon. And blue, blue sky. Afternoons were hot, nights were cool, and the water was COLD. (About a constant 45 degrees since the flow is controled at Glen Canyon.) Several nights we slept out under the stars. Day 1 included House Rock Rapid--not a high rating as rapids go, because it's not that dangerous or technical. But it sure is wet! And a great ride. We also had a short hike up to some petroglyphs. We can only speculate on the meaning of these symbols carved into the rock by ancient peoples.

Day 2 brought us to Redwall Cavern, an amazing enormous cave in the side of the canyon. From far away, it does not look like much, since the cliff walls are hundreds of feet high. But the cavern is large enough to hold over 50,000 people. Walking to the back of the cavern and looking out makes you feel very small.

The muddy, churning river is joined at mile 61 by the Little Colorado River. This smaller tributary is warm and gentle, and a brilliant, light blue color, due to the mineral content bleaching the bottom sediment. We played in the water and had a chance to body surf down through the rocks. The photo below shows the hue.

Day 3: Big Rapid Day.
We seem to have lucked out with our timing on the trip: water flows were around 15,000 cubic feet per second, higher than normal for this time of year, and, according to Boatman Steve, near perfect for river running. Hance Rapid has six huge rollers, one after the other. The front of the boat went straight up on a couple of them, providing quite the fun ride. And Serpentine Rapid didn't look like much as we approached it, but with the high water flows, we all got wet. Being right in the front corner of the raft, Bob really got nailed by the waves. (You basically hang on to the ropes, because you're not always in your seat as the raft is bounced by the waves.) Crystal isn't as wet, but it's a difficult, technical rapid, with the water crashing into boulders and side walls. By the end of the day, we were soaked, tired, and smiling.

Day 4 was the day of great hikes. Four different locations along the Grand Canyon, and each one different. Elves Chasm had a beautiful waterfall you could climb up into from the rocks arouhd it, and then jump over into the pool. Blacktail was a twisting slot canyon, but unlike Antelope or Canyon X. With a gentle stream running through it, it was a cool respite from the heat, but would surely be treacherous in a storm. Stone Creek also led to a small waterfall and since we were there in the hot part of the day, it was a nice cold shower. (Everyone tells you the water is warm. They are lying.)

Deer Creek Falls probably the most interesting. It was a strenous hike, scrambling over rocks, then inching along a narrow ledge with a sheer drop into a canyon. At some points the rock above juts out over the narrow path, and the safest way across is to sit down and slide over carefully on your butt. This was a tough one for Diane, but overcoming you fears is worth the trek.

Day 6: Lava Falls. The big one we've been waiting for... This was the scariest rapid, rated between an 8 and 10, depending on the water levels. We just hung on and screamed. (Bob wanted to go back and do it again.)

The end of the raft trip is at Whitmore Wash, where we got helicoptered out to the Bar 10 ranch. Diane was lucky enough to ride shotgun for the 10 minute trip, where we dipped back down to the river and then out over the canyon walls---very cool!!

The North Rim Adventure