Motorized
Expeditions Dory Expeditions
History Ecology
Archeology Photography
Grand Canyon Info
Requests FAQ's Planning
Your Trip Comments A
Day On The River Moveable Feast
7 a.m. We waken to the aroma of fresh-brewed coffee. Although the sun will not
flood our camp for some time, tops of the canyon walls already are aglow with
sunlight. Somewhere a canyon wren is singing reveille. While eggs, sausage,
and muffins cook, sleeping bags are being packed.
9:00 a.m. We enter a series of rapids. A great blue heron takes off down-river, wings pumping. Both bird and its surroundings seem somehow prehistoric.
10:00 a.m. We stop to explore a narrow, beautifully sculptured wash named Shinumo. In shadow all but fleeting moments each day, its polished silver walls shed a light of their own. To see the sky, you must tilt your head back with great effort.
11:00 a.m. South Canyon intersects the river, signaling that Vasey's Paradise
is just ahead. A paradise, indeed! Sunlight seems to explode from the fountains
of water gushing from the Canyon's wall. Lush growths of moss and ferns in this
"paradise" seem strangely out of place in such a desert setting. We
drift close to the gushing water, giving everyone aboard a welcome shower.
12:00 noon Our boats stop for lunch in the shade of Redwall Cavern. Inside this great cave, there's room enough for a game of softball!
2:00 p.m. As two golden eagles soar lazily overhead, we drift quietly and our
boatman tells us the story of Bert Loper's historic river run in 1949. We feel
the heat, but soon a roller coaster rapid refreshes us.
4:00 p.m. We sight moon lilies, abloom at the mouth of Saddle Canyon. A hike to explore Saddle is topped off with a cold soda.
6:00 p.m. We make for Nankoweap, site of ancient Indian ruins, and our campsite tonight.
8:00 p.m. After a dinner of filet, dutch-oven potatoes, green salad, and cherry
cobbler, we hike to the ruins, and view the river below.
9:00 p.m. Those who cannot stay awake find their sleeping bags. Bed tonight is beneath the Milky Way, and a canopy of stars that dwarfs even the Grand Canyon.
Please
click here for a graphic version of this site.