Peggy standing next to Deer Creek Falls in the Grand Canyon.
“It is especially cold in the rain tonight. The little canvas we have is rotten and useless; the rubber ponchos have all been lost; we have not a blanket apiece. We build a fire; but the rain, coming down in torrents, extinguishes it, and we sit up all night on the rocks, shivering…” From the diary of the one-armed John Wesley Powell on the night of August 17, 1869 during his epic exploration of the Grand Canyon.
Well, there are ADVENTURES and there are adventures. Today I will focus on our 8th, 9th and 10th days on the Colorado River. There are rapids, but nothing to write home about. In camp, the fabled heat of the Grand Canyon makes an appearance, so we put up a sun shelter and snooze. It’s a bit of a climb up to Christmas Tree Cave, maybe 10 minutes. We do, however find a very strange creature there, something that might give you nightmares. We stop to admire Deer Creek Falls and then climb up the Deer Creek Canyon, which is much more of a climb than it was to the cave, but a natural Jacuzzi greets us at the top. The water is cold. Things are tough, right? As I said, there are ADVENTURES and then there are adventures. (Grin.) I let photos tell today’s story.
We do run into rapids every few miles, but mainly the water is calm and beautiful. (Photo by Don Green.)
Rowing is a given, lots of it, but unless we are rowing against the wind or maneuvering through rapids, the river does much of the work.
Don caught this interesting face along the way. (Photo by Don Green.)
Take a cold beer or two, add in a warm sun, comfy chairs, and shade, it’s time for a snooze.
With the trip half over, it’s time to check in on how we are faring. This is me…
And this is Peggy. I can only wonder how she does it.
Our camp that evening…
And in the early morning light.
Looking up at the entrance to Christmas Tree cave. The name derives from a crystalline structure that looks something like a Christmas tree.
Okay, imagine you are alone and making your way through a large, semi-dark cave when you suddenly come face to face with this cave troll. The Christmas Tree, BTW, is to the right of Tom.
I really like the perspective on the size of the cave in this photo that Peggy took.
Deer Creek Falls was a treat. Hiking up the Deer Creek trail provided more delights.
Like the natural Jacuzzi.
It was a tad cold.
Bone was probably the least bothered by the cold of any of us. Maybe it was his warm vest. Tom and Don make a hand off. Bone wanted to leap off on his own but we were afraid that the creek might carry him away!
Deer Creek had cut its way into the soft sandstone, creating a min-Grand Canyon of its own.
Which led Peggy and me to take numerous photos.
Waterfalls along Deer Creek.
And another opportunity to rest. Check out the shade on the left.
Our final photo of the day. Looking down on the Colorado River from the Deer Creek trail.
WEDNESDAY’S POST: We arrive in Alaska on the Alaska Highway. Now we will be making our way from the Canadian Border to Anchorage. Be prepared for glaciers!
FRIDAY’S POST: The MisAdventure series. The railroad detective comes to visit. Were the Mekemson kids guilty of tearing apart a railroad trestle? Tune in on Friday.
Wandering through Time and Place 