03/09-28/2008 Our Grand Canyon rafting trip with friends and family Slideshow
John's log of the trip:
3/8-16 Grand Canyon Rafting Trip - Part I from Lee's Ferry to Phantom Ranch
Our mighty armada...
John yellow 18' raft, the flag ship, with Tom, John, then Mark
Paul yellow 18' raft with Bill French, Phil & Jill or Dave
George yellow 18' raft with Tim, Steve Rubenstein or Sam & Holly
Ringo yellow 18' raft with Leslie, Tom T, then Chris
Hell's Kitchen blue 16' raft with P.T., Ken
Capt Morgan blue 17½' raft with Julian, Sharon & Brittany, or Nick, Eric & Angie
Ray in kayak, Ted in inflatable kayak, part I only
8: drive to Flagstaff, get rafts & supplies at Canyon
REO, orientation, Donnie warns about House Rock, Bedrock & Upset Rapids, caravan to Lee's Ferry, rig rafts, dinner at Marble Canyon Restaurant
9: ranger orientation & checkout, launch at 1100, Soap Creek Camp mile 11
10: Leslie & Tom flip in House Rock-7, late lunch, Upper North Canyon Camp mile 20, short hike
11: lunch at mile 24.5, Silver Grotto, ShinumoWash Camp mile 29
12: Vasey's Paradise - get water, lunch at Redwall Cavern, Nautiloid Cyn, PT checks out Marble Cyn Dam Site, Lower Buck Farm Camp mile 41
13: lunch & hike at Saddle Cyn, Upper Nankoweap Camp mile 53, moonlight hike to ruins
14: lunch & hike at muddy Little Colorado River, Cardenas Camp mile 71, hike
15: Unkar Delta Anasazi Ruins, lunch & scout Hance Rapid, overshoot Clear Creek Camp and settle at Upper Cremation Camp mile 87 at 1815
16: Phantom Ranch exchange - Phil, Jill, Ted, Sharon, Brittany, Steve, Ray & Julian hike out to blizzard on the South Rim, postcards
Part I crew: Tom, Tim, Bill French, P.T., Ken Nielsen, Tom Trowbridge, Leslie Trowbridge, Phil Rogul, Jill, Ted, Sharon Gott, Brittany
Zell, Steve Rubenstein, Ray Galley, Julian Trowbridge
3/16-28 Grand Canyon Raft Trip - Part II from Phantom Ranch to Diamond
Creek
16: Chris, Dave, Sam, Holly, Mark, Nick, Eric & Angie, plus Matt, hike in to Phantom Ranch, arriving between noon & 3pm, camp illegally above Pipe Creek, rain
17: hikers across river on Bright Angel/River Tr, rainy, Tom hits wall at Horn Creek-8 - John & Mark swim, late lunch at Granite camp, J&M walk around Granite-8 & Hermit-8, Upper Crystal Camp mile 98
18: morning hike, Crystal Rapid-9 while J&M walk, lunch at Lower Tuna, late stops at Ross Wheeler boat and Shinumo Creek, Walthenberg Camp mile 112
19: some cold swims at Elves Chasm, lunch at 117.6 Camp, Fossil Camp mile 125, hike
20: lunch & pump water at 130.7 Mile Waterfall, Doll's House, problems at Bedrock-7: Leslie, Tom & Chris stuck on rock pulled off by BTD&J; Nick, Eric & Angie flip in left channel; J&M walk, Galloway Camp mile 132, hike
21: Loop hike - Tapeats, Thunder River, Surprise Valley, Deer Spring, Deer Creek Falls; leave raft at Tapeats; Tom, Tom, Leslie, John, Mark & Bill hike down; Tim, Sam, Holly, Dave, Chris & PT hike up after stop at Christmas Tree Cave, Football Camp mile 137, up hikers arrive just after dark
22: lunch & pump water at Kanab Creek, Matkatamiba, no flips in Upset-6! Nick walks with J&M, Tim also runs Capt Morgan with E&A, S&H get 2nd run with Tom, Upset Hotel Camp mile 150
23: lunch & 2-hr hike at Havasu to Big Kids Pool, PT hurts tailbone, Tuckup Camp mile 165, hike
24: early camp & lunch at Stairway Canyon Camp mile 177, hot, long hike up canyon, poker & Ken's knot class in canyon shade
25: lunch & scouting above Lave Falls-9 on left, two other groups run thru, left run, PT & Ken flip, Leslie stuck on wall for a few minutes, NJ&M walk thru razor grass, 182.8 Mile Camp, kitchen duty for 3 days
26: 19-mile day, lunch at mile 194, 202 Mile Camp, petroglyphs
27: 18-mile day, Bill & Dave flip in 209 Mile-5, mark hits hole - Tom out of raft but hangs on, lunch at mile 211, Pumpkin Springs, Mark loses oar
tower in 217 Mile-5, towed to 220 Mile Camp
28: Diamond Creek Takeout at 10am, STRAUCH flag intact, de-rig boats, rough 20-mi ride out, fried chicken lunch in Peach Springs, shuttled Jeep waiting, drive with Mark & Chris, home at 9:30
Part II crew: Tom, Tim, Bill French, P.T., Ken Nielsen, Tom Trowbridge, Leslie Trowbridge, Dave Calvert, Sam, Holly, Mark, Chris
Zell, Nick Fox, Eric Fox, Angie Huey
