Rafting the Colorado in Grand Canyon

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Friday, 18 August 2023 - Woke up to a damp camp and spent the last day on the Colorado River with one stop at the confluence with Havasu Creek, climbed up to explore the clear blue water and waterfalls, continued downriver watching red cliffs and lava rock, navigated Lava Falls and Lower Lava Rapid before a celebratory end-of-trip candy bar and camp as rain began to fall, finishing the final miles toward the exit.

grandcanyon2023 — Heading out, the weather was overcast - the cliffs still pretty.

grandcanyon2023 — A narrow passage ahead.

grandcanyon2023 — Large hole (cave??) in the cliff ahead.

grandcanyon2023 — Small stream falling into the Colorado River.

grandcanyon2023 — We must have a turn ahead - probably to the right. Clouds are persisting - which will be good for our only planned stop today.

grandcanyon2023 — At mile 157 is the confluence with Havasu Creek - a body of water known for its blue water. We were all very excited. The captain had to park the raft against a cliff while in the middle of Havasu Rapid - it was quite a display of boatwomanship.

We had to climb up a cliff and navigate some high rocks to get to the Havasu Creek canyon. This is a picture we are high above the creek admiring the frothy clear water. We then continued out travels and met the creek.

grandcanyon2023 — We were set free for two or three hours. I went to a series of waterfalls upstream - I could walk through the creek pretty much anywhere. For this picture I (and the camera) were standing in the middle of the creek.

grandcanyon2023 — The clear blue water, green trees, and red rock make for a pretty picture.

grandcanyon2023 — Water rushes past and over a rock with some sort of green plant hanging on in the turbulence.

grandcanyon2023 — Hard to believe it is a desert and it was 100 degrees when it looks so refreshing.

grandcanyon2023 — An attempt to capture two waterfalls up close - again up to my waist in water - nice cool water.

grandcanyon2023 — The two waterfalls from head on - such a pretty place.

grandcanyon2023 — Cal at work in Havasu Creek

grandcanyon2023 — Little green ferns following the water under the rocks.

grandcanyon2023 — Soft water waterfalls - not something Virginia Ann likes as much as I do.

I was on another trip with Arizona Highways to Havasu Canyon which is several miles upstream. It was a great trip.

grandcanyon2023 — The clear water of Havasu Creek meets the muddy water of the Colorado River.

grandcanyon2023 — Interesting (and beautiful) rocks which break the rock in straight lines.

grandcanyon2023 — After we climbed back into the raft and pushed off the clouds broke and temperature rose.

grandcanyon2023 — Beautiful red cliffs along the Colorado River.

grandcanyon2023 — All of a sudden there were ocotillo cactus covering the higher reaches of the cliff side.

grandcanyon2023 — I continued to be intrigued by the rock cut by the water in the cliff walls. There were many such cuts along both sides of the river.

grandcanyon2023 — Interesting rocks which have refused to fall into the river.

grandcanyon2023 — We had 30 miles to travel until our camp so we were moving out - up ahead clouds began to form.

grandcanyon2023 — The river seemed darker under the clouds. They made a much better sky behind the giant cliff walls.

Light rain began after this picture - very black clouds were ahead of us.

grandcanyon2023 — Lava begins to appear - that adds black rock to the red. It also means a rapid that everyone has been talking about is coming up at mile 180 - Lava Falls. Note it is a falls not a rapid because it drops 13 feet and is very rough - the highest rating on the Colorado River.

Kelsey was excited (laughing strangely) she would get to run Lava Falls in the rain, but it stopped just before we entered.

grandcanyon2023 — After Lava Falls and Lower Lava Rapid we pull over to celebrate making it through in one piece. They used to hand out shots of tequila, but now we receive a celebratory candy bar.

grandcanyon2023 — The lava rock continues. There were at least 150 lava flows into the Grand Canyon, and 17 of them blocked the Colorado River - boiling the water away and then damming the flow. The water always wins and they were eroded away.

grandcanyon2023 — The monsoon rains high up in the Grand Canyon delivered enough water to cause flows over the cliff edges. We were lucky enough to see these waterfalls.

grandcanyon2023 — Part of a lava wall on the right protrudes into the canyon.

grandcanyon2023 — Another monsoon waterfall - this one is very muddy.

grandcanyon2023 — There were barrel cactus along the canyon growing in the most challenging places.

grandcanyon2023 — Rock formations on the cliff walls - very strange. Not sure of the forces or type of rock.

grandcanyon2023 — Rock gushing in a cone formation.

grandcanyon2023 — Lava flow in the canyon - very cool to see the size of the flow.

grandcanyon2023 — Beautiful canyon after the rain.

grandcanyon2023 — Amazing rocks.

grandcanyon2023 — Fading light of the day on the canyon cliffs.

grandcanyon2023 — The same odd columnar rock extends into the Colorado River.

grandcanyon2023 — Columnar rocks stacked for several hundred feet.

grandcanyon2023 — We were nearing the end of the trip as the sun was low - few clouds. Beautiful afternoon.

As we finished eating, the clouds were back. We were asked if anyone wanted a tent I asked for one. This was the only time we set up the tents. As we were setting up, it began to rain and would continue through the night. Our only bad weather on the trip.

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