An Amazing Trip Down The Grand Canyon…

The Colorado River flowing through the Grand Canyon

Unfortunately I am now sitting in my living room a few short days after returning from an absolutley incredible trip down the Grand Canyon, from January 2nd – 13th, 2009. I got a permit with a launch date of January 2nd. Due to time constraints we had to take off on Janaury 13th, leading to a fairly quick trip…next time I hope to be able to spend a few more days down in the Canyon.. What an incredible place where the scale and grandeur of the landscape, the huge yet fun and safe rapids as well as the serene calmer sections, the amazing camping spots and side canyons all contribute to make this a place that surpasses any prior expectations / anticipations.

Campsites, sandy beaches, river, awesome canyon...life doesn't get much better than this...

The group, flying from Ireland and BC met in Flagstaff for New Year’s Eve, where some took in the Pine Cone drop and had a fun night out!! (no names mentioned!).On New Year’s Day we got our shuttle up to Lees Ferry with all our gear, including 10 kayaks, 2 expedition rafts, paddling gear, camping gear, food..and last but not least the all important groover (thanks to Brady Black and Moenkopi Riverworks)!A bag of lost paddling gear on the way over put a bit of a spanner amongst the works, however with spare gear brought over we had enough gear to proceed; although we put in a last minute quick order with NRS (thanks Colm) for some decent gear. This was supposed to arrive on Launch Day, with a hoped for arrival into Marble Canyon of before lunch; this led to a plan of the group departing Lees Ferry whilst I waited for the gear, and then all meeting up again at Badger Creek, which has a handy enough hike to. However the NRS gear was not due to until late afternoon so we had to leave without it.

Below is a brief trip report of our trip down the Canyon:

One of our stunning campsites...even the groover had a great view!

Grand Canyon Trip Report

Trip dates: January 2^nd – 13^th, 2009

Trip Leader: James Van den Broek

Trip participants: 15

Boats: 2 rafts plus 11 kayaks

Outfitter: Moenkopi Riverworks

The permit launch date was January 2^nd, 2009 and, unfortunately due to time constraints we had to finish the trip on January 13^th and take out at Diamond Creek, meaning we had 10 full days plus the launch and take out days to complete the trip. Ideally I would have loved to have more time so we could lay over at a camp or two and do more hiking and exploring, but in the end the time worked out quite well, especially considering the shorter days of winter.

The group contained 1 qualified, experienced raft guide, 11 kayakers, and 2 ‘raft passengers’. Initially we were only going to go with one raft, but upon discussion with Brady Black and the rafter it was decided to take a second raft; this would then be rowed by the kayakers taking turn, even though none of us had done this before. This turned out to be the best decision made, as it allowed us to carry the necessary gear and more food and make the trip much more comfortable. It also didn’t impact on the time frame planned; in fact we only had 2 flips off the same raft (Bedrock and 209 Mile Rapid); more of which later!

The weather was clear and sunny for almost the entire trip; in the sun it was warm but it was cool in the shade and overnight temperatures were below freezing, except for one night when it was as bit overcast and we had some light rain (January 5^th). On a couple of days we had a cold headwind.

Each day the breakfast crew was up to start breakfast around 6.45 am, when it was still dark. Daylight came around 7.40 (a few minutes earlier each day) and we generally left camp to paddle around 9.10 – 9.20 am each day. On the average day we made camp around 3.30 – 4.00 pm (there were a few exceptions), so were on the river around 6 hours most days, excluding lunch stops.

Friday January 1^st

Rig day at Lees Ferry

January 2^nd Launch Day

Lees Ferry (RM 0) – Soap Creek Rapid (RM 11.2), 11.2 miles

After final checks with the Ranger, re passports etc we were ready to launch. However we waited to make a call to FedEx about a shipment containing some needed gear from NRS (as it turned out this was not arriving at Marble Canyon until at least 4.30 pm, so we had to leave without it!), so we didn’t launch until lunchtime. Due to this we only paddled just over 11 miles and camped just above Soap Creek Rapid. We made camp at about 3.30 / 4.00 pm, which gave us plenty of time to set up camp, find driftwood and start dinner before dark.

House Rock Rapid...the first 7 we hit!

Saturday January 3^rd

Soap Creek Rapid (RM 11.2) – Nautiloid Camp (RM 35), 24 miles

After the first day I worked out we needed to average approximately 21 miles / day for the 10 full days, which would leave us around 5 miles for the take out day, down to Diamond Creek. We decided to try to make good miles at the start of the trip, so we would possibly have the chance to take some time off to do a bit of hiking etc lower down the Canyon.

We stopped at House Rock Rapid for a quick scout for the rafts as this was the first big ‘un! (a 7). Most of the kayaks ran the rapid after ‘scouting’ from the river. This turned out to be the case for nearly all the rapids, as well as the rafts, after this one, following 2 quotes which pretty much summed up our river running: ‘it’s alright I can see the bottom’ (Jason Cathers) and ‘hey diddle diddle, straight down the middle (Nelbert)! All joking aside we felt that we could run the Colorado this way, and it helped save a good amount of time. The 20’s were a blast. We pulled into Redwall Cavern for a look, and spent around 20 minutes here.

The vast Redwall Cavern

Sunday January 4^th

Nautiloid Camp (RM 35) – Carbon Canyon (RM 65), 30 miles

As this was a mostly flat day we made the plan to row hard, which meant we didn’t get time to really look at Nankoweap Granaries or the LCR, which looked very low on passing. Today was a little more cloudy but still generally sunny.

Monday January 5^th

Carbon Canyon (RM 65) – Cremation Camp (RM 87), 22 miles

Colm in Hance//the first 8!Yowser!!

The stunning scenery in the Canyon

We paddled 22 miles today, which meant we were 14 miles ahead of schedule. What a fun day: Hance, Sockdolager, Grapevine, Nevills, Unkar etc- all ran without any scouting, apart from at Hance, which was our first 8!A number of different lines were run at Hance, including left – left, left – centre – left and right – left. We planned on camping close to Phantom Ranch, as we were scheduled to pass there on 6^th January. We collected driftwood on river right about 1 mile or so back from Cremation Camp. We had some light rain on the evening whilst we were cooking and cloud overnight, which meant the temperatures were higher.

the fantastic lighting and colours of the Canyon walls...

...adding to the interplay of light and shadow...the moon rising over the Canyon...

Tuesday January 6^th

Cremation Camp (RM 87) – Camp @ 110 mile (RM 110.5), 23.5 miles

We pulled into Phantom Ranch around 9.30 and refilled our water containers first before paddling arguably the single best day on the river, taking in Horn Creek, Granite, Hermit, Crystal and various other 5’s and 6’s etc below Crystal. What an awesome day—Yowser (Nelbert!) Again, we didn’t scout any of these rapids, much to the surprise of a group of rafters scouting Crystal, especially as this was the first day rowing a raft for our second rafter! Kayakers scouted Crystal from the river. Both rafters powered through the top hole here! This was a cold night with some gear getting damp due to condensation etc. After today we were 15.5 miles ahead of schedule. The weather was back to being sunny, with a cold breeze.

Paraic entering Granite..what a day!!

Jupiter punching a wave in Granite

Jupiter taking on Crystal's hole...Yowser!!

Wednesday January 7^th

Camp @ 110 mile (RM 110.5) – Below Fossil (RM 126), 15.5 miles

Within the first hour we had passed the halfway mark in distance, and we had the rest of the day until we reached the half way mark in time. As we had passed halfway well in time, we took the opportunity to hike up Elves Chasm. We also made the plan, due in part to wanting to dry some gear out, of stopping earlier and in a camp that had good winter sun in the afternoon; hence we planned to stop below Fossil. We made camp around 2 pm, allowing us plenty of time to chill out, hang gear out in the sun for a few hours and to wash in the river in the sun (very important!) Some people went for a hike towards Fossil Canyon. As we had now made half way in time as well I revised the average miles per day for the next 5 days to 19 miles+ 5 for the take out day.

Thursday January 8^th

Below Fossil Camp (RM 126) – Lower Ledges (RM 152), 26 miles

This was another exciting day on the river, which included me flipping the second raft at Bedrock, after hitting the rock and not making the right hand line. Oh well as Jupiter (our raft guide) said there are two kinds of raft guides: those who have flipped and those who are waiting to flip…now I have graduated to the first category! After flipping we both swam down the left line, where some of the kayakers were getting worked and soon had the raft rescued on river left. We didn’t lose any gear and just blew 1 D ring. After Bedrock it was good to raft Duebendorff, Spectre, Upset etc. This was quite a cold day, when out of the sun, with a cold headwind.

Friday January 9^th

Lower Ledges (RM 152) – Fern Glen (RM 168), 16 miles

As we were making good time we decided to have a shorter, more relaxed day and pulled into Havasu Canyon for an exploration, for about 1 hour or so. We made camp around 2.30 pm so had time to relax at camp etc.

Havasu Canyon

Saturday January 10^th

Fern Glen (RM 168) – Whitmore Camp (RM 188), 20 miles

Mark approaching Lava

This was the big day of Lava Falls, and I decided to raft to get the flip at Bedrock totally off my back! We also decided to look for a good camp with winter sun in the afternoon and good hiking as we had planned to take the following morning off for hiking or resting. The pictographs close to the camp were also a factor in this decision. Both rafts scouted Lava for the right line, as did most of the kayaks. A couple of kayaks scouted the rapid from a last, boily eddy on river right and with directions from those on shore made the right hand line, with various levels of success. One kayaker somehow decided to run a central line and got swallowed up by the right side of the Ledge Hole for a short time before being spat out upside down. A quick roll later and bottom was reached to much relief! Both rafts made it down upright but wet..Yowser! We refilled some of our water containers at a spring around RM 214. We made camp around 3.00 pm and hiked a short distance to the pictographs.

On top of the waves...

Head down for the wave...

Lava here we come...

lining up the raft for Lava..Yowser!!

Jupe hitting the top of Lava

About to hit the top waves before the bigguns' lower down..fun!fun!fun!

Sunday January 11^th

Whitmore Camp (RM 188) – 202 Mile Camp (RM 202), 14 miles

Again the weather was sunny and we took the morning off to hike the Whitmore Trail up to the top; this was well worth it. A few of the group stayed in the camp for a rest. We finally left camp around 12.30 pm and made camp around 3.30 pm.

Monday January 12^th

202 Mile Camp (RM 202) – 220 Mile Camp, Upper (RM 220), 18 miles

This was our last full day on the river, so we wanted to make camp reasonably early to relax and get a last hike in, and leave a short / quick 6 miles to Diamond Creek in the morning. We had another rafter flip the raft in 209 Mile Rapid in the big wave at the bottom! This resulted in a lost water container, but again the rescue on river right was reasonably quick. We stopped at Pumpkin Spring for around 30 minutes, although nobody decided on taking a dip! We made camp around 2.00 pm and took the opportunity to wash in the river, have a quick swim and dry gear as the sun was warm. Some of us then hiked up out of the back of the camp, up onto the ‘bench’ and back down to camp via 220 Mile Canyon- an excellent hike with stunning views

Tuesday January 13^th

220 Mile Camp, Upper (RM 220) – Diamond Creek (RM 226), 6 miles

A sad morning in many ways, as it meant this was our last few hours on the river before taking out at Diamond Creek, de-rigging and getting shuttled back to Flagstaff. We pulled into the take out ramp at Diamond Creek at 10.30 am to be met by Moenkopi Riverworks , right on schedule.

Overall this was a fantastic experience and very humbling to be able to experience this awe inspiring Canyon from a boat. It is a place and a journey I am already mentally planning for, and hoping that I will get the opportunity to experience again, before too long. Even though the time frame was short we did the best we possibly could with hiking and exploring and paddling; although next time I would love to be able to spend a few more days in the Canyon so as to be able to do more hiking, as well as relaxing in a beautiful campsite for a day or so.

Winter trips through the Canyon are fantastic. Although cold in the shade and over night, the weather is very manageable and there are plenty of daylight hours for paddling and still getting to camp and having plenty of light left to set up camp and cook etc. We even had the time for a few short days. It is important, for morale, to find some camps in the winter with good sunlight in the afternoon, as well as being able to light a fire every night, so good camps with driftwood are a must; or failing that collection of driftwood from other areas before making camp should be done. Another plus to doing the trip in the winter is that it is much quieter along the river and there are no concerns about camping where you planned to camp; anytime you do meet another group it is great for a chat etc.

This trip would not have been possible without the help of Moenkopi Riverworks, so thanks a million to Brady Black and crew.

One of the numerous side canyons entering the Grand Canyon...Deer Creek