Continuing down the river

I figure it is about time to finish talking about the river. Since I have been home from the Grand Canyon, I have concentrated on the yard and the huge amount of weeds growing there. Kathleen and her friend were hosting a bridal shower for Lindsey and the location was to be in my weed infested back yard. After many hours of weeding and trimming, the yard was ready. The bridal shower will have to be another topic, maybe tomorrow.
Continuing down the river... the second day we were a little better prepared for the extreme temperatures. We went down a rapid called Surprise Rapid, and boy did I have a surprise! My hands held onto the raft, but my legs went flying. The rain gear does no good at all when the water is directly poured down your leg starting at your foot. After lunch we went to the "Little Colorado". What a wonderful place. This water was a light bluish-teal color. Not only was this river beautiful, but the water was warm. This river reminded me of some of the hot pots found in Yellowstone. We swam in this river for about an hour. We would start up stream a little and float down the current. What a ride!
After spending part of the a day at the Little Colorado, we pulled into camp. Bedtime came about 9:00. There was a full moon and plenty of stars to look at. I wish that I had brought my star chart.
The third day on the river was called "rapid day." We went through rapids that were ranked from 2's to 10's. My favorite rapid was called "Hermit." Hermit is a number 10 rapid. It was intense when we sat up front on the tubes. One of the largest and most dangerous rapids was shortly after Hermit. This rapid is known throughout the world as one of the best/worst rapid. Crystal. This rapid has a huge hole after you drop about 8 feet and it is close to the canyon wall. Our raft made it through Crystal just fine, I rode on the tubes and had a great time. The other raft didn't have it as easy as we did. They hit the wall, which shifted the metal frame on the boat and punctured one of the pontoons. After a day of rapids and a rock climbing adventure to a place called "clear creek", we were all exhausted. We ended up stopping for the night at a small campsite which had a sandbar right on the beach. The river guides used this sand bar to make repairs. This was a small, hot campsite. It felt as is we were in an oven.
The next day, (day 4) was called "waterfall day." We hiked to a place called "Shinamoo Wash." This was a pretty waterfall with cold water. After the hike, it was refreshing to stand under the waterfall and cool off. After a few rapids we went to a slot canyon called Black Tail. This was a wonderful place with narrow canyon sides. This placed looked as if someone had cut out parts of the canyon walls. The contrast between the red canyon walls and the blue sky was incredible. The next water fall was called "Black Creek". I think it should have been named "Massage waterfall". This was a great waterfall that gently massaged my sore, tired muscles. After our hikes we got back on the rafts and headed down the river. We went through a rapid named "Spector." It was a good thing I had a good back hand grip on this rapid because my right hand, which was holding on to the rope, slipped off. That was a scary second or two as I struggled to get my hand under the rope while going through this rather large rapid.
On the first hike of the day, we had our first injury of the trip. Good thing we had a doctor aboard who was able to take care of him.
I think that all of the hiking and the tiredness of the day before started to wear on me. My legs got really sun burnt and I probably should have had more water to drink . Being grumpy and having a headache is a sign that you are not drinking enough water. If that is true, I should probably have a glass of water in my hand at all times.
The next day we all got up at 5:00 am and ate a quick breakfast of cereal, bagels, and yogurt. We jumped on the boats and hit a few rapids where you had to "suck rubber." This is were you have to bend down really low while riding the tubes. We hiked to "Deer Creek." This was a really hard hike that gains elevation really quickly. It is also very narrow with no room to trip or slid. The hike was difficult but well worth it. We hiked up to a place call the patio. The water was clear and the canyon walls looked as if they had been carefully carved. It was beautiful.
In the afternoon, we went to my favorite spot in the Grand Canyon. Havasu Falls. The hike was hard at first but it leveled out as it got closer to the falls. We swam in the pools near the falls for about an hour or so. I could have stayed there all day.
Floating down the river gives the passengers an opportunity to get to know each other. We heard some great stories as we traveled down the river. We met people from New York, Washington State, Washington DC, Tennessee, Georgia, Texas, and Utah.
For our last night on the river we had a Toga party. This was fun. Most people wrapped their sheets around them and posed for pictures. My children of course were humiliated as I tied my sheet around my shoulder and wore my crown that I made out of vines. Sarah did not dress up, She mostly hid.
Our last day on the river was fun. Joe and I had started a game the second day of the trip where we would pick a word and take turns coming up with songs that had that word in it. It was fun when the whole group played along. We entertained ourselves for a few hours that way. We took a short hike to scope out our last number 10 rapid, "Lava Falls." This was an intense rapid and we all made it through without any trouble.
After a while we made our way to the helicopter pad and flew up to the rim of the Grand Canyon. After a short stop at Bar 10 ranch, we jumped on a small plane and headed back to Marble Canyon. This was a bumpy, hot flight. I was glad that I had my motion sickness patch on. The drive home was full of conversation of our adventures on the river.
Since I have been home, I have enjoyed my own bed, flushing toilets, and warm showers.
We had such a good time on the Colorado River. I will miss the scenery, the white water rapids, the friends that I made, and the relaxing time. As I reflect back on the trip, I think of the song"How Great Thou Art."
O Lord my God, When I in awesome wonder,
Consider all the worlds Thy Hands have made;
I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder,
Thy power throughout the universe displayed.

Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art.
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art!

When through the woods, and forest glades I wander,
And hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees.
When I look down, from lofty mountain grandeur
And see the brook, and feel the gentle breeze.

Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art.
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art!