Keith and I are up around 7:00, eat, and start up the trail to the Nankoweap granaries.  This is a steep climb and is fairly strenuous.

	Keith part way up the climb 10-12-2009 @ 8:49

     It takes about a half-hour to get to the top.  There is mild exposure at the top of the trail and on the ledges just below the granaries.  I was hoping to get some great pictures with both the granaries and the Colorado river in the frame, but the sun is shining directly into my camera lens making it impossible to take any pictures looking down river.  Bummer.  That means I'm going to have to climb up here again this afternoon when the sun is behind this cliff and at our back.  I really didn't need that additional exercise.

Nankoweap granaries 10-12-2009 @ 9:03	Nankoweap granaries 10-12-2009 @ 9:03	Keith at the granaries 10-12-2009 @ 9:09

     Keith and I decide to explore some out on the ridge above our campsite.  We descend from the granaries and take the fork in the trail leading to the ridge.  We find what appear to be base stones for some Puebloan ruins.

Puebloan ruins 10-12-2009 @ 9:44	Puebloan ruins 10-12-2009 @ 9:44	Puebloan ruins 10-12-2009 @ 9:44

     We take a different route back to camp.  On the way, we find some interesting material on a rock.  It has a very black volcanic rock look to it and is stuck tight to the underlying rock.  We wonder if these got spewed out from an old volcano.  There is some cryptobiotic soil nearby that your should avoid walking on.

Volcanic matter on a rock 10-12-2009 @ 9:47	Cryptobiotic soil 10-12-2009 @ 9:50

     Back at camp we see some Park Service rafts at the other side of the River sampling the water.  A hiker we meet at Nankoweap Creek tomorrow told us the Park Service was doing some kind of water survey.

Park Service rafts 10-12-2009 @ 10:20	Park Service rafts 10-12-2009 @ 1:19

     After resting a while and having lunch, I head back up to the granaries.  Keith is having none of that and decides to use the satellite phone to call his wife.  The sun is now behind this cliff and allows me to take some great pictures of the granaries and the Colorado River flowing a pretty green color.  Just as I am getting ready to start down, a private raft group is pulling into the rafter's beach.

Nankoweap granaries 10-12-2009 @ 2:13	Nankoweap room 10-12-2009 @ 2:17	Nankoweap granaries 10-12-2009 @ 2:14

Nankoweap granaries 10-12-2009 @ 2:18	Below the Nankoweap granaries 10-12-2009 @ 2:18	Rafters pulling into camp 10-12-2009 @ 2:21

     I meet up with Keith at the bottom and we walk back to camp.  A little later we decide to go over and visit the rafters.  Who knows, maybe we'll score a beer.  On the way over, we watch one of the guys from the rafting group make his way from the Nankoweap granaries over to a couple of small openings in the cliff face.  That's pretty gutsy and looks down right dangerous to me.

A bold rafter 10-12-2009 @ 3:53	A bold rafter 10-12-2009 @ 3:54	A bold rafter 10-12-2009 @ 3:54

       It's a little farther over to the rafter's beach than it looks.  The walk was worth it as this is a very friendly group of people who immediately hand us a beer.  SWEET.  They are from Salt Lake City and Denver and dress up each night in different outfits.  Tonight is Vikings night and they have the Viking wooden game, Kubb, set up in the sand.  One of the ladies displays her Viking hat for us.

Raft group 10-12-2009 @ 4:43	One of the friendly rafters 10-12-2009 @ 4:44

     After chatting a while and drinking our beer, we say goodbye to our rafting friends and head back to camp.  Standing on a log where we have been filtering water is a Great Blue Heron.

	Great Blue Heron 10-12-2009 @ 4:58

     Just after we arrive back at camp, I think I hear some radio music.  No, it really sounds more like bongo drums.  The next thing we see is another group of private rafts, bongo drum playing and all, pull into the beach directly next to us to make camp.  This could be a bad sign for us tonight.  Tomorrow we are heading back up Nankoweap Creek to hunt for some Petroglyphs and to spend the night there.

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