I'm slowly getting used to that 5:15 wakeup call for coffee. Our crew fixes us another great breakfast of bacon and eggs. Jake then takes us on a day hike to some Petroglyphs on a stone called the "Birthing Chair." The etchings are incredible and quite detailed.
On the way back to camp, we pass more interesting flowers.
I have not been paying close enough attention to where we are and nearly miss pointing out the Papago rock slide to Keith. He and I will be hiking the Escalante Route next spring and have to climb over that, something that not only is extremely strenuous, but puts fear into every hiker's heart. I've passed that section three times before, but only had to climb it once. The other two times I was lucky enough to hitch a ride on a raft past it. We make the run through Hance Rapids, named for the first permanent resident of the Grand Canyon, John Hance, but one of the many rocks there damages our motor. Jake and Carolyn go about the task of replacing the broken motor with our spare one.
Our next stop is on the beach below the Kaibab Suspension Bridge to allow a visit to Phantom Ranch. Although I have been there many times on my Canyon hikes, I never tire of getting their one-of-a-kind T-shirt and mailing some postcards stamped with their famous red "Mailed by Mule Team" stamp. Keith points out a grave site for one of the mule hands that I hadn't noticed before. Keith and I get our picture taken at the door to Phantom Ranch, then it's back to the beach for lunch.
The cactus are all in bloom and are simply beautiful.
Our crew fixes another great lunch of roast beef, turkey, and ham sandwiches. The passengers from our sister ship who were dropped off today stop by for food also. They will be hiking out tomorrow after spending the night at Phantom Ranch. After lunch, Susan takes a short dip in the cold water.
I give a brief explanation to the group of how the Kaibab Suspension and Silver Suspension Bridges came to be. We are a little behind schedule, so Carolyn really motors our way west of Phantom Ranch and through the "Gems" section, the area between Boucher Rapids and Bass Rapids where many of the side canyons are named for precious stones (Ruby, Turquoise, Sapphire, Topaz, Emerald). Boucher Rapids is named for Louis Boucher, often referred to as the Hermit of Grand Canyon, and Bass Rapids is named for William Wallace Bass. She successfully makes the run through Crystal Rapids, one of the toughest in the Canyon. Her skill at driving the boat, affectionately called the "White Whale" by Jake, has been obvious the entire trip. Jake explains the time last summer when his raft got stuck on the "Rock Garden" at Crystal Rapids and they had to spend the entire night there on the boat until the Park Service could free them the next day. We discover that we lost all our buckets going through Crystal Rapids, but a little ingenuity will get us by. We stop for the night just before Bass Rapids on a small sand beach named Parkins. The hundred year old inscription on the stone wall explains the name.
I found out on my last raft trip that all this black rock next to our campsite has been absorbing heat all day and will now be radiating it back toward us, so I pick a sleeping spot away from the rock. Supper tonight is chicken, corn, mashed potatoes, and carrot cake. Rachel and I play a joke on Kate by telling her that Rachel's grandmother baked all the evening deserts, a ruse we maintain the rest of the trip. MAIN INDEX | HIKING INDEX | BACK TO DAY 2 | FORWARD TO DAY 4
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