Breakfast this morning is Mexican scrambled eggs and ham.  There is a lot of excitement just after breakfast as a family of four Big Horn Sheep casually walk the cliffs right above our campsite.  They appear to have no concerns about our presence.

Bighorn Sheep above our camp 5-7-2009 @ 6:46	Bighorn Sheep above our camp 5-7-2009 @ 6:47

     We load the boat and get away around 7:30.

	Loading the boat 5-7-2009 @ 7:00

     About an hour later, we notice an Osprey sitting on a rock and then flying above us.  In short order, he appears with a fish in his grasp.  He has the fish positioned with its head pointed forward to make it have the least amount of aerodynamic drag.

Osprey sitting on a rock 5-7-2009 @ 8:41	Osprey in flight 5-7-2009 @ 8:42

     Our first stop today is Havasu Creek.  Carolyn displays more of her great driving skills by taking our big boat through Havasu Rapids backwards so we are positioned correctly to dock by some rock ledges at the side.  That allows the smaller boats and rafts to dock in Havasu Creek itself.  My daughter and I hiked down to Havasu Canyon three years ago and saw the Village of Supai, Havasu Falls, Navajo Falls, Mooney Falls, and Beaver Falls, but did not hike the final three miles to the Colorado River.  It is nice to get to see this area again coming up from the river.  The water in Havasu Creek has that same beautiful blue-green color we saw on day two at the Little Colorado River.

Havasu Rapids 5-7-2009 @ 9:32	Havasu Creek 5-7-2009 @ 9:48	Havasu Creek 5-7-2009 @ 9:52

     About an hour after docking, this place is starting to look like Grand Central Station with all the big rafts tied up here.  I meet Bianca, the third crew member of my previous raft trip.  She now works for a different raft company.

	Rafts at Havasu Rapids 5-7-2009 @ 10:42

     Back on the boat, we go just downstream a couple of miles and stop for lunch at mile 158.  Tuna salad is the meal today.  After lunch, we float by a colorful oar party that has already made camp for the day.

A colorful oar raft party 5-7-2009 @ 1:24	A colorful oar raft party 5-7-2009 @ 1:24

     We pass Vulcan's Anvil, a large volcanic remnant, in the middle of the river at mile 178, just above Lava Rapids, one of the hardest rapids in the Canyon.  Jake makes a great run through the rapids and proclaims that was his best yet.  From this point on, we see more and more lava flows.  Many display very unique and interesting shapes.  One area has some long, pipe-like lava flows called Basalt Columnar Jointing.

Vulcan's Anvil 5-7-2009 @ 2:49	Lava flows 5-7-2009 @ 3:36

Basalt Columnar Jointing 5-7-2009 @ 3:56	Basalt Columnar Jointing 5-7-2009 @ 3:56	Lava flows 5-7-2009 @ 3:57

     We stop just upstream from our Whitmore campsite tonight to allow people to hike by some pictographs and end up at camp.  The pictographs are surprisingly well preserved.

Indian Pictographs 5-7-2009 @ 4:11	Indian Pictographs 5-7-2009 @ 4:11

     On the way to camp, we pass by some interesting plants and a rock with fossilized ant trails on it.

Ocotillo 5-7-2009 @ 4:19	Barrel Cactus 5-7-2009 @ 4:19	Fossilized ant trails 5-7-2009 @ 4:23

     In a little while, we come to some Cryptobiotic soil that you should avoid walking on. 

	Cryptobiotic soil 5-7-2009 @ 4:32

      Our Whitmore campsite is a large area with numerous individual sand camp spots.  Supper tonight is rib eye steak, corn, beans, and German chocolate cake.    

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