Nankoweap

MILE 53

Once we had set up camp, most of us headed off towards the Anasazi granaries up in the base of the Redwall, maybe 500' above the river. Greg led Devon and Ben on a fast-paced no break jog to the top - I struggled up five (maybe 10) minutes later huffing and puffing. Eventually we all found our way to the ledges in the amphitheater below the old ruins (which have been rehabbed a little) and listened to more stories. The view down the river was perfect - and familiar - as it is probably one of the more photographed and painted scenes in the canyon.

Lower Nankoweap

MILE 53.5

Our camp was just below Nankoweap on river right, with great views of the long, straight reach of canyon downstream.

Chicken tonight for dinner. And more stories of Death in the Grand Canyon by Dr. Tom.

Dinosaur

MILE 50

We had lunch after the Saddle Canyon hike before moving on down the river towards Nankoweap. Dinosaur Camp is at Mile 50 and although we didn't stop, it is my best approximation of where these photos were taken.

There were lots of reasons for choosing an oar-powered trip, but I admit that seeing the periodic motor trips heading by (one or two boats each, one or two a day) convinced me that our choice was a good one. I'm sure it's still fun, but all those folks piled up with their gear, so high above the river, with the constant drone of the outboard, wasn't as appealing as the row boats.

Saddle Canyon

MILE 47

Saddle Canyon is on river right, with a large alluvial fan at its base. We hiked up and across the talus above the fan before dropping back down to the well-vegetated canyon floor. The trail ended, for us at least, at a 20' waterfall and small pool at the head of the slot canyon. This was a great side trip for desert botany - cactus, agave, acacia, and cryptogamic soils.

Point Hansborough

MILE 44

Just below Buck Farm the river takes a very long meandering loop east around Point Hansborough, cutting through a beautiful section of gray Muav Limestone (with the redwall towering above it). The easternmost bend of the river (at President Harding Rapid) is at Eminence Break, where faulting has broken the continuity of the big cliff-forming units enough to allow some semblance of a trail from one rim to the other.

Just above the bend, and way above the river, you can see a wooden footbridge across a cleft in the cliff face - attributed to the Anasazi and if so, an amazing testament both to how long wood lasts in this dry environment and to the surefootedness and tenacity of the canyon's early human inhabitants! (Unfortunately, I didn't get any pictures of the Eminence Break area).

Buck Farm

MILE 41

We ended Day 2 at the base of Buck Farm Canyon on river right.

Grilled halibut for dinner - not locally caught, one assumes.