Below Bedrock

MILE 132

After Blacktail, we spent the afternoon running a series of fun, if not enormous rapids, including Forster and Fossil and Buttsucker (or at least that's what we called it - I'm not sure which one it was - maybe 128-Mile?). Specter was a great ride. Bedrock was a little tense.

We camped just below Bedrock on river right. The next morning, Greg read "Messing about in Boats" from Wind in the Willows. The setting is completely different, but the story was a perfect fit for our trip.

Blacktail Canyon

MILE 120

Our second side hike of the day was up Blacktail Canyon. Blacktail is cut into Tapeats Sandstone, but bottoms out in the Schist, so the unconformity is well-displayed at eye level.

The unconformity consists of horizontal sandstone layers (a mere half a billion years old) sitting directly on top of 1.5 billion year old metamorphic rocks. The sandstone is basically the preserved fossil beaches that washed across the eroded schist during an ancient period of rising sea level. The lowest layers of the Tapeats contain big chunks of the underlying rocks, including large pieces of vein quartz. I tried to picture myself sitting on that rocky shoreline, watching the waves roll the gravel around.

Maybe there is something about a missing billion years of geologic history that adds something mysterious or spiritual to this place. We all gathered in the quiet canyon bottom while Greg told a eery story about nightime in the canyon - it wasn't hard to imagine the drumming. And I'm sort of glad we didn't camp here.

Elves Chasm

MILE 116.5

This is one of those classic canyon side trips - short hike from the river and a great waterfall. And a pool deep enough for swimming and jumping.

Walthenberg

MILE 113

The first big rapid of Day 8 was Walthenberg, which we scouted. It's a beautiful morning - nice light and not too hot yet.

We're riding in Jamie's boat today. This was his birthday - the toucan hat was a gift.

Bass Camp

MILE 109

We pulled into Lower Bass Camp on river right by 1pm, giving folks the afternoon to explore. The more ambitious members of the group hiked up to Bass's historic camp, but D and I decided to take it easy and let our feet soak in Shinumu Creek (a short boat ride downstream). The idea of shade was appealing to us whimpy northwesterners.