Grand Canyon

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July 1st 2005 Bill and myself finally get to go for a ride and take a raft trip down the Grand Canyon. We meet for breakfast and then took off about 9:00 from Houston on 290 towards Austin. It was 100°F in the shade when we got to Austin. 114° in the sun when we stopped in Llano for lunch. Hot riding into the sun. Finally call it quits in Big Spring, TX after only 446 miles.

After the storm last night the morning was cool for riding. We headed towards Clovis, NM. Stopped past there in Fort Sumner for lunch. Not much out this way but trains and Billy the Kids grave. I missed our turn out of Fort Sumner and stayed on 60 to Encino. Nothing out here. Then off towards Santa Fe then Pagoso Springs, Colorado where we spent the night. Nice above Santa Fe. About 578 miles today.

Now the last day. Very cool for 2 Houston boys. In the 50's this morning. Not really prepared for this. More nice ridding though as we head to Kayenta, AZ by way of 4 Corners. Stopped at the Navajo National Monument also. 1364 miles to Page, AZ.

Map of route to Page, AZ

	4 Corners

Anazazi ruins at Navajo Monument		Bill (near Kayenta, AZ)

Me	Loading up at Lees Ferry	Start of the trip

One of the first rapids	View from 1st night camp	Nice beach

Our camp would soon get wet	Typical evening camp	A fisherman catching trout

Getting ready for night	Billy making bagels for breakfast	Amy in the kitchen

One of the few aquifers left flowing	Troy -lead guide (Old man river - Bill would say)	Red Wall Cavern

View from Red Wall Cavern	Frisbee inside cavern	View from hike to see fossils

Another view	Fossils	Above camp site 2, Mile 52

Anazazi grainery	View from grainery	One of the longest views of the river

The Lower Colorado enters the canyon	Better than a swimming pool	Bill

Old miners home on the lower Colorado	Another rapid	Last camp at Cremation point (hot)

About 3 miles (out of 10) up the trail, still fresh		Almost to the top (too tired for more pictures)

Yes, the hike out was tough, the last 3 or 4 miles anyway. Very tough even though we had mules pack out our duffels the day before.

Diamond River guides were very good. I highly recommend them. Troy, Tex, Amy and Billy were our crew.

Never saw a cigarette butt or a gum wrapper until the hike out and there was a McDonalds cup about 100 yard from the top.

We wanted to make it home in less time. We left Page July 7, stopped at the meteor crater near Flagstaff and then all the way to Las Cruces, NM. 636 miles for that day.