446 Days to Go - Navajo Bridge

TL Report: I did some housekeeping for the trip this week. I made a tentative decision on going with Moenkopi Riverworks for our fud/equipment/lodging, read a couple of trip reports and had a lot of fun checking out Amanda Gettler's GC photos from her trip two weeks ago. Stevie Leibig (one of our boatmen) and I also discussed eliminating most of the dutch oven cooking as it will be hot already and probably miserable cooking dinner/desert with the DO. So deserts will probably be more pre-made stuff like brownies, cookies, no bake cheesecake and the like. Dinners will be made over the propane stove. I'd rather be hiking than spending 3 hrs in the kitchen, anyway.

What the Grand Canyon Private Boaters Assoc has been chatting about this week: Alot. this is a very active forum and they don't pull their punches. Conversation over the last week was centered on the One Trip A Year (OTAY) rule the NPS has for private trips. Basically you can only be on one trip down the Colorado River thru Grand Canyon a year. This is HOT topic among GC private river runners and the Commercial Outfitters. Apparently the NPS was about to rescind the OTAY part of the Colorado River Management Plan solely for the unclaimed winter trip second chance lottery. So, if you had gone on the river during the summer and wanted to do another trip, you'd be allowed to enter the lottery for unclaimed winter trips. However, despite support from the GC private boater community, the commercial river runner lobby requested it be shelved, This is exactly what happed, three days before the NPS was supposed to make the announcement OTAY would be eliminated. This led to alot of commentary about the unconstitutional tyranny the NPS rains down upon private boaters. High drama in that sector. Considering this only affects 1% of boaters, this seems a little overdramatic, but to each his own. There was also alot of posting on scorpion bites. It turns out you can bring a UV or blacklight flashlight to certain camps and the scorpions glow a neon green. I've only seen one scorpion on the canyon during my first trip, but I wasn't looking for them either. Apparently the bite is pretty unpleasant, so closed toe shoes are a good idea in camp. Nothing really works to repel them, so using a tarp to sleep on, and only putting out your sleeping gear right before bed is key to avoiding a bite. Using a cot is another solution if you are concerned. Cots are supposed to help with the heat also.

Mileage This Week: River Mile 4 to 6: On river left at river mile 4.0, there is a small side tributary entering the canyon. The lower end of the debris fan is a popular lunch spot. Now is a good time to start picking up any bits of trash we might find. It's a good habit to get into, not only at lunch but at every stop. At river mile 4.5 we will cross under the Navajo Bridges. These brides are 470 feet above the Colorado River. The upstream bridge was opened in 1929 at a cost of $385,000, the downstream bridge was opened in 1995 and cost $15 million. This is the last car crossing until Hoover Dam, 350 miles downstream. Wow.

Here's a great photo from Amanda's trip. On their way to Lee's Ferry to rig, they stopped and took this pix from the Navajo Bridge. Turns out to be of a trip that launched one day ahead of them that they met up with on the river. Yes, those specks are tiny rafts.

At river mile 5.0, the Coconino Sandstone appears at river level, then at river mile 5.1, the Hermit Shale appears below the Sandstone. Imagine standing there 280 million years ago, you would see a tree checked savannah at or near sea level. On River Left is the Navajo Indian Reservation, ergo the name of the bridges.

Sixmile Camp is located at river mile 5.9 and is another lunch spot for us to consider.

GC History: In 1869, Major John Wesley Powell, a Civil War veteran who had lost his right arm in the Battle of Shiloh, led the first voyage to explore the Grand Canyon. Until then, the Canyon appeared on maps of the West as a mysterious void. Powell's expedition was the last great exploration within the continental United States. What started as a scientific expedition turned into a harrowing adventure through some of the roughest and most beautiful country in America. Powell and the majority of this crew survived famine, mutiny, and some of the most dangerous rapids known to man. His journal, "The Exploration of the Colorado River and Its Canyons" is fascinating reading when youre in GC, and I highly recommend picking up a copy to read on the river.

August 5, 1869 - "With some feeling of anxiety we enter a new canyon this morning. We have learned to observe closely the texture of the rock. In softer strata we have a quiet river, in harder we find rapids and falls. Below us are the limestones and hard sandstones which we found in Cataract Canyon. This bodes of toil and danger." Powell Report

Equipment Check: PFDs or personal floatation devices or just plan lifejackets. The NPS has got regulations out the wazoo for PFDs and they are dead serious about inspection. At the put-in the NPS ranger will scrutinize each PFD. Here's what the trip regulations say about PFDs: "Each participant MUST have a serviceable U.S. Coast Guard approved personal flotation device (PFD) Type I, III or V. One extra PFD must be carried for every 10 persons on the trip. These PFDs must be maintained in good and serviceable condition in compliance with the USCG standards AND MUST BE WORN AND FASTENED PROPERLY AT ALL TIMES WHILE ON THE RIVER. All PFDs must have a USCG approved label stating the PFD is designed for whitewater rafting, canoeing, sailing and/or kayaking. GENERAL BOATING OR SKI VESTS ARE PROHIBITED. The PFDs may not have any holes, rips, tears, broken buckets and/or broken zippers."

This means:

• No rips, no cords (like prusiks), or even whistles on your PFD
• No broken anything (buckles, zippers, non factory sewing) on your PFD
• All PFDs must be for rafting, not skiing, and be type I, III or V
• your PFD label must clearly state the above (if you can't read it, it will fail) 
• You need to wear your PFD AT ALL TIMES on the river. Period. 

Next Deadline: $100 deposit per person due on May 1, 2010. Also tell me if you are doing a full or half trip, and if half, which half, Lee's Ferry to Phantom Ranch, or Phantom Ranch to Diamond Creek

Comments, questions, concerns? Use the comment link and I'll post you back.