75 Days To Go - National

Limestone patio at National Canyon




What the Grand Canyon forums are chatting about this week: Check out the nesting Eagles below. The link showed up on the GCPBA forum, and my family and I have been watching them for a week.
If you can't see it below, go directly to the website, these Bald Eagle parents and hatchlings are amazing.
http://www.raptorresource.org/falcon_cams/index.html













National Canyon



Mileage This Week: River Mile 166-167. At river mile 167, we will make camp 14 at National Canyon. After a dinner of Spaghetti and meatballs, we can hike up this side canyon about a 1/2 mile to some fine limestone patios, running water and deep shade in the summer. This is a long canyon running almost 20 miles up to the rim. We will need to be careful of hiking here due to the risk of flash flooding.  

In the morning it's a breakfast of pancakes and Canadian Sausage. Relish it , it's one of the few hot breakfasts we have on this trip!

Limestone curves-Nat'l Canyon



Mouth of Nat'l Canyon





J.W. Powell



GC History: At this point on Powell's first expedition he wrote:

"Our rations are still spoiling; the bacon is so badly injured that we throw it away. We now have only musty flour sufficient for ten days and a few dried apples, but plenty of coffee... We may be compelled to give up the expedition."                               -Powell Report, August 1867

Equipment/Camp/Info Check: Yellow backed Spiny Lizard.

Spiny Lizard

DESCRIPTION: A large (up to 5.6" from snout to vent), stocky lizard with large, pointed, keeled, overlapping scales. Base coloration is gray, tan, or brown. The back is a uniform yellow or tan grading into darker gray-brown on the sides. Yellow or orange scales are sporadically scattered on the sides of the body. A black wedge shape marks each shoulder. Males have two large, bright, blue-green patches on the belly and a blue-green patch on the throat. Belly and throat patches are faint or absent in females.



DISTRIBUTION: The Yellow-backed Spiny Lizard ranges across northwestern Arizona at elevations ranging from about 500' to about 5,000'.

HABITAT: The Yellow-backed Spiny Lizard is found in desertscrub. It is often encountered along riparian corridors. It basks on the branches of trees or on fence posts, wood piles, boulders, rock piles, and packrat nests.

BEHAVIOR: This diurnal lizard is often heard before it is seen as it scratches and claws the tree-bark en route to the opposite side of the trunk or branch. It flees down into the inner tangles of pack rat nests, rock crevices, or burrows when threatened. It has strong jaws and often bites when captured.

DIET: Prey consists of a variety of insects including ants, beetles, and caterpillars. It also feeds on spiders, centipedes, small lizards, and some plant material.