12 Days To Go - Night Float, Delgadillo's, Flagstaff



The last stop before returning to Flagstaff: Route 66's funky Delgadillo's Snowcap


TL Report: We're packed and ready to go... and pretty darn excited. Two more days of work in ATL then home for a night's sleep and off we go at 5am for the drive West.



Here's the front,
 the back is a surprise.

 MOE says they have received four bags from our group. Just FYI.

The GC Tshirts came out great! Girl shirts for girls, boy shirts for boys.

Welcome to last minute substitution Colleen Davis, a friend of Kathy and Don's. We are delighted you are joining us!


Here's the NPS's video for Diamond Down.

Rigged up for the night float

Mileage This Week: The Night Float from Separation Canyon (River mile 240) to the Pearce Ferry take out (River Mile 280).
After making dinner at Separation Canyon, we will rig the rafts together and float the remaining miles across Lake Mead to the Pearce Ferry take out. With Lake Mead so low, we will have current the entire way and a full moon to enjoy as we transition out of the canyon. We will sleep on the rafts with 2 people manning the oars in shifts to keep our floatilla off the shore or any trees. If we time it right, we should see the sun rise as we reach the Grand Wash Cliffs, a spectacular site which marks the end of the Grand Canyon. Imagine how Powell felt when he saw them, knowing he'd survived his epic journey.

Areial shot of Pearce Ramp

We should reach the new Pearce Ferry take out about 7am, where Moenkopi will be waiting for us to de rig the rafts and load up the trip.



Pearce Ferry



We will all want to hike down from the ramp to see the epic Pearce Ferry rapid, about 1/2 mile downstream. Just to be clear, we are not running this rapid. As the water level for Lake Mead has dropped, this rapid has gone from bad to worse. It is now considered unnavigable.

End of trip pix at Delgadillo's

On the way back to Flagstaff, it is a tradition to stop at Delgadillo's SnowCap restaurant in Seligman, AZ. This place is really fun and is a must stop for any trip reentering society!



Behind Delgadillo's Snow Cap Drive-In, Seligman, Arizona in Arizona


Finally, after about a 4 hour trip, Moenkopi will drop us off at the Monte Vista Hotel in downtown Flag where we can shower, eat non-camping food, and "plug" ourselves back into the world (sigh). Everyone on the trip is staying here, so after a scrub, we will all go out to dinner to celebrate a wonderful adventure completed.

In the morning, several of us are headed off to Arches and Yellowstone NP for another couple weeks. Several others are flying directly home.

GC History: Lake Mead is the largest reservoir in the United States. It is located on the Colorado River about 30 mi  southeast of Las Vegas, Nevada, in the states of Nevada and Arizona. Formed by water impounded by the Hoover Dam, it extends 112 miles behind the dam.

No water is present near a no fishing sign (above) and boats in dry dock near the Lake Mead Marina in the Lake Mead National Recreation Area, Nevada.

Due to the prolonged drought in the West, and increased water demand spurred by explosive population growth in the Southwest has caused the water level at Lake Mead, which supplies water to Las Vegas, Arizona and Southern California, to drop over 100 feet to its lowest level since the 1960s. In June 2010, the lake had dropped to 39 percent of its capacity, and on Nov. 30, 2010 it reached 1,081.94 ft setting a new record low threatening Hoover Dam's ability to generate power.  

The National Park Service has been forced to close or extend boat launch ramps, and move entire marinas to try to keep up with the receding water levels. Because the water at the lake isn't being replenished as fast as it's being used, water managers are now working to come up with plans to combat the effects of continued population growth, drought and a dwindling supply of water from the Colorado River due to climate change. 

Generous snowfall this winter (2010-2011) has resulted in increased inflow to Lake Powell (above Lee's Ferry) which has resulted in our higher river levels for June and July, and a subsequent increase in the level of Lake Mead.  While the increased water inflow has provided a stop-gap measure for power generation at Hoover Dam, Lake Mead's declining water level is a crisis situation for the 6 Western states that rely on this reservoir for their water.

Info Check: Ok, just for a good laugh, here is a cheesy video of a jet boat run up Pearch Ferry rapid in 2010. Check out how much the rapid has changed from the above video in just one year. Doubtful if they could get a jet boat up it in 2011. Gotta love the "Top Gun" music, reminds me of the 80's.