September '00 Newsletter

Ever have a time when just when you thought you were caught up on everything, getting ready to kick back and relax, when all hell broke loose? We were feeling about like that recently. Suddenly one night, a squeal of tires and loud crash brought all of our kicking back plans to a screeching halt. A drunk driver being pursued by five squad cars missed our driveway and planted the front of his Ford in one of our tenant's living rooms. The good news is that 4-5 feet further north would have meant funeral plans for Ben who was sleeping with his head against that wall. The bad news is that it created a heck of a clean-up project. As of this writing, we are waiting for insurance adjusters and plugging holes for security and to keep the cold air from escaping. Never a dull moment!

Perhaps by the time this letter hits your mailbox you will be enjoying the changing autumn leaves and it will be cooling down a bit here in the Valley of the Sun. We have been struggling to keep our senses of humor and motivation in the heat and humidity of Phoenix's monsoon season. Cleaning, patching, and painting our apartment, while making minor repairs to our rental units has kept us busy indoors. Sneaking off to the heavily air-conditioned movies every so often has been a welcome respite. During the worst part of the heat, we were down to riding bikes on the canal bank a couple days a week to keep some modicum of fitness going. More recently, we have been adding in our 4-mile loops around Squaw Peak. Susan will start her city hike series in early October.

We now enjoy a DSL- Direct Service Line connection to the Internet through Qwest. It was a pain when we first got it, dropping our connection after anywhere from 8 seconds to 30 minutes. After too many hours on hold, we replaced our interior wiring and they replaced our exterior wiring. Just when we were starting to include the two service techs in our family plans, they finally discovered a bad modem, the source of our troubles. We're happy to report uninterrupted spans of two hours with the new connection now that it is working properly. Bob's latest upgrade, a 40-gigabyte hard drive has improved the speed of our computer significantly. He recently ordered a photo grade scanner and we guess the next acquisition will be the photo quality color printer we've been lusting after. The old MAC is finally going from a lonely spot in the back of our closet to Tennille's parents' home.

On the family front, Susan's August trip to Minnesota was a huge success. She saw everyone for at least a short time and spent a lot of time in the far north with her folks who remain active and healthy. Scott and Tennille are back in Tucson for the winter and have been up to visit. Bob's mom continues to thrive in a care facility close to us.

2000 Trip Reports:

Desolation & Gray Canyon Raft (6/27/00-7/4/00): Submitted by Fred Brown

We flew into Phoenix early to visit with Bob and Susan and help with some of the pre-trip work. Susan had done most of the shopping and packing already, but we did get to see how much effort goes into preparing a group raft trip. Packing the coolers and the perishables (purchased that morning), and loading the truck took the better part of the day before the trip. While we worked, it was great to catch-up with Bob and Susan, who we had not seen since the previous year's Middle Fork trip.

Monday, June 26, was spent driving from Phoenix to Green River, Utah. Bob and Susan drove a truck carrying Susan's 16' oared raft, Bob's 14.5' paddle raft, and the 16' oared raft that Cris and I rented in Flagstaff. Larry, Dee, Cris, and I rode together in Larry's car. The drive through Arizona and Utah traversed ecological zones ranging from desert to mountain pine forests. It was a great re-introduction to the Southwest for those of us who live in the upper Midwest.

The group of 15 was fully assembled on schedule at 9:00 a.m. John and Pam got the prize for longest trip, having driven from Virginia. Carl got the prize for most dubious trip, having done an over-night Greyhound from Las Vegas. We staged cars at the Swasey's takeout (about 10 miles north of Green River), then made the 4-hour shuttle to the Sand Wash put-in. The portion of the shuttle that traversed Nine-mile Canyon was very interesting as we made many stops for roadside petroglyphs. Some of the panels were very good. The portion of the shuttle above Sand Wash was through some of the most desolate country that I can remember seeing. A single pronghorn antelope was the only living thing that I saw for half an hour. We ate a quick lunch and started rigging boats prior to the shuttle drivers' departure. They spent a mosquito-free night camped at the Green River airport, and had the pleasure of a flight into the dirt landing strip above Sand Wash the next morning. The rest of us finished rigging the boats and then spent a few hours visiting before dinner. Cathy, the BLM ranger working the put-in, joined us for dinner. We had a pleasant evening until conceding the night to the mosquitoes. Cathy and the more experienced Deso-Gray rafters swore that this was a good mosquito year, the rest of us just swore.

The four rafts, including Neal's 17.5' oared boat, were ready for a quick departure. This was fortunate, because the first day was a long 18-mile row with little assistance from the river gradient. It was a great day, though, to get back into the pace of life on the river. For a desk-jockey like me, there is a primal need that is satisfied pulling at the oars under an empty sky on a river wandering through ancient rock canyons. The companionship of a few friends on a noiseless raft is a perfect accompaniment to the peace and serenity that surrounds you in a remote and unspoiled place like this. Several rousing water fights provided the excitement for the members or our trip who were in less need of quiet contemplation. Our camp at Stampede Flat was nice, and was the last of the insect troubled camping spots.

Our second day was much shorter. We were on the river at 9:00 a.m., and at our Cedar Ridge campsite around 1:30 p.m. The river featured a few more riffles than the previous day, and it was a nice opportunity for some of the passengers to take turns on the oars. The weather was beautiful, especially for those that like it hot. Many of us were glad for the occasional shade of an overhanging canyon wall. The canyon scenery continued to impress us. Between lunch and happy hour, a dry canyon behind our camp invited exploration. After an unexciting gravel wash, the canyon became an exquisite little paradise of narrow rock scrambles through fractured, weathered, rock. It was disappointing to have to have to head back, but evening chores around the kitchen called.

The third river day of about 11 miles was a lot of fun with many gentle rapids to lessen the rowing and quicken the senses a little. We were again into camp by lunch, this time at Rock Creek. Most of the group bathed in the lovely Rock Creek pools, and some of us walked up Rock Creek Canyon. The creek itself was clear and inviting. The trail and canyon were lined with sagebrush. A large panel of very interesting and diverse petroglyphs was about a mile up the canyon trail. The camp itself was near an abandoned ranch. The ranch ruins were very interesting, both because of the artifacts laying around and because of the insight they provided into a subsistence level lifestyle that is vanishing in this country. The old orchard and the river bank cottonwoods provided apparently excellent habitat for a large variety of birds. One little hummingbird thought that Wendy's florescent orange pants were as attractive as anything was in the natural setting. This was one of the best campsites and evenings. Not even a little microburst of wind and rain could interfere with an excellent chicken dinner and some impressive butt dart exhibitions.

The next day we stopped for a group hike around a rincon - an abandoned river gooseneck. We saw elk like droppings, and although there was plenty of grass in the floor of the rincon, the surrounding country seemed odd habitat for elk. We stopped for lunch at an area where more petroglyphs and the inscription of an early explorer can be seen. The afternoon was a hard fought battle against an upstream wind. Everyone was happy to reach our camp, and even recent bear scat did not make more time on the river seem worthwhile. Happy hour was much appreciated.

Wire Fence and Three Fords rapids were immediately downstream of our camp, and we ran them first thing. They were both nice little slot-type rapids at the 4000-cfs level we ran at. The main trick for each was knowing the right entry point amongst the many rocks. This was no problem with Bob as a trip leader, but they should definitely be scouted by anyone who has not run the river before or who lacks an experienced lead boatman. The entrance to Three Fords is especially well disguised. The highlight of the day was Kay singing "Amazing Grace" and "Mariah" as we floated through a narrow section of the canyon. The other high point was watching Neal board the paddle raft and send Darla and Larry for a swim after one-too-many water fight ambushes.

We camped at a nice spot downstream of Range Creek Rapid. I entered camp in a foul mood after hanging-up briefly on a rock at the top of the not-much-to-speak-of rapid. It was not a great way to impress my passengers (Cris, Carolyn, and Wendy), all of whom had rowed earlier in the day without finding any rocks to visit. Fortunately, a very pleasant long hike up Range Creek lifted my spirits. After loading up on insect repellent to make it through the cloud of deer flies at the creek mouth, there was an easy walk up the gently rising canyon for several miles. An abandoned four-wheel drive road and an accessible creek bank provided alternating paths up and down the canyon. Chukars, Morning Doves, lizards, and hawks provided company on the walk. Other than the intense heat, this was a wonderful hike. Many of the group spent the afternoon watching a gaggle of Canadian Geese float down Range Creek Rapid, then fly up to the top for another trip, time after time. Later in the afternoon, Gloria returned from a solo ascent of "The Golden Stairs." This was quite an enviable feat in the heat of the afternoon. She reported that the panoramic views of the surrounding Gray Canyon country made the adventure worthwhile.

Our sixth river day featured the largest rapid - Coal Creek. After scouting, we all had clean runs through the rock fields and past a couple of decent holes. Much of the rest of the 15-mile day was spent fighting strong up-river winds. All the rapids were greatly appreciated for their contribution to our down-river progress. One very enjoyable feature of the day was a small herd of bighorn sheep that were right down by the riverbank. Our final camp was nice, but rather wind exposed. We had an extended happy hour and group sit-around waiting for a break in the wind. While the thought of Bob's customary last-night-on-the-river steaks made many stomachs impatient, the opportunity to spend a final couple hours visiting with a large group of good people enjoying a great experience made the wait easier.

The final four river miles went by in a quick 2 hours. We shared the river with many 4th of July day-trippers. I was happy that Dee got to row during a short stretch of gentle breezes. All of her previous efforts at the oars had been met by immediate outbreaks of hurricane force winds. The take-out went very smoothly, and all the rafts were unloaded and deflated by 10:30 a.m. We all drove into Green River for a final lunch on the grounds of the Powell Museum. Several people ducked inside to buy souvenirs or for a quick look at the nice exhibits. Then, we sadly accepted that the time had come to wish new and old friends goodbye until the next time we meet on the river.

Participants:

Carolyn Balliet, Cris Brown, Fred Brown, Darla Ekbom, Carl Gettleman, Susan Groth, John Justice, Larry Kalchart, Gloria Koroghlanian, Wendy Lichte, Neal Manning, Bob Marley, Pam Risenhoover, Kay Threlkeld, & Dee White.

Grand Canyon Raft (7/9/00-7/28/00):

Our second one boat solo Grand Canyon raft trip of the year turned out to be dramatically different from the first in terms of weather. Rather than snow at river level, we were plagued by oppressive heat. The day before we launched there were intense storm cells flashing around the Lees Ferry put-in. We would later notice their effects in the torn up beaches and side canyons downstream. The water was crystal clear at the launch ramp but silt flowed in from the Paria and muddied the Colorado for our first few days on the river. Since we had no measurable rain during the trip, the water then stayed clear all of the way to the takeout, for which we were grateful. We elected to spend more days than usual on the upper section. Above Phantom we enjoyed the best of both worlds, overcast days that produced no rain, keeping the temperature bearable and the water clear. The high Canyon walls also provided generous shade for much of the day.

The constant dam release of 8,000 cfs allowed us to see a lot more fish than we have traditionally seen. Perhaps this was because the river was clear, warmer, and seemed to have more algae growing around the much lower beaches. We also noticed an increase in floating blobs of algae that had torn loose from rocks. Towards the end of the trip when the water had warmed up to 60+ degrees we saw mostly suckers and carp. Wildlife was not abundant but we did see several dozen bighorn sheep, a deer, a condor, a ringtail, a beaver, and lots of ducks/mergansers.

The low flow made it possible to set up our kitchen, groover, and tent site on the flat sand within five to ten feet of the boat most nights. Not only was it an easy carry, it was much cooler sleeping near the water. The few nights we couldn't do this we sweated until well after midnight. Below Granite, we quit setting up the tent so we could catch the little breeze that came our way in the evenings. We camped on a number of sites that would not be desirable at high water and tried out a couple of camps that we would never camp with a group. The huge Doris camp near Fishtail Rapid was one of our favorites as it had afternoon and morning shade, a combination we found to be a high priority. During the hottest parts of the day, we also frequently tied into high rock walls along the river for a few hours of shade. Playing cards or reading on the raft, with the cool river flowing around, was about as cool as one could get in the daytime.

The low flows also created new challenges for a number of rafting groups in both the private and commercial sectors. Grand Canyon Expeditions (GCE) wrapped a 36' motorized on a rock mid-river at Hance. They had been there awhile before the two of us arrived. Some of their passengers cheered when they saw us but there wasn't much we could do except take pictures, which we did in volume. Eventually a High Desert Adventures (HDA) motorized raft came down backwards and slid in beside them, lashed lines to them and pulled them off of the rock. Apparently it was the second rescue this particular motor man, Myron, had successfully performed in the past few weeks. We recently heard that Western River pinned another boat, probably on that same mid-channel rock, and 22 passengers were evacuated from the middle of the river by NPS helicopter. Never a dull moment! We also heard stories of motorized trips having difficulties at Bedrock and in the Crystal rock garden. One of the privates we ran into had their permit holder evacuated the second day of their trip after he reinjured a cervical disc, probably at House Rock Rapid. Another private boatman missed the right side of Bedrock and flipped on the left, badly mangling his arm that was tangled in the bowline.

After the GCE river plug was removed from Hance, we followed another private group down the far right side, a run neither of us had made before. It was a little tricky at the bottom but we did it clean and continued on down to rescue a ton of gear that had come loose from the GCE raft. We found Horn Creek to be about the biggest challenge on the river. We entered it with a downstream backward ferry to the right of the middle horn, pulling hard to the left, and narrowly missed a hidden rock. The last two tail waves were enormous and filled the boat to the gunnels. Many rapids like Granite and Hermit that normally have waves of huge amplitude were smaller and slower. Crystal had a nice slow right hand run with no difficult laterals at the top. Lava looked bad as usual but ran pretty clean on the old traditional right run. Running alone we often wait for another party when we are at major rapids like Hance, Crystal, or Lava. Lava became the last Grand Canyon rapid for Bob to run unsupported since no one was there or expected soon.

The private group we ran Hance with consisted of a number of people we knew both in person and on-line. Doc Thomas was rowing one of their boats and Ricardo from GCPBA was rowing another. We ran into them just above the Little Colorado and talked to them for quite awhile there. We ended up running Hance with them and saving the camp at Granite for their late arrival that evening. The following morning we ran Granite, Hermit and Crystal with them. They shared some great coffee with Susan and gave us a couple of loaves of fresh bread, which we really appreciated since we were out by then.

We hiked more above Phantom where it was cooler. Out of our camp below Shinumo, we hiked on the Redwall to the Silver Grotto overlook and downstream to the corner beyond Vasey's Paradise. We had hoped to make it to the tram site but it was already too hot at 8:00 AM. We took a short hike up Awatubi, a dry dead-end canyon that neither of us had been up before. We camped at Rattlesnake and went several thousand feet to the top of the Tapeats on the way up the Tabernacle. We had planned to go all of the way, coming down by moonlight but Susan was a little worried that her vision wouldn't adjust. It turned out to be a good decision to turn around when we did as the clouds obscured the full moon until quite late that night. We camped at Clear Creek and hiked up to the horizontal waterfall in the morning. We had planned to attempt a hike up to Royal Arch but it was just too darn hot that morning. We camped at Specter and enjoyed an early hike up Specter Chasm. It had a little bit of running water and one highlight was the salt cycles and salt flows on the rock. We skipped some of the more traditional stopping places like Tapeats and Deer Creek. Towards the end of the trip, it was just too hot for us to want to hike anything. We did a lot of reading, primarily mindless fiction.

We were on the river by 6:00 AM the last day and at Diamond Creek by 7:30. It was a lucky thing that we did this because the take-out was soon full of commercial trips. We had most of our stuff on shore and out of their way by the time they arrived. As usual John was early at the take-out so we quickly loaded up and headed for home. We've cleaned all of our rafting gear and stowed it for this season. Since we had to jury rig fix a frame crack at John's in Flagstaff on the way up to the Ferry, we are again talking about new frames for next year.

Participants:

Susan Groth & Bob Marley

No Más Picchu (Copied from Outside Magazine August 2000)

(…without a reservation) Anybody out there intending to hike the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu, the sacred 500-year-old Incan City perched at 8,910 feet in the Andes? Listen up. On August 9, the Peruvian government will begin limiting foot traffic to 500 hikers per day on the busiest section of the trail-the 20 miles leading up to the ruins. Over 66,000 people use the trail annually, with more than 1,000 stomping on vegetation and generally wreaking havoc on any given summer day. To help finance maintenance, Machu Picchu pilgrims will be charged a trail-use fee of $50 per person (up from $17) and must also hook up with one of the 50-plus government-certified tour companies. Contact the South American Explorers Club (607) 277-0488; www.samexplo.org for policy updates and information on outfitters.

2001 Whitewater Rafting Trips:

Most private raft trips require a permit from a regulatory agency. Anyone who is interested in non-commercial rafting next year needs to prepare and timely mail their applications in December and early January so they will be included in the launch lottery for each river of their choice. Most of these agencies do not accept applications after mid-January. Since you travel with us regularly, you probably realize by now that we have no special access to private rafting permits. Unless someone obtains a permit, it isn't possible to organize a group trip. In that event, we'll be boating by ourselves on a last minute cancellation permit or joining someone else's group trip.

We postpone all raft trip organization efforts until the end of February or early March, when the results of the lottery draws are known. Since only a handful of us have suitable skills, rafts, and organizational experience to carry out these trips, the most important thing others can do is make every effort to draw a launch date. If you help with the permit process, you will receive a letter announcing who was successful, what launch dates were drawn, and how the trip is being organized. To make sure your name is on that first-contact list, send us a copy of any permit applications you submit. This approach usually gives everyone 2-3 months notice for planning his or her summer vacations.

For whitewater rafting permit requirements on other rivers, see our Western River Information page at http://www.kwagunt.net/riverinfo.html or the copy that has been included in this newsletter. On most trips the person with the permit is obviously the first choice to go; the people with gear and experience are the second choices; those who helped by applying for permits are next; and anyone else who might be interested will be invited if any space remains.

Our Free Time for Rafting in 2001

A Rafter's Perspective by Kay Threlkeld:

Sometimes I wonder why I do these things. I return from a week on the river burnt, bruised from head to toe, chewed by mosquitoes, dehydrated, exhausted--and I consider this to be a relaxing and enjoyable way to spend my time. We river rats must all be nuts. But then there is the beauty of the canyons, the reflection of sun on the water, an early morning shuttle flight over deep canyon country to land us on a narrow dirt airstrip on a mesa top, bighorn sheep grazing on the scree slopes as we pass by, warm river water, deep pools for soaking, star filled nights, good friends, adrenaline surges on the rapids, the feel of sand on your bare feet, good food, the easy companionship of old friends . . . . Yeah, I guess I know why I do it after all.

As I was cleaning up my gear, I thought of the two of you. Not only do you have your own gear to clean, but the boats, trash, rocket boxes, groover. . . The work that the two of you do to get us on the river is unbelievable! But I sure am glad that you do it. Thank you for all the adventures, the friendships, the memories, and the good times that would never have been possible without you. I hope we keep doing this until we are all old and gray!

General Trip Information:

We must receive your deposit and a completed Q/AR form, for you to be considered for inclusion on one of our trips. If you are planning to join a future trip and you haven't done this yet, please do it now. If a trip is popular enough to require a waitlist, we will use five criteria to determine who goes. Initial preference will be given to those who have a current mailing application on file, have paid any required trip deposit, and have promptly returned the necessary Q/AR. If this isn't sufficient, we then compare trip deposit dates and lastly Q/AR postmark dates.

We continue to send information to travel friends using email. If you want to be the first to know what's happening, be sure to send us your email address and keep it current. We'll also continue to communicate unique travel opportunities by 'special mailings' to those who travel with us frequently and who have a mailing application on file.

Best of luck in your Y2K adventures, whatever they are, and wherever they may be. We hope you can join a trip soon so we can again spend some time traveling with you.

Susan & Bob

Updated on Thursday, December 8, 2006 @ 4:30 MST © 1995-2006 by Robert R. Marley