July 8-16 Grand Canyon Tour - Post #9 (Friday, July 13)

In July, I had the unique opportunity to spend 9 days in Arizona, 7 of which were floating down the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon.  I’m in the middle of blogging through the amazing week from my hand-written personal journal.  Bite-sized chunks ... I hope you enjoy them. 

Friday, July 13, 2018            12:50 P.M. – Lunch at Bass Canyon (mile 108)

It’s been a busy morning thus far.  I slept a lot better last night with the tent.  I did best after midnight, when I opened both doors fully to let the air flow through.  I still didn’t sleep all that long, but it was the best sleep I’ve had thus far. 

We had worship and a devotional session this morning after breakfast.  Launched at 8:15.  We had 2 stops before lunch.  Starting at mile 76, we stopped directly below Hance Rapids (mile 78) for a quick geology lesson – that’s the point where the “basement” quartz and granite emerge. 

Massive rock formations, and then to realize that those formations go another 25 miles or so beneath the surface!  Amazing.  It’s a whole lot of rock.  I feel like the walls of the Canyon are magnificent and massive, but there’s even more under the surface. 

We then stopped at the Phantom River exchange and boat launch (mile 88).  There’s a helipad there, so some groups will switch out at that point.  There is a fresh water spigot at Phantom Ranch – we refilled all of our empty water jugs, so we’ll have enough drinking water for the rest of the trip.

Now we have stopped for lunch at mile 108, Bass Canyon.

In between, we traversed a pile of sizeable rapids!

Hance Rapid – mile 77, “8-9”, 30 foot drop

Sockdolage Rapid, mile 79, “7-9”, 19 foot drop.  Sockdolager was a 19^th-century word for a “knock-out punch”

Grapevine Rapid, mile 82, “6-8”, 17 foot drop

83-Mile Rapid, mile 84 (oops), “3-6”, 7 foot drop

Zoroaster Rapid, mile 85, “5-7), 5 foot drop

85-Mile Rapid, Bright Angel Rapid, Pipe Springs Rapid, all small, between miles 88-90

Horn Creek Rapid, mile 91, “8-9”, 9 foot drop

Granite Rapid, mile 94, “8-9”, 18 foot drop

Hermit Rapid, mile 95, “8-9”, 15 foot drop

Boucher Rapid, mile 97, “4-5”, 13 foot drop

Crystal Rapid, mile 99, “10”, 17 foot drop.  People SAW this rapid created overnight as a

result of a debris flow down Crystal Creek in 1966.

Then a bunch of smaller ones: Tuna (mile 100), Willie’s Necktie (mile 100), Nixon Rock (mile 100), Angel (mile 101), Sapphire (mile 102), Turquoise (mile 102), 104-Mile (mile 104), Ruby (Mile 105), and Serpentine (mile 106).

We took turns sitting in the front of the boat, which provides the most exhilarating view and experience of the major rapids.  I was up front for Granite and Hermit, and it was an absolute blast!  Roller coaster on water – that’s the best way to describe it.  So exciting that I forgot to keep my mouth shut, and got a pieful of silty water for my troubles!

There’s been so many rapids, and the water is so dirty, that my white socks are almost brown!  Apparently the silt will go all the way downstream with us because of all the rain our 2^nd night. 

Physically, I am doing pretty well.  I continue to sunscreen every 90

minutes.  A bit harder today due to lack of dry patches.  But I’m doing all I can to avoid burning.  Body feels pretty good, especially considering my lack of sleep.  Poop has been regular and reliable, which is encouraging.  I’m drinking a TONNE, which means I have to pee very frequently.  So far today, four full water bottles and a big Arizona Iced Tea.  Trying to keep healthy.  Nose has been a bit crusty and stuffy, I think due to all the sand.  I have a bit of a headache today, probably because I’m using the other sunscreen, which has an unpleasant (to me) aroma.  Tomorrow I’ll bring both, and use the unscented for my face, and the scented for the rest of me.  Thus far, the Lord has been gracious in preserving my health. 

Emotionally, I’m hanging in.  I miss my family most at night, and in quiet moments of the day.  But for the most part, our days are full of experiences, new sights, new ideas, and good conversation and fellowship.  It’s hard to get distracted or lonely during the days.  Plus, it has been such a gift and blessing getting to know the other Christian leaders on this trip!  Lots of interesting personalities, fascinating life stories, and diverse ministries.  David, from South Africa; Rick Griffith, from Singapore; Tom Drion from London; Martin Zhang from China.  I’m thankful for the friendships being formed, and the incredible memories I’m gaining.

Friday, July 13; 8:15 P.M. – Camp at Big Dune (mile 119.5)

It is getting dark, so this will be short.  We had a good afternoon – after lunch it strongly threatened rain, so I put my Frog Toggs jacket on.  Ended up sitting in the front of the boat over several rapids, and it was cloudy, and a bit cool, so I was thankful for the warmth and relative dryness!  The coolest thing this afternoon was a 400-foot waterfall.  It is not a normal waterfall – it is only created by immediate rain.  The rain came before us, feeding water through the limestone, emerging in the middle of a cliff wall and tumbling down in two cascades.  Most of the thin waterfall evaporated or misted out before reaching the River, but it was a very cool sight!

We also saw a few places where rock formations have folded or bent under extreme heat and/or pressure.  One of the young-earth arguments is built on the observation that when solidified sandstone formations are melted and folded, they undergo metamorphosis – their chemical composition changes.  But with these folded Grand Canyon sandstones, there has NOT been any chemical change, hence no metamorphosis.  That suggests that the folding occurred while the formation was initially being formed.  Difficult to explain over millions of years of the sediment progressively laid down into the layer; much easier to explain in a sudden catastrophic (i.e., flood) deposit.  That’s a good scientific argument I had never encountered before.  Food for thought.

Headed to bed.  Very sad to be not at home tomorrow.  This will be the first birthday apart since Vanessa and I started dating, and I am not happy to be missing it.  I’m gone too much, especially this summer, and I miss my family.  Lord, remind Vanessa of my love on a day that I can’t.  Remind Mataeo, Alethea, and Keilani to make it an extra-special day for Mom.