Both the 12 and 7 day groups of Trailblazers on the river. [photo by Michael]

The Arizona Trailblazers decided to do a Colorado River rafting trip. We had two groups. The 12 day group did the whole river. The 7 day group did the bottom half of the river. We set the trip up with Hatch so we would do at least one hike per day if possible. Most days Hatch came thought with at least 1 hike per day. Hatch is one of the premium rafting companies. Everyone in our group had a great time. Hatch provided all our food, water and did the cooking for breakfast and dinner. For lunch we had sandwiches. Some lunches were cold cuts, but others were spreads freshly made by the crew. There were fruits and other snacks that we could have on the river. The beaches Hatch choose to camp on were sandy with some brush. The bush let you divide up the camp site into personal spaces. Due to us using motorized rafts the last day you could start was September 15, so that was the day we started. This helped keep the temperature down.

Just the 12 day group. Michael, Vicki, Joyce, Terry, Scott [photo by Michael]

Time to start the trip. [photo by Michael]

Setting up camp. [photo by Joyce]

We pushed off and started down the river. For the 12 day group we will travel 188 miles on the river. Our rafts are numbered 9 and 10. The first part is called marble canyon. That is where the Navajo bridges are. One is the old bridge, which you can walk on and the other is the traffic bridge. The condors like the traffic bridge to hand out at. We did not see any condors as we went under.

We are away. [photo by Michael]

The cable marks the start of the national park and where you need a permit. [photo by Michael]

First rough water. [photo by Michael]

Navajo bridges. [photo by Michael]

Time to start the rapids. There are four spots to seat on the raft. The front or the bath tub, you will get wet at any rapid. The sides, depending on the rapid and how the raft goes in you may or may not get wet. The rear or tea room, only on the 3 major rapids will you get wet. The 3 major rapids has water go over the raft, so everyone gets wet. On the 3 major rapids the front persons must hold their breath, because the water is flowing well above your heads. At all rapids everyone must be seated and holding on to the provided straps. Even the persons in the tea room, because a wave could hit at an unexpected angle. Even with a motor the Colorado river has no problem pushing the raft around.

The cooking area. [photo by Vicki]

One of the small rapids. [photo by Vicki]

Handing out on the trail. [photo by Michael]

For the first 6 days the Colorado river ran clear. On the sixth night we had a good rain storm and the Little Colorado river then started dumping silt into the river so on day 7 to the end it was muddy. Hatch gave tents for the rain, but most nights we just slept under the stars. For some of our hikes, we got to see the ash flows from the Dragon fire.

Exiting a rapid. [photo by Michael]

Stopping to check out a geology survey mark. [photo by Michael]

About to go into a rapid. [photo by Michael]

Ash flow from the Dragon fire. [photo by Michael]

Trailblazers above the ash water fall from the Dragon fire. [photo by Michael]

Joyce and Terry on the flow from the Dragon fire. [photo by Joyce]

The next stops a couple of days into the trip are Redwall cave and Nankoweap granaries. There are plenty of rapids each day. The big horn sheep also come down to the river to get their pictures taken.

Looking back up river. [photo by Michael]

Into the canyon for our hike this day. [photo by Vicki]

Camp site for tonight. [photo by Vicki]

Down the river with Michael in the front. [photo by Vicki]

Time for the next rapid. [photo by Michael]

The rapids on the Colorado river are the pools then rapid type. Which means there is calm pools of water above the rapid. You then repeat until the next rapid. The rapids are rated 1 to 10. With 10s being the major rapids. On some rapids the rating changes with the river flow level. Some rapids go up with the flow level, others go down. A few have a high rating with medium flows and low with both high and low flows. For example on high flows the lower rapids pool backs up and calms down the rapid just above it.

Calm before the next rapid. [photo by Michael]

The large Redwall cave. [photo by Vicki]

Playing freebase inside the cave. [photo by Vicki]

Arch from the river. [photo by Vicki]

Our camp site was not to far up stream of Nankoweap, so we get an early start up to the granaries. This also means we have the site to our-selfs. After the granaries will have lunch. The crew will move the rafts from our start point to our lunch spot. The lunch spot has trees for shade.

Trail up to Nankoweap. [photo by Michael]

What is left of the village of Nankoweap. [photo by Michael]

Granaries of Nankoweap. [photo by Vicki]

Vicki at the Granaries of Nankoweap. [photo by Vicki]

We leave Nankoweap for more rapids, the little Colorado river and our next camp site. We hike up the little Colorado river for about 1 mile and come back to the rafts.

On the river. [photo by Michael]

Little Colorado river before the rain storm. [photo by Michael]

Little Colorado river up stream. [photo by Michael]

At the camp site. [photo by Michael]

Our camp site was not to far after Little Colorado river . The hike this day we start from the camp site and return for lunch. We then head down river.

Time to start hiking. [photo by Vicki]

This canyon has shade. [photo by Vicki]

There are some wet spots. [photo by Vicki]

Time to get back on the raft. [photo by Joyce]

Salt mines. [photo by Michael]

Last clear river picture. [photo by Michael]

Tonight we received the only rain storm of the whole trip. The other times we got rain, we were on the river. Getting rain on while rafting just changed one wet for a different source. This is the day we get to Phantom and refill the rafts water tanks. We could filter the Colorado river water, but with it being muddy it takes more work. The black bridge has a tunnel to get to the south side. After coming down the no shade south Kaibab trail the tunnel is a great place to rest.

Morning the river changed color. [photo by Michael]

Quartzes vein. [photo by Vicki]

Black bridge, yes it does come straight out of the cliff. [photo by Vicki]

Refilling the water tanks. [photo by Vicki]

Silver bridge. [photo by Michael]

We camped just below Phantom across from Bright Angel trail. Bright Angel trail currently dead ends at the river while they put in the new water lines. In the morning we crossed the river and waited for the second half group. We had lunch here. The 3 major rapids are downstream from Phantom. We will do the first of them tomorrow.

The 20 persons for the lower half. [photo by Vicki]

On the river again. [photo by Michael]

Anyone new a canoe. [photo by Vicki]

On top of the ridge. [photo by Vicki]

River has now totally gone to muddy brown. [photo by Michael]

We do a couple of the major rapids today.

An old miners camp. [photo by Vickl]

Hiking by the stream. [photo by Vickl]

Good rest spot [photo by Vickl]

Time to stop for camp. [photo by Michael]

New day and we are getting to the wet part of the canyon. Most canyons on the north side have a creek in them. So the hike now start out wet.

Time to get wet. [photo by Michael]

Getting to the waterfall. [photo by Michael]

At the waterfall. [photo by Michael]

Long wet walk to the falls. [photo by Joyce]

Good color to the rocks here. [photo by Vicki]

End of the trail. [photo by Vicki]

We camped and a mountain goat decide to inspect our camp. This camp had a high ledge that ran along the cliff.

Mountain goat. [photo by Vicki]

Next canyon to hike. [photo by Vicki]

Time for a rest. [photo by Vicki]

Setting sun from camp. [photo by Vicki]

Time to rest at camp. [photo by Vicki]

We are getting to Deer creek today that is mile 137 on the river. This is a double hike. One hike to the falls and another to above the fall. The one to the falls is easy. The one to above the fall is a little harder, with a 200 foot rise. Just before Deer Creek is the narrowest point in the river. It is only 76 feet wide here.

Deer falls. [photo by Michael]

Above Deer. [photo by Vicki]

Small falls above Deer. [photo by Vicki]

In the camping area above Deer. [photo by Vicki]

Back in the raft. [photo by Vicki]

In the tea room. [photo by Vicki]

Today is Havasu at mile 157 on the river. This our next to last day on the river. Only 1 more nights in the canyon. Havasu is the only stop where the rafts had to have a very good tie down or they would be ripped down river.

Havasu creek. [photo by Vicki]

Havasu creek, time to get wet. [photo by Vicki]

Above Havasu creek. [photo by Joyce]

Rafts tied up at Havasu creek. [photo by Michael]

Just below the rafts the river calms down. [photo by Michael]

The last major rapid is Lava Falls. It rates a 10 at all flows (some give it a 11). It has 3 major wave sections, most rapids only have one. The only rapid that the tea room would get very wet. At the small beach above Lava, Hatch made sure all the straps were at maximum tightness. They also repeated the instructions on making sure you had straps to hang on to. Lava Fall is at mile 180 on the river.

Just above Lava Falls. [photo by Michael]

Final camp at mile 188 on the river. [photo by Michael]

Camping by the river. [photo by Vicki]

It now day 12 of the trip and time to take the ride out of the canyon. We get flown first to the Bar 10 ranch, it has running water, showers, flush toilets and other things. We wait here for our plane ride. The 12 day and 7 day groups re-split here. The 12 day groups get a plane ride to the hotel we started from. The 7 day group is split between the Grand canyon airport and the Las Vegas airport. The 12 day group gets a van ride after the plane back to our cars. The 7 day groups must get their own transport to their cars after the plane ride.

First stop. [photo by Joyce]

The concourse at the Bar 10 airport. [photo by Michael]

The 12 day groups plane. [photo by Joyce]

Landing strip at hotel. [photo by Michael]