March 20, 2014

Coffee was called early and breakfast soon after that to get everyone up and moving, everything packed and down to the boats.

Stef, who will row the Susie Too through Lava, packed her heavy towards the front.  Even people who had not been in dry suits before were now, or were in heavier splash gear.  While not said, the old “dress to swim and rig to flip” was going through everyone’s minds: …

March 19, 2014

From Upset at mile 150 to Lava Falls Rapid at mile 180, the canyon opens up a bit and all the rapids are smaller.  We do about 23 miles today and pull into camp late, get set up, have a fast dinner, and off to bed.  The river is mellower, the rapids lower, and the scenery beautiful (as is it all).  But we know that tomorrow is Lava Falls Rapid, the “Big …

March 18, 2014

We are out of camp early with our lunches packed and ready for a lot of small rapids, followed by the big one, Upset, an 8 rating in all the guide books.

Kanab Canyon is about 6 miles down, where many of us have hiked before, then Olo, then “Matkat” (Matkatamiba Rapid), then Upset shows up and we park the boats about 500 feet above the rapid and walk down to scout.  …

March 17, 2014

This is another day with three big rapids and a number of smaller ones.  In some sections, they pile on top of one another and you have to be on your toes.

The first is Specter, where there is a right run next to a wall that misses a big hole.  Most of the rafts take that line, but Stef, who is back at the oars on Susie Too, sees a …

March 16, 2014

Today was a long day with good weather, no wind, and a lot of fun.  Little rapids (below 4’s), with Fossil (a 5), Forster (a 5), and Walthenberg (a 6) being the three bigger ones to run today.

Robb is rowing Susie Too in the morning and Tony takes his first turn at the oars in the afternoon.  We are trying to make up some time so we can still do our …

March 15, 2014

[We have had problems with the batteries recharging so there has been a delay in getting these out. Days 12 through 16 were sent out with Pam and Kammy Wolfson who will post them as soon as they get them transcribed from my handwritten journals. We had a full day on the beach at Whitmore Wash on the day we exchanged people so my laptop is up and functioning and Leif’s laptop …

March 14, 2014

We wake to a clear and already warmer day.  We rush to get breakfast done and the gear loaded and leave to make for a slightly earlier start.  We have Zoroaster Rapid and 85-mile Rapid, which are bigger ones, and numerous ones that are substantial riffles that some we suppose might not even be there at higher water.  There are rocks exposed in lots of areas that those of us who have …

March 13, 2014

Today was the day we all demonstrated that we understood the importance of working as a team.  We were able to do so and do so well when Greg Hatten and the Portola, with Dave Mortenson as a passenger, got into serious trouble in Grapevine Rapid.  We had to rescue both of them from the water, as well as an upside-down Portola.  As I write this at 9 p.m., everyone is …

March 12, 2014

When we leave a camp, it means that everything we have taken off the boat to use has to go back on the boat and has to fit in the space it is allotted. This is done, in part, by having things come out of boxes that are made to fit on the rowing frame each raft is fitted with.  We also have small crates that a lot of the fresh vegetables …

March 14, 2014

News from the river, thanks to a phone call from Craig Wolfson while at Phantom Ranch:

The Portola flipped in Grapevine Rapid yesterday (March 13th) with Greg Hatten at the oars and Dave Mortenson on board as passenger.   The boat was subsequently stuck in the rapid for several minutes, an oar broke, and both Greg and Dave suffered minor injuries.  Thankfully, all are okay and are able to press onward after some …