November 5: Arrive at Grand Canyon 10:00 a.m.
Hit the trail at 10:40. First leg 4.6 miles to Indian Garden camp site. Rested here among the huge cottonwoods for a while then trekked another 4.6 miles to Phantom Ranch.Trail was switchback all the way. If you click on the photo below you can see the trail way down below near the center.
Man I wish I could ride a mule down to the river!
We finally came to some flat ground after Indian Garden and thought we had it licked, but we were fooled. Over another mountain pass and back down…knees are screaming at this point as well as calf muscles. Made it to Phantom Ranch at 5:00. Walked on down to the river and saw a raft, but no people. Bill and I decided the guys left the raft for us to cross the river with, so we strapped on life vests, piled in, grabbed the oars and took off! Luckily the guide saw us in time before the current took us and waved us back to shore! He said that we would have been swept way down the river before we could have escaped the grip of the current.
Finally made it to the camp site where Scott Passman, his uncle Morgan and the rest were set up. Made our beds and tried to get some sleep. Knees were killing me! Didn’t sleep well.
Day Two
Up by 6:00 a.m. The guides took Scott P, his Uncle Morgan, and another guy from Durango across the river to Kaibab Trail for their hike up and out of the canyon. We broke camp and went to Phantom Ranch for ice. Phantom Ranch is a beautiful place.
On the river by 10:00.
Several rapids one after the other. Wet all over.
Made 30 miles today. Camp at 4:00: Chicken Fajitas for dinner.
