Day 2 - Part 2 :: North Canyon to Mile 26.5

Thursday, September 18th.

Two miles from Boulder Narrows we approached the North Canyon area.

We stopped for lunch and took a look at the rapid that awaited us later in the afternoon.

A closer look at North Canyon Rapid, which rates a 5 on the Colorado River scale. Then it was off for the second hike of the day.

Matt had said it would be about a two-hour hike and that there would be a steep area that we had to get through. We had done some rock scrambling before reaching this point; I had needed help to get over several large boulders, they were going at a pretty good pace, and my knee was already hurting so I stopped when we reached this section.

I stayed around the area for a little while, taking a few pictures and enjoying the silence.

I have no idea what this plant is, but its flower was big, and pretty.

More of the same plant.

On the other hand, this thing looked downright dangerous!

Its veins appeared to glow. I didn't get close enough to see if the prickly spines were sharp.

Eventually I headed back toward the river. On the way there I saw KJ coming my way. He was going to hike a ways into the canyon but stopped to tell me that he and Justin had been held hostage by a Heron and a Raven for over half an hour!

Well, they weren't really held hostage. All they would have had to do was move and the birds would have taken off. The Heron had landed a short distance off the bow of KJ's raft and attempted, unsuccessfully, to catch some fish. Then, for whatever reason, a Raven came along and landed on the beach not far from the Heron. Apparently they strutted around each other for a while until the Heron was able to chase the Raven away and then the Heron moved off to another section of the beach.

Some of Mother Nature's handiwork.

Justin dropping in to North Canyon Rapid.

It wasn't the biggest rapid we had been in but North Canyon Rapid was the longest one thus far.  Justin and his raft look so tiny, nearly disappearing in the waves and the shadows.

We would go through some calm waters...

As well as seven more rapids.

Nearing the end of the day.

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Note: The page Grand Canyon Raft Trip lists all of my posts published about this Grand Adventure!

Published under a Creative Commons License.
Becky Wiseman, "Day 2 - Part 2 :: North Canyon to Mile 26.5," Kinexxions, posted October 28, 2014 (http://kinexxions.blogspot.com/2014/10/day-2-part-2-north-canyon-to-mile-265.html : accessed [access date])