Day 5-Wednesday, July 2
I slept late again and woke up at about 5:20. I just managed to finish packing and hide another bug before breakfast. Breakfast was French toast, sausage, and melon. Today is probably the coolest morning yet. We left at about 7. We ran some small rapids. Then we hit 128 mile rapids, one hander that was a warm-up to Specter. Specter was a two-hander, and we crashed through one big wave that made everything move. Right below Doubendorf rapid, we stopped at Stone Creek (mile 131.5) for a hike. Some people stopped at a waterfall a few hundred yards in. The rest of us went on a few mile hike to another waterfall up the canyon. It was unbelievably hot. Now I am sitting on the beach watching people play Uno while I roast; but the hike was nice. We also saw a few huge prickly pair cacti. After we got back on the boat we ran a large no-name rapid that got us very wet. We ate lunch clipped to a rock at mile 134, so we could have some shade. Not far down from that, we stopped for our afternoon hike. It was Deer Creek. Right near the beginning, there was a beautiful waterfall that some people stayed at. Most of us continued on. Not far from that, there was a point that was about 300 feet above the river, and we could see quite a ways. Soon after that it entered a very narrow and deep canyon, and it was difficult to see the creek, if you could see it at all. There were also some Indian hand prints here. Then you came to some pools, and the creek was right there. Laurel and Sue stayed there, while most of us continued our long, hot walk to the spring. The spring came out the rock wall, and I refilled my water bottle with spring water. It tastes like moss, but good. Near the spring was a rock checker board and stone thrones. On the way back down, we stopped at the pools again, which was very refreshing. When we got back to the bottom, we stayed at the waterfall for a little to cool off. We got back on the river, but pulled over pretty soon to camp, at about 6. Our site tonight is right below Doris rapid (mile 138.5). We had cole slaw, chicken, beans, and watermelon for dinner. Since Bill's cole slaw was competing with Sue's and mine from last night, it ended up with three plastic bugs in it. Some people were rather surprised. Before I went to bed, I got in a water bottle fight with my neighbors; Betty, Sue, and Herb.

Day 6-Thursday, July 3
I woke up at about 5:15 today. Breakfast was cereals, bagels, melon, and muffins. We left early today, at about 6:35, but a group had already passed us. Early on, we ran some small rapids. George just spotted a bighorn. A while later, we say a whole herd. Now we are stopped at Matkatamiba Canyon (mile 148). It is very narrow, but deep enough in the beginning to park the boats. Further up, it was not so deep, but still very narrow, and we had to climb over small waterfalls. At other places, we straddled the water by leaning on the sides. It opened up at the top, and we could throw rocks at one place, and it sounded like thunder or someone shooting shotguns.


We also made a butt dam, and flumed Kent down the river about 20 feet. On the way back down, the high water line showed that we had raised the water level by as much as one and a half feet in some places with the flood from the releasal butt dam. We also ran into another group, which made me conclude that the canyon was not made for two-way traffic. That was a fun hike. Now we are back on the river, heading for Havasu. We just passed a huge cave, high on the canyon wall. After a few more rapids, we parked at Havasu (mile 156.5). After we got over the first ledge, we were along the creek. It was blue like the Little Colorado. Most of us ended up hanging around a pool by a natural tunnel. Kate and Laurel tried to dunk me in the water. I avoided it, but ended up going in voluntarily. We also saw a NPS helicopter that airlifted two people from another trip out. We spent about two hours there before we headed down. Now we are pulled over to eat lunch (mile 158). The beach here is very slanted. We spent a while talking there also. As soon as we got back on the river, most of us went to sleep. I was awakened by a bucket of water on my head that marked the start of a huge boat-to-boat water fight (miles 167-70), Because it was incredibly hot, it turned out to be very refreshing. We pulled over to camp (mile 175.5) about three miles above Lava Falls. Tonight's dinner was the "big surprise"-a Thanksgiving dinner: salad, mashed potatoes, peas, turkeys (two), and rolls. We had cheesecake for dessert. Kent et al are building a sand empire on the beach. Herb, Betty, and Jen seem to be sleeping away from everyone else - their water and pillow fights seem to have scared everyone away. Now the sand empire has become the Grand Canyon and Lake Mead, and they are floating a stick raft full of leaf passengers, that Laurel made, down and killing them several times over. After it got dark, we all talked some more as people drifted off to bed. We saw several shooting stars. At about 9, Tom sneaked down to the table and banged pots and pans, giving a typical Bill breakfast call. When I finally went to bed, I found the green slime, that was once Betty's frog, in my sleeping bag.