I was awake again before the coffee this morning, and started packing up for the last time into my own bag which until now has been stuffed in the very bottom of my large personal E6 bag. It is sad to be packing up, as I’ve had a great time, and would be happy to continue down river for at least another week. I know some in the group are anxious for a proper bathroom, hot water, and a real bed. I had good night’s sleep, though I did wake several times, and checked the water level for rising water each time. I think I finally proved that I can indeed sleep anywhere. As I went to roll up my bed, under my sleeping bag was my camera, a notepad and pen, a stick of deodorant, and MaryBeth’s waterbottle! I guess those were the rocks I thought were poking me in the night. My next surprise was that the valve on my sleeping pad was not closed. It’s not exactly airtight in that state! The water level is much higher than when we went to bed. It is also much muddier than we have seen the whole trip. Trey later mentions that he has not seen the river this high in about 8 months and speculates that the muddiness is coming off beaches, just like ours here that got flooded last night, but have not been wet in some time.
Breakfast this morning was Breakfast Burritos. I sure will miss having breakfast cooked for me. After breakfast everyone finished packing their gear into our own travel bags instead of the waterproof bags, and we all gathered on the beach for our final duffle line. The crew made busy preparing the boats for their continuing journey down river. They will deposit us on a beach a few minutes downstream of here, and pick up a new, and larger group for a 1 ½ day, 1 night trip down the remainder of the canyon to Lake Mead. We know they won’t have as much fun as we have had, and we are sorry that we have to leave. I would gladly continue down the river with them. The only thing that prevents me, apart from the minor details of flights arranged, work and home to go back to, etc. is the fact that the water is no longer the clear green that I have become used to. I decide to save the lower canyon until I have another opportunity and hope for clear water next time.
Finally, with the boats loaded, we gather for a group photo, and reboard the rafts for the last time. The last few miles are calm and quiet. At least until we hear, and then see, the helicopter in the distance, coming down from the North Rim. It’s small. A 6-seater, and doing flips in the canyon turning round to get the correct angle to land. I know I’m not the only one hoping it goes steadier than that when it goes out again. I start looking for ways to hike out!
In the last half mile before the beach we saw much more columnar lava.
The passengers from the Hatch boat we had been playing tag with all week was already up at the pad when we arrived. They had 2 full helicopter loads. There were already a couple of incoming passengers for our onward traveling boat waiting on the beach. We unloaded our bags for the last time, shared hugs and goodbyes with fellow passengers and crew, then the crew started setting up the personal and day bags on the beach for their new passengers. It was like we never existed! Just kidding. I know I will never forget them, and the wonderful experiences they had shared with us, both on and off the river. I hope we left them a few good memories too, and not only the times they had to pick us up, dust us off, and shove us up over rocks!
As each group of 6 loaded onto the helicopter, 6 more new passengers would stagger down onto the beach, and 6 more of our group would move up to the pad. The new passengers were instructed to pick a bag number, just as we had been, and transfer their luggage into it. Some of them seemed to have more luggage for an overnight trip than we had for a whole week, and I suddenly found myself grateful that I won’t be in that duffle line! Like the old hands we were at this, we found ourselves helping the bewildered few: pushing out air from heavily packed bags, rolling tops down tightly, explaining the metal clasps, etc...
It really was hard to be leaving, but soon we were down to 7 left on the pad. Not that I would deliberately chose to be deserted from my group, but realizing that 6 into 19 is always going to leave 1 over, I volunteered to be the remaining straggler as long as I got to ride the shotgun seat. The weight has to be evenly distributed in the helicopter, and I could just see myself being stuck in the middle of the back seat between 2 strangers (the next boat to unload, I think a Western River Adventures, had by now pulled up on the beach). Not the way I wanted to finish my grand adventure! There were actually 5 from the next boat going to the Bar 10 Ranch, so we made a full load. I was glad I had bagged the front seat. The helicopter returned, and we quickly loaded, strapped in, and were off. I took a final picture of our rafts, just as they were loading on their new passengers.
By the time I got up to the Bar 10 Ranch the group going back to Vegas were already loaded on a bus waiting to ride out to the small airplane. So much for a shower, cold drink and souvenir shopping! I ran into the gift store, grabbed a T-shirt, then realized I didn’t have money (not surprising after a week without using it!). I found my bag sitting on the lawn where presumably it had come up and been dumped with the last full load of our group. At that moment I remembered I was supposed to have checked in with some guy (or two), with a clipboard. I saw him and checked in. He offered to carry my bag, and hustled my purchase in the gift shop. I completed the T-shirt purchase and ran to the bus, totally forgetting to check that my bag had indeed been carried there. After all the relaxation and easy time, suddenly I was being jerked back to reality in a rush! I finally remembered my bag at the end of the ride when we departed the bus, but only because I happened to see it as I got off! We transferred to the plane for the flight home. I also forgot to get the picture of the “International Airport” sign. I guess I’ll have to go back now!
On arrival in Vegas the group quickly started to scatter. Some were met at the airport, the remainder loaded on a bus for the ride back to the hotel and airport. I called home as soon as I could get a cell phone signal, but was told that ‘Yes, I had to go home today, and could not go back and go around again!’ It was stuffy and hot on the bus, without the benefit of the naturally cooling river breeze. The glitz of Vegas seemed completely unreal after the natural beauty of the canyon. I really did want to go back to the Canyon.
At the hotel most of us piled off and collected checked luggage, while several went on to the airport. Once bags were claimed many were transferring to other hotels on the Strip for a true Vegas weekend. We contented ourselves with a ‘check in now – don’t care what we get’ room at the Hawthorne Suites. We would not get to sleep in it anyway, as we are flying out on the redeye back to Atlanta. Paul decided to share our room as we would not be needing it overnight anyway, and it was already paid for. He was welcome to it. All I wanted it for was the shower, which I took cold. The remaining purpose of the room was to repack the bags and make them suitable for checking if necessary. MaryBeth’s bag took the most packing, with all those heavy Bellagio souvenirs! As soon as we were suitably packed we left the room to Paul for a while and went for a repeat lunch at Alladin. I confess I did not enjoy it near as much this time after being spoiled all week!
So what is next? Need I say I want to go back? My bruises have begun to fade but the memories certainly have not. The trip was awe inspiring and exhilarating. I would love to do it again. I would love to be able to talk Mark into joining me, and have not given up on that yet. But almost. If I did it again without Mark, I would want to go even slower this time, with more time to “stop and smell the canyon.” I enjoyed the rapids immensely, so would not worry so much about them, therefore, I don’t have the same limitation of needing a big solid boat that I imposed on myself this time. I would still be cautious about a boat flipping. I have been in that cold water - fully dressed and almost unable to swim in it! I would definitely consider an oar trip but it would have to be with the right guide. TJ or Trey were both great drivers that I would trust, but I’d probably have to feel that safe with a driver before I could commit to a smaller boat. I would definitely book with Arizona River Runners again. The food was great, the equipment good, clean, and comfortable. They kept safety paramount, and were constantly concerned for our welfare. They encouraged us to succeed, and helped us up when we began to falter. They took genuine care of us. My expectations were very high, and they were exceeded 200%.
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