Day 2, things start getting going

One of the things we learned the day before was coffee call was at 5:15, and breakfast call at 5:45.  Getting up early has its advantages.  Its the coolest part of the day, and there's a lot to be said for that.  Also, the more miles we could get before the afternoon winds came up, the easier our time in the boat would be.  I recall waking up way too early and super tired, as I didn't sleep well that night, or several nights previous.  But when I got up and looked around where I was, my late night thoughts of minor disappointment quickly vanished.   We were on our second day of 14 rafting the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon.

I hope at some point to get some footage of rapids, but I didn't get much in the way of pictures of them.  Riding the rapids is a significant part of rafting the Grand Canyon, but if its the only reason you go you'll likely be disappointed.  There is so much more to see and do, and the really good rapids are spread out over 225 miles of river.  So don't hold your breath. 

We did another big rapid early in the day, House Rock.  Because it was early in the morning the river flow was still lower due to the weekend, and I'm thinking this rapid would have been more fun in higher water.  It was fun, none the less.  I realized later in the trip that the rapids were just another adventure, just don't expect something specific as it will likely be different than you expect. 

Our first destination of the day was North Canyon.  This was a short hike that everyone did to a small pool.  One could wade through the pool and go farther, but most of us avoided the somewhat stagnant water and just enjoyed hanging out in the shade.  

After this outing we went back to the boats and ate lunch.  The afternoon was rafting "the Twenties", a series of fun rapids between miles 21 and 27.  Our camp was at mile 32, South Canyon.  I recall the last miles of the day being against the wind and tiring.   When we got to camp, Tommy offered the group that we could swim our first rapid of the trip.   I was beat, the water was cold, so I passed.  I believe Mark, Pepper, Casey, young Naomi, Mike Jahn, and one Michael O'Hara (aka Michael, as opposed to Mike Jones, and Mike Jahn) were the only ones to do it.  Mark got out freezing cold, as it was a long swim and hence a long time in the water.  My excuse was I had a beer already, and I was glad I opted out that time.   

I noted during day 1 some of the wildlife we saw.  I didn't write notes from each day's wildlife viewings, but most days we saw herons. 
Link to Day 3