Saturday, January 1, 2011

2009 Day 6 Sept 18 118.5-138 from Big Dune to Football Field RM138 Randys Rock

Sept 2009 Geology River Trip - Day 6 Sept 18 from Big Dune 118.5 to Football Field mile 138


This journal covers Day 6 – from Big Dune to Football Field.  Part 1 – from Big Dune Camp to Football Field Camp at mile 138



06:00 Sunrise in Big Dune

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06:29 Tapeats in early morning light – this was a great climbing area

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06:42 four sacred datura blossoms opened last night

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One

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Two

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Three

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Four

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We pack up and head down river to Blacktail Canyon

07:59 we enter Blacktail Canyon

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07:59 Great Unconformity

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08:01 Wayne explains the geology of the Great Unconformity

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08:13 a Quartzite boulder fell onto a Tapeats Sand beach, was shattered, and the pieces became part of Tapeats later washed down in this boulder into Blacktail Canyon

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08:22 Blacktail Canyon turnaround at plunge pool

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08:24 Mark Combs at Blacktail Canyon plunge pool

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08:30 Quartzite pieces embedded in Tapeats – detail shot as we walk out of Blacktail Canyon

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08:43 Did I mention Drew is incredibly strong?

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09:41 Randys Rock RM 126.5


detail of Randys Rock



09:43 Bighorn poses on rock as we pass

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09:47 group on the river

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We head down the river and stop at Stone Creek Canyon – a wonderful spot – and clean water

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11:06 we took turns getting wet and clean

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11:17 interesting boulder at Stone Creek pullout

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11:27 Chuckwalla at Stone Creek beach

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12:54 looking ahead to 135 Mile Rapids

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We proceed down the river

12:58 Granite Narrows – 76 feet wide (narrowest point on the river in Grand Canyon, and the deepest spot)

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13:02 Christmas Tree Cave Mile 135.2

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We continue down the river to Deer Creek Falls

13:21 Chuckwalla Lizard poses for us at Deer Creek falls stop

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13:23 we hike to the falls – notice the unconformity half way up (where the water comes out of the rock)

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13:27 We cross the creek and encounter a crimson monkeyflower

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13:46 we hike up the deer creek trail and look both ways

Here we are looking up river

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13:46 downriver – notice the slide on the right

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13:47 looking at the top of the slide area (this slide extends across Surprise Valley and all the way down to the river – some debris material even crossed the river)

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We hike back to the Deer Creek Patio (going thru the narrows)

14:04 here is a view of some of the slide above the patio

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14:07 Deer Creek Patio upper pool and falls

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14:29 Cindy shows us how to relax

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14:36 Suzette and Terri at Deer Creek Narrows on the way back

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14:38 Looking down into Deer Creek Narrows

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15:03 detail of unconformity at top of Deer Creek Falls

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We proceed down the river

15:23 Looking up at Surprise Valley Slide (megaslide)

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15:25 Looking up slide debris

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15:25 Panchos Kitchen Camp (loud party for hours – they brought drums!)

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We stopped adjacent to Panchos Kitchen in Football Field Camp – just across from the Surprise Valley mega slide – great views of the slide

16:00 cave above Football Field Camp – I hike up to this but it was just a collapsed section in Tapeats forming a shallow cave

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16:00 view from cave above camp was VERY nice

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16:37 looking across river at Surprise Valley Slide

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17:49 Mike and Joan relax in Football Camp

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17:50 Jamie prepares dinner - see the fixings for Strawberry Shortcake Desert

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18:32 Sunset in Football Camp was awesome

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18:33 More sunset

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End of Day 6




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