Bill Merrow's Blog: 2009 Day 9 Sept 21 213-246 Pumpkin Spring to Spencer Canyon

Subject: Sept 2009 Geology River Trip - Day 9 Sept 21 from Pumpkin Spring mile 213 to Spencer Canyon mile 246

Day 9 from Pumpkin Spring to Spencer Canyon mile 246

06:52 Drew, the cooking guru, contemplates this morning’s giant pancake

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06:53 And he grabs the hot cast iron grill and flips the pancake, catching it cleanly . . .

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07:10 Great tee shirt at breakfast

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08:17 After eating we “load the boat” and head on down river - AM reflections of Tapeats and lava flow above

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08:34 we pass another large slide

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A great morning with great companions (thanks to Mark for shooting me below)

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10:35 We round a bend and see Travertine Falls

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10:50 We stop and get off the boat to explore Travertine Falls (and to get wet/cool off)

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10:51 Relaxing at Travertine

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10:57 Mike Mayer sets up group photo for auto timer shot

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Mike D10 Auto Photo

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Did I mention getting wet?

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11:10 Refreshed we head back to the boat

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11:27 We notice fluting in granite and Wayne discusses

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11:46 Captain Wayne Ranney pilots the boat

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Rapid ahead!

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A real get down and wet opportunity

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Wayne took us thru the rapid!

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11:47 Three birds posing for us

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12:41 we stop at the Separation Canyon for a snack and to see the Howland Monument

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We climb up to the monument and take pictures of it then each other . . .

Bill (thanks to Mark for taking this)

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James Cady

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Steve Keagy

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Wayne Ranney

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Jim Corken

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Jim Gruneisen

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Rob Wyatt

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Ed Hibbard

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Mark Combs

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12:46 Climb down from monument

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12:46 View from monument

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13:09 lunch time

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13:29 Back on the river – today the river was very busy with Hualapai Indian run boat tours

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13:38 Captain Suzette

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13:41 detail of slide – typical of this whole area it is likely caused by water flow lubrication at Muav boundary

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13:50 Captain Mark

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13:60 Looking back we see the slide area used for the detail shot above

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14:43 Early arrival at our last camp Spencer

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15:00 We camp at Spencer Canyon – our last campsite in the grand canyon for this 2009 river trip

16:49 Butterfly poses on beach

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