Bill Merrow's Blog: 2011 River Trip Day 2 - 9/25 EB Camp m44 and Eminence Break Hike

2011 River Trip Day 2 - 9/25 18 mile wash to EB Camp m44 and Eminence Break Hike

This was a good day with lots of sights during the day and the Eminence Break hike before dinner (we camped at EB camp river mile 44 river left).

Lunch was avocado sandwich
Dinner dutch oven ravioli with homemade sauce - really good.

06:30 We got up early (around 05:30), packed and were finishing pancakes for breakfast by 06:30

06:32 sunrise views upriver

Dishwashing at 07:01 (a bit later than normal and usually more work was done by guests)

07:01 cleaning up the kitchen and tearing it down

07:02 packing kitchen onto boat

07:56 we are on the river before 8am - view ahead and back at Tabitha Reeder and Sarol Gay (her mother) who are on Dennis's Dory today with Bill

07:58 we are on the river (today on the Dory with Dennis Smoldt, Tabitha Reeder and her mother Sarol Gay)
looking ahead at river mile 18.6 we see Boulder Narrows which is formed by a large Toroweap boulder in channel – note driftwood on top is from an old flood (Wayne Ranney said it dates from 122k cfs in 1957 – before Glen Canyon Dam) the bathtub ring is from this year's high water of 25k cfs in the summer
This is the largest boulder seen in the river in Grand CanyonWe are going to take the left passage around it - note the first of many fine reflections of the sky/canyon walls in the river

Here is a photo upstream and downstream of the same boulder from 2009 low water level - notice how much more was visible

07:59 fine view of geology downstream - we are in the Supai at the Manakacha of the Supai Group

10:34 we are in the redwall and enjoying fine river reflections - we will have great reflections most of this trip

10:58 Stanton's Cave

10:53 we see Redwall Cavern ahead - there is another trip there and we wait to land until most of them depart

11:07 Bryozoan Fossil in rockpile at downstream end of Redwall Cavern

11:13 a frisbee game breaks out in Redwall Cavern

11:34 Bill Merrow

11:38 Jim Jolly

11:38 eating lunch at Redwall Cavern

12:34 base of Redwall Limestone - note solution caves with Muav Limestone below

12:38 lush growth fed by spring in Redwall - note water dripping down

12:52 RM35.8 Bridge of Sighs - a must see/photo Belknap item

13:18 fine view of Devonian Deposits on river left (Temple Butte Limestone) around rm38

13:40 we are passing the Marble Canyon dam site - the dam was never built of course. We are glad as we would be under hundreds of feet of water filling Marble Canyon if it had. Below we see one of a number of test shafts dug to test the rock at the site

13:45 view upriver as we continue

14:30 we spot a Heron atop a boulder beside the river

14:32 Anasazi Bridge

16:29 we reach the EB overlook - you can see our tiny boats far below on the river (just below the center of the image)

17:01 Jim at top

17:04 other hikers relaxing at top - in front: Alana and Tom Martinez with Ty, Grant and Jan in the back

17:04 Dennis atop the Redwall LS which is our stopping point on this hike (I went a bit further to look at the route back which can be used for a LONG day-hike to the rim)

18:33 Holly prepping dinner - we had a very nice salad, and excellent dutch oven ravioli with homemade sauce - this was one of the very memorable meals (all Azra menu items were great)