GC - Day 6 - Sun Jun 14, 2009

after making a sack lunch at breakfast for ourselves so we'll have extra time at lunch. We stopped at Mile 148, Matkatamiba Canyon - our toughest hike. Our family elected to hike to patio via jungle gym (as described by the guides). Everyone hiked back via the goat path. On the jungle gym path in one place we had to brace our body between the walls (not floor - you're up about 10 feet) and inch your way up to the top. We wouldn't have been able to do it without Newty, and most of us got a few scrapes and had sore leg muscles by night, but we did it! Yea us! The hike alone was worth it, but when we got to the patio it was beautiful, with modest waterfall and streams. We enjoyed walking around there and also damming up the stream to create enough water for a water slide ride, at least for the first person riding. Tom took the group photo with Eileen's camera of those of us who made it up there (but only 10 of us plus guides by the jungle gym route). The guides seem to be able to climb anywhere in their (admittedly nice) flip flops.

Mile 157 Havasu Creek - we tied up while in the middle of the rapid! Now we see why we needed to have that sack lunch already made. We hiked up and played in rapids, sat in the pools. The movie, The Blue Lagoon was partially filmed here. Georgeous blue (from calcite) awesome scenery.

More awesome scenery on our way to RM 176 camp at below Red Slide. ALL the scenery was awesome. We started taking it for granted sometimes, but sometimes it was nice to just sit and look. It was so beautiful.

Our last night, and just like on a cruise, there was a Captain’s dinner. Luckily we were all invited (although we understand Jacob was iffy). The guides broke out their tux shirts and ties - what? where did they keep those? Since the rest of us had forgotten our evening dresses and tux shirts, we had been given proper clothing for dinner the first day we came - we might have thought they were sheets. Some people really had inventive togas, and we all had something "special" to wear. Shrimp cocktail for our appetizers (served to us) and grilled trout. Wonderful! Newty played his guitar (where did that come from?) and sang. We enjoyed that until he broke a string. He doesn't have a whole music store with him? Anyway, then we had some stories and jokes, then to bed. It's sad that this is the last night, but showers and toilets are sounding pretty nice, too.