A rather short day on the river, punctuated with two short hikes: one up Saddle Canyon, ending in a pool and a waterfall. and the other to the Anasazi granaries at Nankoweap.
Saddle CanyonA little before 9AM we begin our first hike, up Saddle Canyon. This first hike was the easiest of the trip. I suspect now that our guides used it to gauge our group's strengths and weaknesses so that they could adjust their plans accordingly. The least comfortable part was in the beginning which had most of the climb and was in full sun. But since we began early, it was relatively cool. And once we were up in the valley, in the shade it was pleasant. Just a stroll.
There was a little scramble to get up to the small pool and waterfall. Another group was there which didn't bother me. Later I heard grumbling about it. The fact that they didn't leave when we arrived is considered poor river etiquette. We're here to get away from it all. If we wanted a crowd, we'd go to Yellowstone or Yosemite.
We arrive at camp just as another group, who lunched and hiked here, are leaving. I find us a fairy glen to lay our sleeping bags, surrounded by trees, with a path down to the river, convenient to our toilette. Dubbed "Riverbank Glen" this site is protected by hot, drying winds and close to the ever-cooling river. SAM sets up his camp on the other side of the sandy commons where the boats are moored. Rain.
It rains for about 20 minutes, just enough to cool things down for our hike.
The Anazasi Granaries above Nankoweap Creek provide the view for the another photo found in almost every book about the Grand Canyon. The setting sun lights up the canyon downriver and the colors of the canyon run into each other like a watercolor painting.
