Friday, April 11, 2014

Day 12 - Hotauta to Below Fossil

The morning sun shone on the cliffs of the north rim of the Grand Canyon as we prepared to leave the Hotauta camp just above Bass Canyon.

We ran a number of smaller rapids during the morning that were splashy fun

before a long smooth stretch which resulted in some switching places at the oars.

Travertine flows started showing up on the cliffs on river left, indicating we were nearing Elves Chasm.

We filled a couple jerry cans with water to replenish our supply and then hiked up to the famous chasm. It's also accessible on foot via the Royal Arch loop route, considered to be the most challenging route on the south side of the canyon.

After a relaxing time at Elves Chasm we continued on our way, drifting for a couple miles while eating lunch. The afternoon was very warm but the splashes in Blacktail rapid (3) were very cold.

Home for the night was the "Below Fossil" camp. It was a steep carry from the boats, but provided a large flat sandy area as well as some other tent spots nestled near the rocks as well as some sleeping spots on the Tapeats sandstone ledges.


No comments:

Post a Comment