Just like our first day of whitewater, this day started with a bang. Shortly after pushing the rafts off we came to the hardest rapid in the canyon. After scouting the rapid from a hill on river right, I took off with the first group of rafts to drop in. Though it was a quick rapid, it was a blast. The power of these monster waves is really incredible. I did get thrown off course a bit, but made it through without much issue. I tried for a few minutes to paddle back up and surf on the waves, but was never able to get in. After watching the rest of the rafts run through we headed just downstream to tequila beach to celebrate the fact that everyone was still upright and in their boats.
The main wave train in Lava Falls
What followed was completely different. The rest of the day was a relatively gentle float through calmer water with the occasional riffle. The scenery on the other hand took another interesting turn. As we continued downstream we saw more and more lava flows around us. There were all kinds of basalt columns and signs of ancient lava dams. It was quite a bit different than anything we had seen up to this point.
Basalt columns along the side of the river
This layer of basalt shows up very clearly where the canyon has eroded away below it
You can see where the lava flowed down from the higher levels of the canyon through a cut in the rock here
The day floated by quickly and before we knew it we had arrived at Whitmore Wash and our camp for the next couple days. Though we went through the usual un-packing routine, everyone was eager to relax and we ended up spending a couple of hours enjoying the late afternoon sun that shined directly down on the beach at our camp. It was a perfect opportunity to get a bath, do some laundry, and just unwind a bit. Given that this was another layover camp, I spent some time planning out some hikes for the next day, so stay tuned for more…
Day seven started early. Really early. I woke up multiple times during the night admiring the stars framed between the tight canyon walls. It’s a really fun way to take it all in because I can stay wrapped up in my cozy sleeping bag and still appreciate the view. By 5 AM or so I was up taking photos. First of the moonlight canyon walls, then of light of the rising sun as it started to filter down into our little corner of the canyon. The early start was totally worth it.
The moon was bright enough to light up the canyon around camp
I climbed up to this ledge high over the river to get a better view of the sun starting to light up the horizon just before dawn
After some breakfast we hopped back on the rafts and floated through a few bends of the river to Havasu Canyon. We caught the eddy at the mouth of the canyon and tied up the rafts so we could explore the river and take in the beauty this particular creek is famous for. We spent a few minutes chatting with some backpackers that were about to float downstream on pack rafts, took their trash, and gave them some goodies that only 7 huge rafts can carry this far into the wilderness in ample supply: toilet paper and beer.
Looking up Havasu Creek from near the river’s edge
The rafts tied up in the mouth of Havasu Creek viewed from the trail that leads into Havasu Canyon
After that I grabbed my camera and tripod and started up the side canyon. Let me tell you, this place deserves it’s reputation for stunning beauty. The water is was strikingly clear and blue. Though it did not have it’s full famous milky blue color everywhere, the water was still incredible. We were also treated to a bit of a wildlife. We watched a pair of bighorn sheep climb their way up the canyon walls and then traverse up the canyon. They are comfortable with the heights and exposure in a way that I am quite sure I will never be. They are also extremely fast climbers, and ascend steep slopes in what looks to me like a run.
Our first view of the lushness the creek has to offer
A bighorn sheep ram walking along the edge of the cliff above us
I slowly made my way up the creek, taking in the sights the whole way. It was a nature lover’s playground. The creek was cool and clear, and I spent quite a bit of time wading around picking out interesting angles, rocks, and ripples. I could have easily spent hours in this canyon alone, but I had to at least try to keep up with the rest of the group.
One of many little rapids along Havasu Creek
Even the tail along the edge of the river was interesting
We eventually made it to a bend in the creek where the sun was able to reach down to the pools at the water’s edge and stopped to take a dip. It was hard to go under at first, but it was too tempting to get something resembling a bath in some clean water. Everyone spent some time enjoying their swim and then headed back down to the rafts to have lunch and get ready to push off again.
This particular set of falls was my favorite of our little walk
A closer look at one of those falls really shows of the color of the ferns hanging out from under the rocks
Havasu Canyon definitely makes my list of places I would like to get back to on this trip. Due to COVID restrictions we could not travel very far up the canyon, including any of the bigger waterfalls that are so famous here. Some day I’ll be back. Time was up for our visit on this trip though, so we got back on the rafts and continued downstream to camp for the night at Tuckup Canyon. After all the time we had spent at Havasu this one seemed a bit ordinary in comparison, but I still spent some time exploring it. I didn’t make it too far up the canyon, but still appreciated the tight narrows. After that it was back to camp to enjoy another excellent dinner.
Looking up Tuckup Canyon
As usual, there is are so many layers of cliffs to see in the background as you explore these places
After our layover day it was back to the usual routine of packing up the rafts and heading downstream. It was a calm morning in terms of whitewater with a number of small rapids, but the views continued to impress.
Me, floating through the canyon in the kayak
We stopped for lunch and a hike at Matkatamiba Canyon. I know, it’s a mouthful. Everyone calls it “Matkat”. It was yet another example of the layered rocks eroded away by the side creek. The hike was short and quite easy, but it was also fun. We hiked into the canyon along the side of the creek on top of a ledge. From there we explored the back of the canyon a bit and then hiked back out through the stream, making a loop. I think the photos really explain this one better than I can, so I’ll just let them do the talking:
The lower end of the creek. The trail runs along the upper edge of the right wall
This angle (looking back out) gives a sense of scale with Anne in the background
The upper end of the Matkatamiba narrows. This is where the dry (hiking in) and wet (hiking out) trails merge
Looking down into the narrow section you can see the dry trail to the left of the creek
Believe it or not, this is the trail. Definitely something special!
A friendly toad watching us hike by
There was only a short distance to go after we left Matkat, but it did contain the one big rapid of the day, Upset. This is an 8 that proved to be a tricky one. We got closer to flipping a raft in upset than we did on the entire trip. I watched it all happen from an eddy below the big hole. There was a moment of “uh oh…” before the raft landed upright. To top it off, neither of the passengers fell out, though they did report seeing blue sky in an unusual direction.
Only the bottom of these rafts is black
Once we were through upset we quickly made it to Above Ledges, our camp for the night. This was my favorite camp of the trip. The entire camp was situated on some stone ledges that protruded from the canyon wall right up to the water’s edge. Everyone simply spread out to find their rock of choice and set up their sleeping pads. Once the sun went down a headlamp was a must, because if you took one wrong step you could end up in the water. That being said, I made it safely to bed that night (as did everyone else) and listened to the bats flying around above me. I could hear their chirping above me as they flew around keeping any insects away.
My dad and I were so impressed by our hike the previous day that we had to return the following day to do the echo canyon loop with my mom as well. This time we took a shorter loop. First down the Echo Canyon trail, then up the Hailstone Trail. The hike down Echo Canyon did not disappoint, just like the day before.
A hoodoo with some interesting erosion towering over the trail
Looking down through a gap in the rocks at the trail below
A pair of lizards watch us hike by
We took our time on the downhill and enjoyed the view, but before we knew it the trail leveled out and we started to traverse back towards the start. All in all it was a much shorter hike than the day before, but quite spectacular. After making our way back up to the trail head it was time to drive down and out of the park towards home.
One of the great things about Arizona is how accessible outdoor activities are. The weather is nearly always perfect for a walk in the evening, and there is plenty of open space to enjoy. As we continued our quarantine working from the Airbnb we took full advantage of that to get out in the evenings and relax.
We spent a couple of those evenings walking around the abandoned Vistoso Golf Course. Though it isn’t really an authentic taste of the local desert, it’s still a nice strip of open space winding it’s way through the neighborhood.
The water hazards don’t really last when the water gets shut off
This is not typical in this area
We also saw some of the local wildlife scavenging for seeds on the side of the road. These javelinas are quite common around Arizona, but seeing the young ones so close is pretty unusual.
Finally, we were also able to get up into the hills of the Tortolitas one evening to get some beautiful views of the sunset. We only went on a short walk, but the payoff was great.
What’s the ideal way to celebrate new years in Boston? With a bike ride into the city of course! We actually really lucked out with the weather on this one. Though it wasn’t a terribly sunny day, the temperature was very comfortable. We started in Waltham and made our way all the way into Boston. After a stop for raman in the city it was back on the bike to head back home.
This heron was doing some (very cold) fishing in Cambridge
The ride back certainly felt long as we pushed against the wind, but we continued to make steady progress. We saw a heron doing some finish along the edge of the water in Cambridge, so of course I took a break to capture some photos before we wrapped up our ride. All told this turned out to be about a 30 mile ride. Definitely a good conclusion to the year.
As the summer wrapped up and kids went back to school we had to get a little more creative in how we met up with our niece and nephew. One of the things we ended up doing was a flat water paddling trip on the Nashua River. Given that we essentially picked the location based on driving distance, the Oxbow National Wildlife Refuge was a very nice spot.
The color was turning on the leaves, the river was glassy smooth, and there were very few people out. We had a great time even though it didn’t end up being a terribly long trip. You can only go so far on the patience of a three year old after all. Along the way we saw the usual assortment of turtles, and bugs, as well as this massive Bullfrog.
Later that evening I also went for a walk at the Broadmoor Wildlife Sanctuary. Broadmoor is operated by Mass Audubon, so I was expecting some great views with a variety of birds, and that is exactly what it delivered. The photographic opportunities were a bit limited due to the overcast weather, so I’ll definitely be back here another time.
A quick post today, just a few flowers from around Mere Point. The big highlight here is this hummingbird moth. I haven’t seen these before, and they are pretty cool. They look and sound like a hummingbird, but aren’t actually birds. Just like hummingbirds they are incredibly hard to photograph in flight, so I have to apologize for the blur.
Starting at the end of our stay in Maine we had access to the motor boat, and thus were more easily able to get out on the water. One of the most common sights are the harbor seals relaxing on the rocks. On this trip though there were some seal pups hanging out on the rocks as well. They perked up and watched us carefully as we floated by.
Not long after that it was back home to reality. Though it was a bummer not to be on the water any more we did appreciate being home. The clematis flowers in our front yard were quite the treat as we arrived. The color and texture of the flowers was simply amazing.
To start things off, I have a couple of odds and ends style photos I wanted to share. The first one is a shot of the end of Mere Point with the classic red buoy in the background. I liked how this one lone seagull seemed to be taking in the view, perhaps just waiting for a crab to show itself.
We also had this little friend stop by the plastic pool that was sitting in the back yard. Our jumpy friend spent a few hours swimming around (to the delight of my niece and nephew) before heading back into the woods where they came from.
After a couple weeks of glorious weather, we got a whole different treatment. Over the course of a couple days we were essentially fogged in for the whole time. However, the weather never really got bad enough to force us to hunker down, so we just kept on enjoying the outdoors. I had a lot of fun capturing the quiet mood on the point as most people stayed inside. Everything felt like it was hushed and wrapped up in a blanket. The heron silently fishing in the seaweed fit right in.
