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Road Trip Northern Arizona: JTree ::: Sedona ::: Navajo Bridge ::: Vermilion Cliffs ::: Lees Ferry ::: Colorado River ::: Schultz Pass ::: Grand Canyon


Colorado River, April 2019
Along the Vermilion Cliffs: A Photographic Log
12 April 2019, 16 miles

While the Lees Ferry site includes interesting old buildings and artifacts from the days when there really was a ferry in operation, nowadays there's more.

Lees Ferry is also the location where commercial and private rafting expeditions enter the Colorado River to float through the Grand Canyon. To that end, there's quite a bit of infrastructure. In addition to the usual picnic tables and restrooms, Lees Ferry also features a campground, a dock jutting out from shore, a launch ramp—really a flat beach—at the shallow, gently sloping edge of the river with a thick steel cable for tying up multiple rafts all in a row, etc. There are also a couple of big parking lots packed with vehicles left behind by expeditions on the way downriver.

While I was there, it was a busy place with a private rafter and two commercial outfitters—one with several yellow rafts and one with two big blue rafts—preparing to launch. A few dozen lucky folks milled around strapping on life jackets, listening to boat captains give last-minute instructions, and for the most part looking a little nervous about hitting the river and the rapids.

The Ogre and I couldn't float down the river with them, but another short stretch of paved road ran right along the edge of the river, so we tried our best to follow the fleet.


While the Ogre cooled its tires in shallow water at the quiet edge of the river, activity swirled along the launch ramp.


Commercial outfitters prepared to launch a fleet of rafts into the Colorado River and through the Grand Canyon.

I said to a woman helping prep the rafts, "Your vehicles don't have wheels or pedals!"

She responded, "Your vehicle won't float."


The first raft drifts into the river.


Here comes another one.


A flotilla of that size requires an admiral.


She's smiling, but I don't think she's an admiral.


And they're gone, leaving the Ogre alone on the river.

Maybe we should pursue.


We tried to catch them, but those wheelless vehicles were faster than they looked. They gone.


The Ogre continued down the road with the river on one side and big rocks on the other side.


Soon we reached Paria beach.

Here the muddy water from the Paria River flows into the faster, clearer Colorado River without immediately mixing together.


Looking upstream, it's easy to see two distinct flows.


Looking downstream, the river begins to enter Marble Canyon on the way to Navajo Bridge and beyond.


The muddy water is relatively gentle and shallow, but the main flow of the river is fast and rough.


Pulling back a bit, here's what the river and the far bank look like from Paria beach.


Driftwood at Paria beach.


The river foams across rocks at Paria beach.


Another view up the river toward Lees Ferry.


Tiny green life finds a way, even in sandy crevices on rocks beside the river.


Rocky cliffs looming over Paria beach.


A big commercial raft comes into view.

I saw this one loading on the launch ramp at Lees Ferry.


There it goes down the Colorado River, heading for the Grand Canyon.

Large enough to be a USN gunboat or an ocean-going Carnival Cruise vessel with commodious staterooms.

No pedaling required. Just hang on.


I've really enjoyed Navajo Bridge and the Vermilion Cliffs and Lees Ferry and the Colorado River, but it's time to pedal the Ogre back to the Forester and drive back to my basecamp in Flagstaff and get ready for tomorrow's ride.


Oops, that was the wrong way. Gotta go in this direction.



Road Trip Northern Arizona: JTree ::: Sedona ::: Navajo Bridge ::: Vermilion Cliffs ::: Lees Ferry ::: Colorado River ::: Schultz Pass ::: Grand Canyon

Summary

Date: 12 April 2019
Time: 10:00 - 2:00
Weather: 55 - 65° F, mostly sunny
Route: Navajo Bridge - Vermilion Cliffs - Lees Ferry - Colorado River and back to Navajo Bridge
Distance: 16 miles
Bike: Ogre
Riders: Solo


Comments? Questions? Suggestions? I'd like to hear from you.


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