More Dolores Photos

These are photographs that didn't get included when I posted the others. They're not in any particular order--not chronological, not by subject, not by river miles, not by anything at all except perhaps the alphabetical order of my list in Windows Explorer. Enjoy.

Colorado River in Marble Canyon

This is the beginning of Marble Canyon, four miles downstream from Lee's Ferry where all Grand Canyon river trips begin. We stopped and walked out onto the old bridge, then drove across the new one and ate lunch at the Marble Canyon Lodge. Walked out here once in the moonlight before launching a 1997 Grand Canyon river trip.

Navajo Bridge near Marble Canyon, Arizona

Standing on Navajo Bridge over the Colorado River in Marble Canyon, Patty enjoys the security of a railing--unlike in the next photo! We drove up to Lee's Ferry after this, saw both private and commercial Grand Canyon river trips getting ready to go, and then had a good outdoor lunch at the Marble Canyon Lodge.

On the Edge at Toroweap

Here is Patty standing on the edge of a very high cliff at Toroweap! It's probably not as bad as it looks, or she wouldn't have been there. We were both being careful.

High, Cold Camp in Utah

This camp, high on Boulder Mountain in south-central Utah, was around 9000 feet high. It was chilly in the evening, and downright cold by morning. But we survived!

South-Central Utah

A scene along Highway 12 north of Kanab, UT, but south of Boulder Mountain. I noticed this because of the small area of tiny sand dunes in the foreground. Because I prepared this photograph from the "raw" file, I was able to do much more with it. I'm anxious to work with the other raw image files I made on this trip.

Toroweap Overlook

Steep canyon walls at Toroweap, rising almost from the Colorado River. This is a view upstream.

Lava Falls from Toroweap

Lava Falls Rapid, probably the roughest rapid in the Grand Canyon, about a mile downstream from Toroweap. I'm guessing the water level was about 15,000 cfs since it was a little low to run the left side but the right side was big. We saw several rafts go through on the right side.

There is a trail from the rim down to the rapid, a mile or so downstream from Toroweap. A road goes out there. I walked/scrambled down there a few years ago. Might do it again but it takes another day at Toroweap. It's not a quick hike.

Toroweap Overlook

Toroweap Overlook is a spectacular place on the north rim of the lower Grand Canyon. You get there on a 61 mile dirt road from near Fredonia, AZ (or on another branch from near Colorado City, AZ). About 55 miles of that road is in fine shape, but the last few are darn near 4WD miles over rock ledges and other rough places. I did drive a VW bug there about 40 years ago. Used to be you could camp right on the edge of the canyon, but now there's a campground back about half a mile--too bad, but now you can worry less about finding a campsite. Even in the campground, it helps to have 4WD. Patty and I took my 4WD Toyota pickup, which does very well.

On Out To Bedrock

Just a short distance away from the takeout is the Bedrock Store. I think I bought some cheese or something, and perhaps a drink. It's a good re-introduction to the world. I enjoyed my drive out to Ridgway, along one of the valleys that are salt-collapse structures. Speaking of which, the Dolores River is a major contributor of salt to the Colorado River system.

The takeout at Bedrock. Takeouts are always hard work, but my trailer
makes it a lot easier now! I used to have to roll up my raft.

On river left there's a trail just a few miles from Bedrock that takes you to a good set of dinosaur tracks on a face of sandstone that shows ripples--either water-made, or eolian.

Evening at our last camp.

Here is the neck of the entrenched meander at Muleshoe Bend. Early in the geologic future, the river will erode across this neck and Muleshoe Bend will be cut off. The bend will still be there, but there won't be any water. We can find numerous places along western rivers where this has happened. There's one on the San Juan near Four Foot Rapid. Three Canyon in Desolation is one. So is Anderson Botton in Stillwater Canyon.

This is where I slept on our next-to-last night. I didn't see a good campsite but I did see this rather flat rock right above the water. I DO have a sleeping pad, so I set up there. It was great since I'm not a sleepwalker.

Slickrock Canyon

Slickrock Canyon has the Wingate Sandstone at or just above river level for its entire length. Hence, probably, the name "Slickrock."

This is an idyllic alcove in the Wingate, opposite which is the perfect campsite! You'd want to speak very quietly in that camp, because the concave surface of the alcove across the river would certainly reflect your voice back!

I made this photo from my raft. I'm not a plant-person and I have trouble distinguishing a rose bush from a pine tree. But here it was. I love this image.

Small Rapid

This small Slickrock Canyon rapid, probably a class II or III, is far short of Snaggletooth but is rather typical of many others on the Dolores.