www.waterweb.de - Kayaking the Grand Canyon of the Colorado (Marble Gorge)


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		Grand Canyon of the Colorado: Marble Gorge

Library Canoeing literature history Riverguide River descriptions online Spirit of Canoeing (Folding) Kayak trips illustrated River graveyard The destruction of our rivers Links Canoeing in the internet About the author	Lees Ferry to Phantom Ranch The Grand Canyon of the Colorado River in Arizona, USA - a live's dream for most kayakers became true for my wife and me in May 1997. It became one of the most fascinating trips we ever did - 11 days caught in a Canyon too big to describe, running on top (and sometimes submerged by) 25000 cubic feet (around 700 cubic meters) water per second. Accompanied by rafts from Expeditions Inc. (625 N.Beaver Street, Flagstaff, AZ 86001, phone (602) 779-3769 or 774-8176), it was a safe and 'easy' trip - all the more raising our respect for the first explorers around Major John Wesley Powell : Even if you experienced the pschological effects of this extreme environment on one of today's comfortable trips, you hardly can imagine the overwhelming pressure these men withstand on the first descent through the - then completely unknown - canyons of the river in 1869.
				A flash flood at Hot Na Na Wash (Mile 16.5) colors the river red for a few days. Such water caused the spanish discoverer of the Grand Canyon, Captain Garcia Lopez de Cardenas, to name the river 'Rio Colorado' in 1540. Until 1963, when Glen Canyon Dam started to hold back the sediments in Lake Powell, this was the all-year native color of the river.

	At the mouth of South Canyon, just on top of Vaseys Paradise (Mile 31.5).			Departing from Redwall Cavern (Mile 33.5).
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	Humming bird at Saddle Canyon (Mile 47).			Taking a bath in the turquoise water of the little colorado (Mile 61.5).
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	View down the river from the ancient cliff dwellings at Nankoweap Rapid (Mile 53).			View back from above Unkar Rapid (Mile 72).
> Top of page				If you're interested to surf some other Grand-Canyon or generally USA-related pages, here are some links to start with: The unofficial guide to the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon Controlled flooding of the Grand Canyon in 1996: USGS Site 1 and USGS Site 2 Official on-line waterlevel information for the USA AmericanWhitewater.org - lot's of links Link collection of Preston Holmes to other US-waterlevel information
	Entering the deepest part of the canyon below Sockdolager Rapid (Mile 79).
				> Jump to the lower part: Granite Gorge.

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Grand Canyon of the Colorado: Marble Gorge

Lees Ferry to Phantom Ranch