No Lee, No Ferry, No Problem

Lee’s Ferry, on the Colorado River just before it enters Grand Canyon in Arizona, is where the one-armed adventurer, John Wesley Powell, began his epic rafting trip through the Canyon in the late 19th century.

He was the first white person to do this, and since my love for Grand Canyon knows no bounds, I’m destined to follow in his wake (zing!) sooner than later. Though I plan to have both my arms when I do.

I visited the spot where boaters put in for the trip in March, and it was already busy with activity. I was cheered to see a bunch of older folks prepping for the trip, who seemed to be well into the years of using their senior National Parks passes.

I tend to see two age groups in the parks – 20s/30s and 60s/70s. I’m between the two and seem to be in the small minority. Regardless, I’m happy to see anyone getting out and exploring, much less rafting for as many as 280 miles downriver.

Before we get to the river, though, I’d like to pay tribute to some big, beautiful rocks. I do love them, and I especially love trying to capture their grandeur in photographs.

Lee's Ferry butte

What a butte! (God. So sorry.)

Lee's Ferry mesa

The clouds were gorgeous that day, seeming close enough to touch.

Okay, onto the Colorado River.

Colorado River Overlook

I made this image from the Navajo Bridge just before you get into Lee’s Ferry.

Lee's Ferry, Arizona

Here’s the view from a different spot. I loved the green of the water against the red of the rocks.

Lee's Ferry, Arizona

More gorgeous green water.

Lee's Ferry, Arizona

Some folks were practicing water rescues, which seems a smart thing to do before rafting the Colorado. It’s not for folks who like to float six packs of beer behind their inner tubes.

Lee's Ferry, Arizona

The mildest of rough water. This trip includes some class V rapids, and people die every so often. This, strangely enough, doesn’t dim my wanting to go. What about you?

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8 Comments

  1. B0B at 6:32 pm #

    Nice eye candy. Thankya kindly, miss.

    • deonne at 6:43 pm #

      Bob – Just doing my job, sir. πŸ™‚ (My pleasure.)

  2. Terri at 10:29 pm #

    I’m with you – the contrast of the color of the water to the rocks is gorgeous. And I”m like you – when going to the national parks and stuff, I’m usually in the middle, age-wise too. πŸ™‚
    Terri recently posted…Lot Going On…My Profile

    • deonne at 8:16 am #

      Terri – Yes! I shoot more color these days, which may say something about recent changes in my life, ha. Good to know another tween road traveler, and thanks for commenting. πŸ™‚

  3. Sherry in MT at 7:26 am #

    Still fun even class 5 (with someone that knows what they are doing of course). Love the shot from the bridge!
    Sherry in MT recently posted…Camera Still Works!My Profile

    • deonne at 9:09 am #

      Sherry – I’m excited about the Class V! The only issue will be keeping the camera dry. πŸ™‚ Glad you liked that shot, such a beautiful viewpoint.

  4. Hmmm….I may actually be one of those people that would rather float a 6-pack behind my inner tube. Can we still be friends?

    • deonne at 4:09 pm #

      Susan – Ha! Of course. I’ve got no judgment around sixers and tubing, just that the Colorado probably isn’t the ideal setting for it. πŸ™‚

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