Day 35: How we floated down the Colorado River

Colorado River Float Trip

Glen Canyon Dam to Lee's Ferry

We signed up for the Colorado River Float Trip. It was not a white water trip. It was a leisurely float down 15 miles of the Colorado River from the Glen Canyon Dam access to Lee's Ferry. 

It was beautiful.

You should have seen Nana going down the 2 mile tunnel access to get to the bottom of the Glen Canyon Dam, where the boats were located. 

She had her eyes closed.

We took a tour bus from the parking lot of the Colorado River Rafting Co. to the tunnel access rd. It was a steep 6% grade downhill in the dark. Like a roller coaster. Except in slow motion.

Every 500 feet there were side tunnels that entered the canyon walls. 

Pretty amazing. 

When they were constructing this tunnel access, they had 2 groups working on it 24 hours per day. One group at the top, while the other group worked from the bottom and were lowered down with ropes. Instead of hauling all the debris to the top, they built these side tunnels and dumped the dirt and rocks out the side. 

We counted 18.

Here's Nana and Paw. She looks relieved to be out of the tunnel. 

We're settled into our raft. It has a motor, so now oars.

Here's a look down the canyon.

Here's a look back at the Dam.

The happy couple with Adam in the background.

He was pretty happy. He met a friend, from Kentucky, who was out on fall break. They hung out together the whole time.

The sides of the canyon.

Natalie looking happy too.

Our only white rapids. Class .05!

Meaning not much there.

The black sides of the canyon are called desert varnish. It's the oldest part that has been baked in the sun. The newer parts are more tan colored. 

Day 34: Page, AZ

Upper Antelope Slot Canyon,

Glen Dam Tour &

Horseshoe Bend 

We started our day off with a Navajo led tour of the Upper Antelope Slot Canyon. Our tour guide, Ronda, talked to us about the local history, geology, and Navajo Culture. 

The slot canyon was extremely beautiful with varied colors of reds.

The light was just coming in through the top.

Although, not apparent in the pictures, it was very crowded. There were 4 different Navajo tour groups operating tours through this Canyon, and our group had about 20 total. In some areas, it was standing room only.

Adam liked our tour group leader and he stuck with her through most of the tour. She took his camera and made several unique shots for him.

We signed up for a tour of the Glen Canyon Dam too in the afternoon. Earlier, we had visited the Visitor's Center and Adam picked up another Jr. Ranger booklet to complete, and we noted they had tours. 

Our tour guide, another Navajo, spoke of many facts and figures concerning the water flow and height and building process, but I can't remember any of them tonight. 

It's still impressive anyway.

Nana, who doesn't like elevators, had to descend in two of them for this tour. She's not too happy with me.

A view from the top of the Dam. 

Still later in the evening, Natalie and I took a short hike/walk up to Horseshoe Bend. It was a wide sandy stroll up and then down a long hill to the edge of the cliff. 

That's about as close as I felt comfortable getting. 

You can see others, didn't have any common sense though.

I made Natalie stand way back from the edge. 

She's a bit fearless.

The sun is going down on us. 

A pretty desert flower/weed.

Sunset over the buttes/mesas, whatever.

 I don't know what to call them.

Day 16: How We Met Black Beauty and the Hoodoos of Drummheller

The Royal Tyrrell Museum 

in Drummheller, AB, CA

Today, we went to visit the Dinosaur Museum in town. 

The first exhibit

Wouldn't want to meet this guy in the woods!

The blackened T. Rex, called "Black Beauty." 

It's in what's called a "Death Pose," which means its head is curled back over its body. 

Adam learned today, that 2 high school students were out fishing when they discovered a black stone sticking out of the ground. They thought it was petrified wood, but later it was determined to be a skeleton of a T Rex. Although relatively small in stature, it remains one of the most complete skeletons to have been found.

The black color comes from the element Manganese.

One of the largest displays of dinosaur remains are here.

Checking out the landscape.

This is the landscape around the Drummheller area.

The Hoodoos area

Hoodoos take many years to form and stand 5 to 7 meters tall. (about 15 to 20ft) Each hoodoo is a sandstone pillar resting on a thick base of shale that is capped by a large stone. Hoodoos are very fragile and can erode completely if their capstone is dislodged.

Hoodoos do actually come from the word "voodoo" and were named by the Europeans.

The Blackfoot and Cree believe that they are petrified giants who come to life at night and hurl rocks at intruders.