Looking warm and dry, David, Amber, Adam, Adina,
Mike, me, Dan and Vicki.  (Missing David Russell,
 who volunteered to take the photo.) We each had a pole
as high as our shoulder and matching water shoes.
Cheered by a great weather forecast for our
 two day hike, we set out with enthusiasm!
  In reality, the weather was much cooler and
 cloudier with a few sprinkles of rain.
The hike starts in a open field, in a shallow but swift Virgin
 river.  We’d walk the riverbank when possible, until it
ran out, and then cross the river.  The hike maps out at
 16 miles, but per my FitBit pedometer, we crossed the
 river so many times that we actually hiked 20 miles.
Husband points!  Mike’s pack had our tent,
two sleeping bags, pads, and warm clothes
for camp.  My bag had snacks, at about
10% of the weight of Mike’s pack.
See the tiny hikers at the bottom?  The canyon grows
deeper.  The fall leaves were a riot of color against
the canyon walls. We started hiking in the afternoon,
 and finally made it to a campsite 6 hours later, in
 pitch black darkness, crossing the river wearing headlamps.
Beautiful overhang showcasing the symmetry.
Occasionally, we had logjams like this
one to clamber over and under.
The power of water.
The method of movement in the water was to maintain two
 points of contact at all times, planting the stick before moving
 your feet.  This part of the river was easy.  In the deeper parts,
the water was murkier and more swift, with large moss covered
boulders.  Like walking on greased bowling balls.

               

Posted by Picasa