Grand Canyon Journals - Part 15: Mooney Falls With Lava Looming

April 19, 2000

Slept through the full moon last night but not a very deep sleep. It was like trying to sleep with a car headlight shining directly in your face. Only after it dropped over the rim out of sight did I finally get some quality sleep. Since I was the only one on this side of the stream and had the place to myself, I stayed where I was in the morning leisurely packing, writing in my journal and enjoying the quite time. By the time I brought my gear down to the beach for loading, everyone was looking at me funny because they were used to seeing me all packed and writing in my journal while they themselves were packing. I didn't inform them that their thoughts weren't correct and instead settled down for a breakfast of bagels, eggs, hash browns and sausage.

We pushed off and drifted for about five miles before stopping for most of the day at Havasu Canyon. The creek itself was a brilliant crystal blue full of many fine swimming holes and waterfalls. Grapevines covered the valley and if there were fruit upon them, I would have thought I stumbled into Eden. I asked how the grapevines had gotten into the valley but nobody knew. Later I looked in some books and even pictures dating from the 1800's had them in the background. The two baggage oarsmen and three of the younger clients besides myself, started off at a pace set by Lee to ensure we made it to our destination and back in time to make final camp. I thought the pace would be a brisk walk but it was in fact a running lope and I did all my best to keep up. Quickly we lost one of the clients in our group but the rest of us kept loping along covering the six miles of rugged terrain in two and a half hours and reaching our destination of Mooney Falls.

Mooney Falls

It was a spectacular place but we only had fifteen minutes to eat lunch, take a few pictures and get our breath back before heading back down to the boats six miles away at the same blistering pace. Having ran the entire distance in a pair of heavy hiking boots, carrying my camera, water and food, my body ached all over from head to toe and my feet were beginning to blister. We had fifteen minutes to spare when we returned to the boats so I dipped my feet into the river before hopping in the boat. I swore the water started to hiss and bubble slightly when I stuck my feet in but I couldn't tell if when I submersed my head, it did the same.

We drifted on downstream a few more miles before stopping at Second Chance camp at mile 158. It was a smaller much cozier camp than Ledges but I was too tired to care that I couldn't separate myself very far from the group without swimming the river. All the geriatrics were tired from swimming in the pools all day, the hikers were more than tired from the hike and there wasn't really anywhere to hike to from camp so I just stayed and ate salmon spread and crackers until time for supper, which was a rice, shrimp and vegetable stir-fry. After supper, I sought refuge on Duffy's dory where I enjoyed a beer with him and Nick and shot the breeze for a while. Talk has lately been focusing on upcoming Lava Falls, which is the grand daddy of all the rapids on the river. The oarsmen were all talking about recent flips, which didn't set well in my stomach. Soon I was the last person up and so I decided to go to bed and pray that my dreams didn't involve Lava.

Another Picture of Lee and Myself