Friday, November 16, 2018

Floating Through Glen Canyon: A Photo Essay

As I disembarked the bus after reaching the foot of Glen Canyon Dam, I was given a lovely, blue hardhat. Annoyed, I plopped it on my head.  When my feet hit the pavement, I glanced up at the bridge that spanned the canyon over my head.  



That's when I recalled the sign I saw the previous day while walking on the bridge that read,


Do Not Throw Objects From Bridge
Thrown Objects Can Kill

My annoyance quickly gave way to thankfulness as I quietly contemplated all the ridiculous items that have probably been tossed from that bridge over the years.  As I walked the 20 or 30 yards from the bus to the boat dock, I sent up a prayer of thanks to the heavens above for that lovely, blue hardhat.



The bridge from which pedestrians are urged not to throw objects is the Glen Canyon Bridge, the 1,271-feet long steel arch bridge that spans Glen Canyon near Page, AZ.  Glen Canyon is natural canyon in the Vermillion Cliffs area of southeastern and south-central Utah and north-central Arizona.  Like the Grand Canyon downstream, Glen Canyon was carved by the Colorado River and its tributaries.  It is a part of the 1.25-million acre Glen Canyon National Recreation Area.

Glen Canyon Dam, the 710-foot concrete arch gravity dam which holds back the Colorado River, was built by the U. S. Bureau of Reclamation in 1963 as a means of controlling the unpredictable flow of the river, storing water in order to meet the ever increasing water demands of the American southwest, and as a means of producing and supplying hydroelectric power.  

The damming of the Colorado River in Glen Canyon created Lake Powell, the second largest man-made reservoir (by maximum water capacity) in the United States.  Only Lake Meade, the reservoir created by the Hoover Dam on the western end of the Grand Canyon, is larger.



After my traveling companions and I selected our seats and listened to our guide's watercraft safety instructions,  our half-day Glen Canyon float trip was underway.  For the next 15 miles, our guide shared stories and history about the canyon as we took in the sights and sounds of the canyon.



A blue heron


We took a break at spot called Petroglyph Beach, which allowed us a chance to use restrooms provided by the National Park Service and/or take a short hike to view some petroglyphs.  



Some members of our tour group decided to take a dip in the frigid 47℉ water, but this is about as far as my aunt, uncle, my uncle's brother, and I cared to venture in.  When I say it was frigid, I mean it was FRIGID!






We also floated through the famous Horseshoe Bend, which is one of the most photographed features of the American southwest.


Via

The interesting thing about that experience is that unless the guide had mentioned that we were in the iconic landmark, I would've been none the wiser.  When you are that deep down in the canyon, all you see are the sheer cliffs on both sides and your sense of scale and direction is seriously altered.




As we neared the end of our 15 mile float trip at Lee's Ferry, the red Navajo sandstone transitioned to Kaibab limestone, if I'm remembering correctly.  



We also viewed an Arizona shipwreck - the Charles H. Spencer.  (If you look very closely below, you will see its outline in the water.)  This was another instance that had the guide not pointed it out, I wouldn't have noticed the ship's remains and would've just thought that I was looking at rocks.



After exiting the boat, we boarded the waiting buses that took us on a 45 minute ride back to Page.



We opted for the half day float trip because we drove to our next destination that afternoon.  Wilderness River Adventures, the only tour operator allowed to offer float trips through Glenn Canyon, also offers a full day float trip which they describe as more leisurely.  The full day trip makes more stops and utilizes the current of the river to float more than the half day trip does.  There were several times in which our guide had to use the motor to speed us up a bit so that we'd make it to Lees Ferry on time.  But, in retrospect, I don't feel as if my experience was compromised any by this.  

Traveling can be exhausting, especially if you are on the move trying to squeeze in as much as you can in a given area in a certain amount of time.  What I liked best about the Glen Canyon float trip was the relative stillness of it.  Yes, we used the motor to help us get down the river faster, but it was still very serene and calming.  It was a welcomed break to the walking and the go-go.



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11 comments:

  1. Very nice post about your experience, I agree that a guide is necessary to help you understand what you are looking at as you journey along this river. The American SW is filled with wonderful places to visit. #TheWeeklyPostcard

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  2. BRRRR that sounds SO cold!! It's beautiful though so I can understand the appeal. It just looks like it would be quite a bit warmer though. ;) I don't know that I have the river skills to be comfortable without a guide. One of the men that I used to work with would take students on a rafting/camping trip to this area every summer, and he still hires a guide, even though he's been doing it for many years. It's definitely beautiful - I'm amazed at the etchings you shared!

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    1. The water was FREEZING and it was so odd because the air temperature was anything but freezing! It was in the 80s when we started that morning and in the 90s by the time we finished. It was a really cool experience.

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  3. This looks wonderful! I didn't know you could do this though I did a float trip from Hoover Dam from Nevada to Arizona many years back which was also wonderful.

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    1. It was a great experience! I had no idea this was available either, but then again, I didn't know that much about the area to begin with before I visited.

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  4. Absolutely love Glen Canyon! In fact, that whole corner of the world - having grown up near there, it's still very near and dear to my heart. Your photos have me itching to get back! Thanks for sharing on #TheWeeklyPostcard!

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  5. You have me appreciating the blue hard hat, too, thank you very much. I'd take your tour in a heartbeat, yes I would. Thanks for sharing.

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  6. 47F is frigid water indeed, can't imagine anyone voluntarily wanting to take a dip. Really enjoyed your travel photos and reading about it. What a great experience!

    Thank you for linking up on Wandering Camera!
    -Soma

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