Rafting the Lower Canyon: Phantom Ranch to Whitmore Wash

Moonrise in the Grand Canyon

After running Hance Rapid (one of the larger rapids on the river), Rachel signaled that the engine on the lead boat was having problems.  We were in a narrow section of the canyon with no beaches, so she pulled up against a steep canyon wall.  Dom then used the other boat with engine running to hold the lead boat in place while they changed out the outboard.

Fixing the outboard

Kevin and I were laughing because these boats are each powered by a 30 hp Tohatsu outboard, the same engine we had on "Solstice's" dinghy (which we lovingly nicknamed "the Beast").  The two-stroke Beast was 10 years old and constantly giving us trouble.  The Tohatsus on the Hatch rafts are four-stroke and considerably newer, but the brand's performance (or lack thereof) seems to be pretty consistent.  Anyway, after about a half hour, the guides had managed to lift off the broken outboard and replace it with the spare one, and we were on our way to Phantom Ranch.

Ahh, Phantom Ranch!  Our brief stop at this green oasis midway through the trip was our only link to the outside world for the duration of the week.  Some people sent postcards, other people just enjoyed sipping lemonade in the shade (or beers in the air-conditioned canteen!).  It was my first time here, but Kevin recalled riding the mules down the Bright Angel Trail as a kid with his family.  You ride the mules down one day, stay the night in Phantom Ranch, and ride the mules back up out of the canyon the next day.  Kevin said that arriving by raft was a much more pleasant experience, and much easier on the derriere.

Views: Phantom Ranch Beach by Kevin Salt

The lower section of the Grand Canyon is known for some awesome waterfall hikes.  Elves Chasm is a beautiful waterfall with a natural rock ladder behind it.  People can climb up the rocks and then jump from the lower section of the falls.  Some of the younger kids (and more adventurous adults) did the jump multiple times.  Further downstream, Deer Creek Falls is a massive waterfall that dares you to try to get up close to the powerful spray.  And on day five, we hiked up along the light blue water of Havasu Creek, where a series of perfectly-sized swimming holes are fed by small waterfalls.

One of my favorite camp spots was the ledge camp for day five at mile 158.  The river comes right up to the rock ledge (steep dropoff, no swimming!) and just beyond camp is a rapid that echoes off the canyon walls.  The guides advised us to be very careful in the dark when using the "facilities" - it would be very easy in this camp to get turned around and walk right into the river.

Views: Ledges Camp by Kevin Salt

And speaking of the "facilities", this is a typical porto setup.  That is all I'm going to say about that.