Day 5
We successfully made it through our first night roughing it without getting attacked by canyon wildlife. Instead of waking up to critters, I woke up to our raft guides yelling COFFEEEEEEE! This was our wake up call each morning to grab a cup of Joe, get camp packed up and to get ready for breakfast. It was also time to get introduced to the DUKE! The duke was our restroom for the week. It consisted of an old army ammo box with a toilet seat attached to it. Our guides would strategically set up 2 per campsite and I have to say they did a fine job of picking sites with a view:). If the toilet paper was missing at the sign leading to the duke then you knew it was occupied. If the TP was there, it was all you! My advice, get up early and get the job done before the sun hits the duke. I know this sounds not so nice, but I was actually shocked that it wasn’t so bad. I have definitely been in worse port-o-johns.
We ate breakfast, which was yummy and loaded up for Day 2 on the water. This would be our last big rapid day, so I was going to definitely grab a front seat and enjoy the ride. After cruising all morning we stopped for a hike and made our way to 100 foot falls. WOW, it was breathtaking and the water in the swimming hole felt amazing considering it was reaching 105+ degrees that day. We made our hike, took lots of pics and cooled off in one breathtaking swimming hole. We hiked the short hike back to the boat and made our way downstream to our next campsite. This site was my favorite of the whole trip. Us girls managed to snag a private beach front spot on top of a short hill. This came in very handy at night because it cooled off nicely and I actually had to sleep in my sleeping bag. The next morning I realized how lucky we were because all the other campers were commenting on how hot they were all night. Nice work Susan and Amanda for picking out that site!
Day 6
COFFEEEEEE!!!!! Time to wake up and take care of business lol! We packed up our site, made our way to the boats where I noticed a father and son doing pull-ups on a rock overhang. I couldn’t resist and got my morning workout in. Dad-20 Son-15 Moi-10…….nice work team! We ate breakfast and then headed down the river towards Cold Canyon. This was going to be a great relief from the heat, such a relief that we actually needed to wear our pants and jackets. We hit a couple nice rapids through this section which chilled you to the bone. I figured I would enjoy the cooler temps while they lasted. The canyon walls through this section were so impressive. The lava flows were my favorite to see, what a geologists dream! Layers upon layers of rock and history carved through this AMAZING canyon and natural wonder of the world. I sure felt blessed to be experiencing it by boat.
We stopped for another hike and made our way to another waterfall. This one you could climb on top of and jump out of it. Of course I had to give it a go and boy was it a rush. It was another fantastic swimming hole, which cooled us off in the heat of the day. We then headed down the river for Havasu, which would be our final day hike of the trip.
Those of you who have been following along with my blog posts know that I hiked Havasupai Falls last November from the North canyon rim. Now I was going to see where that water spills into the Colorado River. I have to say this was my favorite day hike and the water was just as spectacular at the bottom as it was at the falls. This was no easy hike and I could feel the blisters forming on my feet. Words of advice, wear socks with your Chaco’s. Another footwear word of advice, don’t bring Keen’s. Every passenger who had Keen’s on lost their soles. If I were them, I would certainly be writing Keen a letter.
After spending a couple hours swimming in the gorgeous water and gliding over small waterfalls, it was time to head back to the boat. We would be officially leaving Grand Canyon National Park and entering Lake Mead. I was sad that this trip of a lifetime was coming to an end, but I was ready for a shower, AC, ice and a break from the Duke:). We arrived at our final beach spot and set up camp. This called for a post dinner dance party since we could play loud music now that we were out of the National Park. We hung out with the guides and the late nighters then it was time to hit the hay. I laid under the sky full of stars and soaked in my final night of cowboy camping.
Day 7
COFFEEEEEE!!!!! Our final day. This was going to be a hot one! We had 4 hours of cruising through Lake Mead to the boat ramp where we would be picked up. We took this time to say our farewells to the new friends we had made and to kill off any box wine that was left on the boat lol! I would like to thank Michelle and Dave Wempa for putting this trip of a lifetime together. I would also like to thank my friend Susan Drumm for inviting me to join her family on this adventure. Shauna, Cameron, Amanda, Jock and Eula were an absolute blast getting to know and I will certainly remember this trip for a lifetime.
Life it too darn short! Get out of your box and start being adventurous, you won’t regret it! I am darn thankful that my body is able to still do the things I have always wanted to do physically, especially at 42 years young. Fitness is so important! Contact me today if you want to get in shape for your next adventure!
Karen Mullarkey
“No Mullarkey” Personal Training
IFBB Pro/WBFF Pro/ISSA CPT