Day 4 - Nankoweep

We started off the morning at Saddle the same as every other morning. We ate breakfast, cleaned up, and loaded our boats. The Commercial group left before we did so we moved our boats to their spot which was deeper. Then we set off on the hike up Saddle Canyon. I was a little bit leery about hiking due to my previous headache from hiking, but I though I had better give it a try.

I took the trail slow and easy especially at first. It was a warm day and the trail was right in the sun. To be honest at first I was not sure if it was going to be worth it. Then we made it to the canyon. It was shady and at the end of our hike there was a small waterfall. It is hard to describe just how refreshing the side canyons are. It is like magically going from feeling beat to complete refreshed in seconds.

After the hike we left for what would be a very short day on the river. We went about five miles down river to the Nankoweep Camp. The crazy thing is that on this section of river our map listed no named rapids. There was nothing huge, but something in that stretch had to at least merit a two on the rating scale.

For most of the afternoon we just sat in the shade on the river bank and cooled our heels in the river. As much as I like being on the river it is sure nice to get in early and be able to relax. Our activity for most of the day consisted of telling the kind of riddles where you give a few hints and the other person tries to guess the answer by asking yes or no questions. We also had the chance to take a bath while the sun was still out. This is important because being less than a day away from the Glen Canyon Dam, the water is numbingly cold.

We decided that we would hike to the Nankoweep Granaries after dinner when the temperature would be much cooler, and we would be out of direct sunlight. It didn’t take long to realize that the hike was going to undue any good that the earlier baths may have done. It was a fairly tuff hike, and I was drenched in sweat by the time we got to the granaries. I keep thinking of the people who lived there a thousand years ago, and carried their corn for storage up there. The hike however was one of my favorites. We were up top at around dusk which is one of my favorite times of day, and the view down the canyon was spectacular. With a canyon that big I think it helps to be halfway up so you can take in the scene above and below. It was pretty dark for the hike out, but we made it.

The night ended back in camp with desert, and the game of snaps. If you don’t know what the game of snaps is just ask me the next time you see me. I will be happy to help you learn how to play. I’ve actually gotten pretty good at calling the game, though not as good as my friend Theron who taught me to play in the first place.