Colorado River SUP - Glen Canyon Dam to Lee's Ferry

You know that feeling you get on a Friday afternoon at work? The one where you're watching the clock count down to quitting time, and you know that as soon as you clock out, you're going to be throwing a pile of gear into the car and heading out somewhere to do something? Well, I had that feeling last Friday, like I usually do. In this case I knew that I was going to be making a long awaited return to my favorite river, the Colorado. I couldn't wait to dip my toes into that 48 degree water. 

Bianca and I had been waiting for just the right time to make the pilgrimage north to one of our favorite corners of Arizona. Our plan called for us to arrive at Lee's Ferry, early Saturday AM, via a Friday night stay in Flagstaff. Instead of piling our gear into rafts, oar boats, dories, etc, for a highly sought after river trip through Grand Canyon National Park, we'd instead pile our SUPs, and backpacking gear into a motorized "haul boat" and head upriver approximately fifteen miles to the Glen Canyon Dam. 

After being dropped off near the Dam, we'd load a weekend's worth of gear, beer, and food onto our SUPs. The plan was that we'd paddle for a few miles and eventually pull off to camp in one of the dispersed camping sites, on the side of the river. We'd spend the night in our tent and the next day paddle downriver back to Lee's Ferry, before making the long drive back to Phoenix. I had never paddled this section of the river and had heard that it was one of the most picturesque of the entire Colorado. Needless to say we were both incredibly stoked to get this party started!

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, it was quitting time. I left work and arrived home to a fully packed vehicle. I hopped in and we got on the road immediately. I had no desire to get caught in the Friday evening parking lot that I-17 can often be, as sun-soaked Phoenicians make their way North in the hopes of having a cool weather weekend. 

Mercifully, we avoided any significant delays and were soon enough pulling into Beaver Street Brewery in Flagstaff for some much needed brewskis and food. I can't recommend the Oatmeal stout enough, by the way. Both hit the spot quite nicely. We picked up some last minute supplies at the store and then grabbed a large pizza from NiMarcos to throw in the fridge over night. We'd toss that in the cooler and that would be dinner the next day.

Soon enough the 3:45 AM wakeup call announced itself and we were ready to begin the day. Even hotel room coffee is serviceable at 3:45. After a quick stop for a proper cup of mud and a breakfast sandwich, we were headed to Lee's Ferry. I was actually looking forward to the drive, as it can be very scenic in some places. 

We met our haul boat Captain at 8:00 and loaded up. Soon enough, we were underway. The ride took about 40 minutes. It was pretty cool to see the route we'd take over the next two days. We were able to see a small herd of Desert Bighorn Sheep, and a ton of waterfowl. The Dam came into view and pretty soon we were on the beach. Hell yes!!

We were the only SUPers amongst quite a few kayakers.

Glen Canyon Dam. A pretty awe-inspiring site, in person. The end of our haul boat ride.

We hit the beach a bit before 9:00 and started getting our rigs ready to roll! Even though I've loaded my SUP on quite a few occasions, and have my gear load squared away, it still seems like a game of tetris at times.

After about 30 minutes we were ready to go. It takes a bit of time to get everything just right. I had my dry bags mounted on the bow, along with our spare paddle, my 6L dromedary bag, and my hydration pack. I had 3 liters of water in the pack, along with all of my essentials for the day stowed in small waterproof bags. On the stern was our cooler, my camp chair, and my foam mattress. I also had planned to drag a new mesh bag that I had bought, behind the rig, loaded with our beer for the trip. 

We took a few last minute photos and set sail around 9:45. The water was crystal clear and had a beautiful, emerald green tint to it, due to algae on the bottom. Our boat Captain had indicated that the river was running around 8900 cfs, so we'd have about a 3 MPH current. We'd be able to make decent time, unless we were inundated with wind. There was a wind advisory for the next day, with heavy winds predicted for around noon. We definitely wanted to be off the river before the onset of that tempest.

As we shoved off, I contemplated the journey ahead, and couldn't believe we were finally getting underway. I noted that my board didn't have its usual pep. The drag bag had about a dozen 16 oz beers in it and it was definitely slowing me down, acting as the perfect sea anchor. Since I'm usually a faster paddler than my girlfriend, this just put us on more of an even keel. Within a few minutes, I began to lag behind. The river was quiet and I began to enjoy my temporarily solo journey.

The water was like glass and the paddling was smooth. Despite the presence of the drag bag, I was moving along at a pretty good clip. I took my shoes off and paddled barefoot. It was shaping up to be an incredible day. 

As the morning progressed, it was getting hot and I was clearly not drinking enough. I had elected not to wear my hydration pack, and had it stowed on the front of the board. It was too much of a cumbersome process to bend over to get a drink. That's something I have to figure out for the next trip.

 

I cruised past Ferry Swale Campsite at river mile 11. I noted that it appeared to be pretty full. The campsites on the river are all first come first served. We had no reservations. There are subsequent campsites at river mile 9, which is in Horsehshoe Bend, river mile 8, and at river mile 6. If you can't find a spot at any of them, you'll have to paddle the six miles back to Lee's Ferry, a fate which we'd hoped to avoid. 

I eventually caught up to Bianca and her friend Marija around mile 10. On the way to the Dam, Marija had been using a different backhaul service and they had pulled over at mile 9 campsite to let her stash her gear, so she wouldn't have to carry it on her board all day. Our plan was to arrive at site 9, set up our campsite, and then dig into the drag bag. We arrived at campsite 9 only to find that, though well intentioned, she hadn't left her gear in an official campsite, and the sites were all taken. Well, crud. 

I asked Bianca to take off and paddle the mile to campsite 8 to try to snag us a spot, while I stayed and helped Marija lash her gear to her board. This was her first SUP camping trip, so she needed a bit of help. After maybe 10-15 minutes or so, we were on our way. 20 minutes later, we steamed into campsite 8. No Bianca. Well, crud. 

I took a good look and Bianca definitely wasn't there. I soon noticed that Marija had taken off and was well downriver. Major communication fail. I hoped that they'd be at campsite 6, as I didn't relish paddling all the way to Lee's Ferry. What was worse, was that Mile 8 was a beautiful campsite, and it was pretty much empty! I sure hoped that mile 6 campsite was available! I was starved and it was really past time for a cold beer. I had a snack, some water, and changed my Go-Pro battery prior to getting back on the river.

As I left mile 8 campsite, a nasty little headwind was picking up. Not ideal! I wished I was sitting at 8 mile with a cold beer, but unfortunately wishing doesn't make it so! After what felt like an eternity of battling that headwind, I paddled into 6 mile campsite. Thankfully the girls were there and had scored us a sweet spot. I guess it was meant to be?

First order of business!

I immediately cracked open a beer, grabbed my chair and sat down right in the river. The cold water was refreshing and had kept the beer ice cold. I planned on not having a need for the drag bag the next day. Just as I was starting to relax, the hunger pangs started attacking with a fury. I had paddled over 5 hours with a simple Larabar and a few swigs of water as my only sustenance. 

At that point, something magical happened. Marija broke out a big bag of tacos. She had had the foresight to hit Del Taco on the drive North. Wow!! I was impressed. Within what felt like seconds, I had savaged my portion of the tacos, and could only watch a few forlorn crumbs drift away like flotsam on the mighty Colorado. 

My hunger, very temporarily abated, faded into the background as we discussed the situation at Mile 8. Apparently Bianca had simply missed Mile 8 campsite, and after realizing it had decided to make the trip to Mile 6. It ended up working out well, as we had a great spot. 

We spent the remainder of the afternoon "rehydrating" and watching the river flow on by. I don't recall having spent a more pleasant afternoon in some length of time. Watching the sun slowly set, and seeing how it hit the red canyon walls was quite the treat.

Not our kayaks

Before dinner, we headed up to our spot to set up camp. We had plenty of room for our tents and to keep our boards close by. There was a fire ring, as well, but we didn't partake as we hadn't brought any wood.

No cat holes necessary! Surprisingly clean and plenty of TP. I think the Rangers service them daily.

After setting up camp, we returned to the river and had dinner. No stove necessary. That DiMarco's Margarite pizza hit the spot quite well. I highly recommend them if your travels take you to Flagstaff and you're seeking great pizza. The bread sticks were more than serviceable, as well.

With a full belly, and a few adult beverages on board, the sleeping bag was calling. We retired to bed and were soon fast asleep. Unfortunately, sleep was an off and on proposition for most of the night. The temps did not drop as low as forecasted, and the wind died down right when we needed it most! It turned out to be an uncomfortably warm night. 

We emerged from the tent at 0530. Coffee was indicated! With a quick whiff of isobutane and a spark from my bic lighter, the Jetboil sprang into action. A cup of Anthony's instant coffee, and a bowl of blueberry granola went down well.

At this point, we were nearly out of water. I broke out my Katadyn Pro Hiker and filtered enough water to get us through the day. When I travel solo, I love my Sawyer Mini, but for meeting the water needs of  a group, I always us the Katadyn. It's been a solid performer for me for years.

We finally got on the river a bit before 7 AM. I had wanted to get on the water sooner, due to the impending wind advisory, but we just weren't able to pull it off. One bonus of staying at 6 mile campsite was that we only had 6 miles of paddling to get back to Lee's Ferry. I expected to have the return trip take around 2 hours, or potentially more if we got hit with a lot of wind.

Just around the corner from Lee's Ferry

After battling the beginning of the wind storm, we pulled into Lee's Ferry a bit before 10 AM. It was none too soon, as the winds were really picking up. It felt good to finish, even though we hated for it to end. We deflated our boards, and stowed our gear in the car. Cold drinks were sought out, just a few minutes away in Marble Canyon.

We headed toward Page as we wanted to check out the Horseshoe Bend Overlook and see where we had paddled and camped, from above. Another $10 fee later, we were parked. The hike out to the overlook was 15-20 minutes into what felt like a heavy gale. We checked out the views and took the obligatory pics before climbing into the rig for an intermediate food stop in Flagstaff, to fuel us up for the long drive back to Phoenix. 

We pulled into Diablo burger as we had been informed that it was a must try. The burger was delicious, though it was unfortunate that their bun offerings were limited to English muffins. What can you do? 

Despite that tragedy, it was an outstanding adventure into a beautiful slice of Arizona. I can't wait to go back!