Middle Earth, AZ

Since I can't go out and shoot, I figured that meant that I should work on my Grand Canyon pics. We had a lot of wind (3 boats got blown back upstream at Navajo Bridge -- not a particularly auspicious start), for 4 days, temperatures approaching 100 for 4 days, no boats flipped and only 4 people swam, one being plucked out by a USGS crew working at the foot of the rapid, but everybody had a successful, uneventful run of Lava. (People swam at Neville, Pipe Springs and and House Rock, for those of you who have rafted the Grand). We had a lot of experienced boaters on the trip, one having run it 48 times, another at 30 & most had run it at least once before.

This was at 16 Mile Camp. The moon, though not in view, was so bright, it lit up the top of the ridge & hid the Milky Way from my eye, though my sensor recorded it. I left the foreground dark as it's really not interesting -- just the rope tying up a boat as I didn't bring my ultra-wide angle & couldn't include part of any of the boats as I would have liked to.

A short walk from camp at Buck Farm Canyon took me to these ledges, columbines and pools. The frogs were these very small (maybe 2" long) creatures that had a huge croak, something between a rattle and a bird song.

An overview of Havasu Canyon.

Matkatamiba Canyon. I'd stop & photograph, repack my pack, walk another 5', photograph again.....

Detail of Matkatamiba

Redwall Cavern.

Early morning blue hour at Shinumo Camp.

One other person & I hiked up Thunder Creek Canyon, over the top & down Deer Creek Canyon, a 6 1/2 hour hike. I got the worst blisters I've ever had (wet shoes that stretched out and sand/grit from stream crossings down low) in shoes I've never gotten blisters from, making me hobble along as if I had bound feet! Tourists are no longer allowed down into the narrows of Deer Creek Canyon, thanks to a cover photo of people rappelling in to this sacred canyon that represents where the Zuni/Hopi (& others?) came from & where they go after death.

Celebrating the end of the hike! Taken by my friend & boat captain Steve.

From our final camp in the actual canyon -- Surprise Canyon.

What a fantastic set. Take it from a guy who lives in AZ and see an over abundance of river trip pics. Love your comps. The Matkatamiba Canyon shot makes me think of soft clay being squished under it's own weight. The Shinumo Camp shot seems a bit blue but might just be a touch too saturated for my taste. Beautiful work here Monika- I hope I get my opportunity to do a long float there some day.

What a fantastic set.

But enough about the bikini/waterfall shot!
Really nice collection all 'round, Monika. Lots of diversity.

A very nice set, tough to pick a favorite.

Many excellent shots! My favorite might be the Deer Creek Canyon narrows. Hope you can replace your gear soon!

Glad you had a great trip! Did you get into Silver Grotto by Shinumo Camp? Good to see you had clear water in Havasu. lt's a pretty amazing to experience the wind created by Deer Creek Falls while attempting a shower there.

Nice collection!

Don, yes, I got to Silver Grotto (I'll post it "soon"). There was a dead tree/Anasazi ladder at the bottom pour-off, which made it much easier to get in/out. Still had to climb around the higher chockstone to get to the 2nd pool. Our trip leader had fallen & broken his ankle there on his previous trip, so he (& others) were warning strenuously against going there alone. Which I did, but only had a short time as I was on dinner duty that night. At Deer Creek Falls, I was amazed at how strong the wind & water were & how little progress I could make towards the falls! I'd like to go back on a photo-oriented trip, maybe during monsoon season as everybody I asked about the different seasons there got a glassy-eyed, faraway look that remembered all the pour-offs running with water when I asked about Aug/Sept and the heat and they moaned, "Ohhhh, but it's monsoon season!"

The Deer Creek image with its colors, rock shapes and comp, and then Havasu are my favorites.