Two-4-Tuesday

 Michael(s), Row the Boat Ashore

On October 1, our fourth day on the San Juan River, we paddled from Chinle Camp (mile 8.4) to Fossil Stop Camp (mile 20.3).  Although the river had been running at about 850 cfs when we first launched our boats three days earlier, it had peaked at over 5,000 cfs during our first night on the river and its flow ranged from three to four thousand cubic feet per second this day.  

The standing waves were high and often troublesome, and those of us in canoes had to occasionally beach our boats to bail water.  The most formidable challenge we encountered was Eight Foot Rapid at mile 17.2.  We took the time to scout this rapid before running it, and were glad we did.  The preferred route at this water level was much different than it had been two years earlier, when the river had been running at about 950 cfs.

The two Michaels, Portman above and Scudday below, are shown at the bottom of Eight Foot Rapid.  They appear to be pleased, or at least relieved, by their successful runs.  And the rest of us were glad that we would not have to view (again) the clothes and equipment of one of them hanging in trees at our campground to dry.