We passed out of the Grand Canyon Park in late afternoon and ended up camping on the adjacent  Hualapai Indian Reservation.

After a final pack up the following morning, we were on our way to Pierce Landing. Flat water today and our canyon walls would be soon be replaced by the sand banks of Lake Mead.

To hurry things along both rafts were lashed together and away we went . . . oh yeah, it was cloudy, about 40 degrees and was supposed to rain most of the day!!!

Smooth water BUT COLD and it looked ugly up ahead.

We started hearing helicopters and John explained the Hualapai had a budding tourist venture started that ferried tourists, via helicopter, from Las Vegas to their reservation where they would feed them lunch, take them on a short flat-water adventure and fly them back to LV.

We passed their boating operation which seem deserted on this rainy, cold day.

. . . rainy, yes this is just about when it started.

Before long the tarps were pulled out to help keep us dry. Soon the dry bags were opened and sleeping bags were passed around. If one is standing up moving around, 40 degrees is not so bad. Sitting under a wet tarp . . . not so warm!!!

Soon critters started appearing on board . . .

. . . where did that come from?

Oh yeah, and soon the boys broke out their ‘private stash’ in order to keep our insides warm . . .

. . . some stayed warmer than others!!!!!!!

. . . and some literally turned into animals!!!!

During the 5 hour ride, out to Pierce Landing ,we did make several stops. Here the guys finally got it right, on the last day, and headed ‘downstream’ to pee.

Soon we rounded the last corner and there was Pierce Landing.  The trip was over. Goodbyes with the crew were exchanged . . .

. . . and they assembled one last lunch salad for the gang to eat on the bus during the 2 hour drive back to Las Vegas.

We no more began loading onto the bus and the crew began breaking down the rafts.

After each trip they are disassembled, loaded onto trailers and trucked back to Fredonia for maintenance and preparations for the next trip.

Final Thoughts:   The trip of a lifetime! Almost impossible to fathom that in 2016  one could spend 11 days with no phone, computer, television, radio, tablet, etc. etc. What a joy!!! and no one had withdrawal symptoms.

If you enjoy the out of doors, at all, this is one trip you should add to your bucket list. Floating through a canyon that has taken 5 million years to form is almost beyond comprehension, but there it is . . . a new version of it around ever bend. Don’t miss it . . . but remember to sign up early. Limited seating, as they say!

Twenty two of the rafters loaded the bus for the ride back to Las Vegas, an overnight there and then a flight home. BUT Johnny G and I boarded his SUV which had our mountain bikes, a canoe, teardrop trailer and BIG coolers for a leisurely 8 day drive back to Madison taking in all the points of interest along the way!

But . . .that is a WHOLE nother story!!!