Well, I got sick with a urinary tract infection last Friday and had to go to the ER at Boulder City to get medication and treatment. Was sick all day Saturday and Sunday and then on Monday decided that I was well enough to kayak the Colorado River again. Mistake!!!! We rented another Kayak instead of using the rubber duck, thinking it would be easier this time, to get back if the wind got up. We had a great time going west and north on the river towards Hoover Dam. We went this way because of suggestions the guides give us in the rental place. They said it would be easier to get back using the current of the river coming back. Right!!
Like I said, it was a great trip up the river taking our time and enjoying the view. About half way up we saw RAMS again on the mountain. They were having as much fun looking at us and we were looking at them. We went up the river and found a cove in the rocks that we could back the kayaks into and look at everyone going by. It was being shaded by the rock cliffs and was a great place. Across from us was a landing area where several groups stopped to rest and swim. The air temp is about 107 and the water is 55 degrees according to the information we read. So the water felt like ice for the first few minutes that you get into it, but very refreshing. We stayed here about two hours just relaxing and watching others. We had lunch here and that was nice.
I knew I was a little weak from the sickness, but really did not know how weak I was until we started back. Before we left the cove, the wind had picked up. We had looked at the weather reports before renting and then again ask the renter to show the weather report with the wind and direction. It showed wind was 8 miles per hour out of the south and southwest. I figured that would not be to much trouble.
Well, while we were in the cove, the wind picked up and it was blowing well past the reported 8 miles per hour. It was about 2:00 pm and Cindy suggested (it was a little stronger than suggestion) we start back. I really did not think it would bad and would settle down before we had to head back. I wanted to go across the river and visit another cove in the rocks that I had seen. Cindy agreed and we started across. The wind was blowing so hard she thought she was going to capsize. We made it to the cove and I thought the wind was going to settle and we decided to wait a while and see. We had to be back at 4:00 pm and if we were not, they would add all kind of charges to our credit card, including coming to hunt us down. The wind had not slacked any and was in my opinion getting worse. We started back. The kayak (mine which Cindy was using and the rented one ) did travel on the water much faster than the rubber duck. However, at times, the wind was blowing so hard we would paddle 10 feet and the wind would blow us back 30 feet. It was more that 8 miles an hour, but of course, I could not measure how fast it was. I can tell you the river was white capping so bad that the front of the kayak would hit them and cover me in water and spray every second. We tried to stay close to the rim of the canyon walls to avoid being in the middle of the river, where the wind was the worse. The canyon was like a vacuum sucking the wind down into the canyon and along the water.
We finally made it back and on time. Sore again and weak. We both swore that we would not get back on the river in that location ever again. I talked to one of the guides and he said that this is typical during this time of the year. You have an easy time in the mornings going up then the wind picks up and it is difficult to get back. They never told us that before we started.......wonder why?
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| These are the mountain sheep we saw on the way up the river. |
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| I had the small Nikon camera but was able to get a close up of the leader |
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| Cindy in my kayak. Her choice but she did not want the rented one. |
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| Isn't my kayak beautiful |
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| This is the pull out were everyone was stopping to rest across from where we were sitting. |
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