Triple Alcoves (Leighty)
Mile 46.8 - Several large alcoves are present in the massive Mississippian Redwall Limestone cliffs just upstream of Saddle Canyon. The Muav Limestone (Middle Cambrian to Late Middle Cambrian; 513 to 501 Ma), and possibly unclassified dolomite (Middle to Late Cambrian; 513 to 488 Ma), forms the gray-colored cliffs near the river.

Triple Alcoves pourover (Leighty)
Mile 46.8 - Close-up of the pourover at the top of the Redwall cliff.

Triple Alcoves (Leighty)
Mile 46.8 - The third major alcove.

Saddle Canyon trail (Leighty)
Mile 47.1 - The group hikes along the Saddle Canyon trail through the Cambrian Muav Limestone and possibly unclassified dolomite. Several types of marine fossils can be found in both in-place Muav and the Redwall debris along the trail.

Temple Butte channel (Leighty)
Mile 47.1 - The north wall of Saddle Canyon displays two channel-shaped lenses of Devonian Temple Butte Limestone. These channels were likely cut by meandering, westward-flowing streams that cut into the underlying Cambrian carbonate rocks.

Saddle Canyon narrows (Leighty)
Mile 47.1 - The trail winds its way into the narrows of Saddle Canyon.

Saddle Canyon slot (Leighty)
Mile 47.1 - The narrow limestone slot leading to the chockstone.

Climb to the falls (Leighty)
Mile 47.1 - John H. and John T. help Ron with the chockstone climb. See VIDEO.

Waterfall (Leighty)
Mile 47.1 - Our hike ends at the waterfall.

Waterfall (Leighty)
Mile 47.1 - The Saddle Canyon waterfall: a beautiful end to the hike. See PANORAMA. and VIDEO.

Waterfall and moss (Leighty)
Mile 47.1 - Cascading water and greenery.

Main Nankoweap lunch stop (Leighty)
Mile 53.1 - View ENE at the lunch stop below the huge Nankoweap Creek debris fan. The canyon widens considerably here and is the end of Marble Canyon (although Powell considered the end of Marble Canyon to be the confluence with the Little Colorado River). The top of the escarpment to the east is over 6000 feet in elevation, over 3200 feet higher than the river here.

Below Nankoweap lunch table (Leighty)
Mile 53.1 - Ron prepares to share in the bounty of the lunch table. This sandy beach lies below Nankoweap Rapid ({3}; 25' drop).

Bright Angel Shale (Leighty)
Mile 56.3 to 60.8 - The Bright Angel Shale forms the cliffs near the river. The Bright Angel is Late Early Cambrian to Middle Cambrian in age (520 to 501 Ma). There is no significant time difference between this unit and the overlying Muav (the contact between the two units is conformable). Like the Muav, the Bright Angel is a shallow marine unit. See VIDEO.

Cape Solitude (Leighty)
Mile 60.8 - View S towards Cape Solitude, the large promintory on the southeast side of the confluence between the Colorado River and Little Colorado River (LCR).

Floating to the LCR (Leighty)
Mile 61.2 - The view N approaching the confluence with the LCR.

Pool (Leighty)
Mile 61.4 - Shallow pools are abundant along the lower LCR. The blue water is saturated with calcium carbonate, which precipitates out as fine-grained sediment that provides a coat of travertine on the rocks. See VIDEO.

Rapids (Leighty)
Mile 61.4 - The floating fun begins here. See PANORAMA. and VIDEO.

Rock (Leighty)
Mile 61.4 - Most floaters pass this rock on their way downstream.

Floaters (Leighty)
Mile 61.4 - Floaters with lifejackets worn diaper-style. See VIDEO.

Tapeats overhang (Leighty)
Mile 61.4 - Hanging out in the shade of a Tapeats Sandstone overhang. The Tapeats is a nearshore marine sandstone that is Late Early Cambrian to Middle Cambrian in age (520 to 501 Ma). Crossbeds are abundant along the LCR trail. This unit represents a shallow Cambrian ocean that once covered much of southwestern North America.

Cape Solitude (Leighty)
Mile 61.8 - View SE from the Below LCR camp toward Cape Solitude. The eastern rim of the Grand Canyon at Cape Solitude is over 3400 feet above the river.

Temple Butte (Leighty)
Mile 61.8 - View SW from the Below LCR camp towards Temple Butte.