Personal gear (Leighty)
Mile 122.1 - All packed-up and ready to go.

Morning coffee (Leighty)
Mile 122.1 - Morning necessities. Love that freshly squezzed ringtail cat milk (and US Park Service approved, too!).

Another great breakast (Leighty)
Mile 122.1 - Hungry boat people.

Reflections (Leighty)
Mile 122.1 - Early morning at 122-mile.

Morning light (Leighty)
Mile 122.1 - View S as the suns rises.

Cardenas sill near Tapeats Creek (Leighty)
Mile 132.5 - The massive wall on river right formed by a large Cardenas Basalt sill. Ledges and slopes of Bass Limestone and Hakatai Shale overlie the sill. The Tapeats Sandstone forms the uppermost cliff. John's boat is downstream.

Granite Narrows (Leighty)
Mile 135.0 - Near the most narrow point on the river, where only 76 feet separate the canyon walls.

Floating through the narrows (Leighty)
Mile 135.0 - View back upstream toward the narrow point.

The lower falls at Deer Creek (Leighty)
Mile 136.2 - The bottom of the mighty lower Deer Creek falls. The impacting force of the downrushing water produces a lateral gale near the base of the waterfall. See PANORAMA and VIDEO.

Lizard (Leighty)
Mile 136.2 - A cold-blooded reception committee greets us off the boats.

Zoroaster Granite (Leighty)
Mile 136.2 - This blood-red Zoroaster granite is an alkali-feldspar granite, rich in potassium feldspar. The Vishnu Schist and several large granitic dikes underlie the Tapeats Sandstone in this area.

Landslide (Leighty)
Mile 136.2 - The eastern edge of the large Surprise Valley landslide dominates the view NW from the trail. Weakened Bright Angel Shale was responsible for the collapse of huge parts of the overlying section. Many of the landslide blocks remained intact and simply rotated as they slid, whereas other parts of the section were reduced to a chaotic jumble.

Our boats from above (Leighty)
Mile 136.2 - Looking down on the boats from the trail.

Tapeats narrows (Leighty)
Mile 136.2 - The trail enters the narrows where Deer Creek cuts a slot canyon into the Tapeats Sandstone. See VIDEO. See VIDEO.

Patio stream (Leighty)
Mile 136.2 - The Tapeats narrows open onto an area known as the Patio. This tree-shaded waterfall awaits farther up Deer Creek.

Patio waterfall (Leighty)
Mile 136.2 - A welcome rest area on a hot day in the Canyon. See PANORAMA and VIDEO.

Patio stream (Leighty)
Mile 136.2 - Deer Creek flows toward the Patio and the slot canyon beyond.

Tapeats worm burrows (Leighty)
Mile 136.2 - Worm burrow casts in the underside over an overhanging Tapeats ledge.

Patio pothole (Leighty)
Mile 136.2 - Deer Creek rushes to the edge of the Patio and into the slot canyon and lower falls beyond.

Entering Matkat (Leighty)
Mile 147.9 - The entrance to Matkatamiba Canyon was partially submerged upon our arrival. This prevented taking the camera, but climbing (stemming) this Muav slot canyon was well worth the effort. The Gateway Canyon Member of the Muav Limestone is exposed here.

What's with the bucket? (Leighty)
Mile 148.4 - John T. tends to the steaks just after a stray coal from the dutch oven took vengence upon his foot. See VIDEO.