First Rapid

Arizona
Grand Canyon
May 2001

The first confirmation we were to receive was a buoy in the middle of the river which read, "Permit Required Beyond This Point."

While small, we soon saw our first rapid.

Early on, hikers could walk the banks of the river to fish, swim, or hike. After a couple of miles this was no longer possible.

A short way downstream, our guide, Mike, told us to take a good look at the rock formation - the next time we would see it, would be at the end of our hike out of Bright Angel Trail. Mike, I should tell you, has his degree in geology, and thru his expertise, we were to learn much of the canyon, rock formations, streams, fossils, and the like over the next two days.
The river starts out relatively wide, as compared to some of its later widths, but nowhere near as wide as the upper Niagara, where I grew up; the St. Johns River in Jacksonville, where I live; the Mississippi or other well known rivers. The canyon walls at this point are relatively modest, but between the declination of the river and the elevation of the Kaibab plateau, the difference in elevation will increase to 5,000 feet in the next 87 miles.