Jim, water, & rocks.

Arizona
Grand Canyon
May 2001

Here is an early picture of Jim as we were winding our way down the river. Note that there are four different rock layers on the right and an entirely different color of rock formations on the left. This photo also gives a good view of the clear green (and cold 45 degree) water.

The water flowing through this portion of the Colorado River is released from the bottom of the Glen Canyon Dam, which accounts for both the clarity and the cold. I enjoyed the clear, green water. Had there been recent rains, the muddy runoff from the side canyons can turn the water a muddy brown.
Also, you can see the river runners sitting high on the seats and outer pontoons, which we did for the large portion of the trip. Occasionally, as we approached a larger rapid, Mike would call "down and in" when we would all squeeze into the center of the boat to minimize the risk of being tossed into the river.