The morning got hot quickly. We stopped by the mouth of Shinumo Creek to wash the brown silt off of everything.
Rinsing off the raft with clean water
A short walk upstream leads to the falls.
Now it's our turn to rinse off with clean water.
It's actually fairly difficult to stand up due to the strong force of the water.
We continued to drift lazily through the canyon. Every now and then we are passed by tons of tourists all packed into one giant "mo-rig" (motor rig). The large raft with a giant motor blows past us in an effort to make our same journey in a fraction of the time.
There is actually a rapid named Rancid Tuna Rapid at mile 113 (although this picture probably isn't it).
More amazing rock colors and formations
Bands criss-cross the rock faces.
We pulled up to Elves Chasm and had lunch on the beach.
Elves Chasm (mile 116.5) is the lower portion of Royal Arch Canyon. An oasis in the desert... a constant flow of water cascading over a series of falls and dripping from walls creates a miniature tropical setting.
Hiking back to the waterfall
The lower falls, lined with moss and ferns
Making the jump!
The temperature change was significant behind the falls. It was almost chilly!
Water constantly pours from the walls, creating a somewhat cave-like impression.
After playing in the water a while, we decided to go to the upper falls.
The 'trail' involves a long crawl under a low rock.
Almost there!
