We got up at 3:30 am to finish packing and leave by 4:30. We had to run some minor rapids in the dark with headlamps. We needed to get to Diamond Creek in time to de-rig the boats and deflate them before PRO showed up with the van and truck at 6:30 am. Take out times are limited, so we had to work quickly.

Diamond Creek is the only place between Lee's Ferry and Lake Mead (nearly 280 river miles) where a road reaches the river. It has long been one of the major take out points for raft trips.

Arriving at Diamond Creek before dawn

Dawn arrives.

The rafts are unloaded, disassembled, pulled ashore, deflated, rolled up and loaded onto the PRO truck which has come to meet us.

Loading the truck at 6:30 am

It was a very VERY rocky ride along the Diamond Creek Road through the Hualapai Reservation to Peach Springs. We were all completely exhausted.

A very bumpy drive! The first car reached the river here in 1912.

A rewarding but tiring trip comes to an end.

We arrived at Flagstaff around 11:30 am. Of course it rained heavily as we unloaded the van. I can't even begin to describe how amazingly delicious that first shower in the hotel room was!

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