Lit up on the Longest Nights of the Year

Ellie posed outside before winter covered the ground. Happy Winter Solstice.

Celebrating light returning to the days at North Creek Rafting Company

Lava Falls, Mile 179.7, Grand Canyon

Scouting Lava Falls, December 1, 2013 (Photo by Greg Casto)

Excerpt below from "The Very Hard Way: Bert Loper and the Colorado River " by Brad Dimock

Bert Loper described: "And while I've been doing this  - on and off - for more than fifty years that is my first capsize so I should not feel bad and it makes me feel quite proud of the old boat. But while Don was following me he never knew - until I told him - that I had been up-side down."

Don Harris made a small note on the edge of his journal: "As we started on from Gate-way Rapid Bert yelled back to it, 'Kiss my %&$.'"

An hour later they were on shore, scouting Lava Falls. As far as they knew it had only been run once, by Buzz Holstrom the year before.

"After looking it over from both sides, we decided that we could run it," stated Loper, "and did so."  As it turned out, that was a good year to run Lava Falls, 1939. Less than two months later a gigantic debris flow thundered down Prospect Canyon, choking the rapid into a steeper, more difficult cataract.

"Although I had my first up-set of my whole career," journaled Loper that evening, "after running lava falls I feel very satisfied - so ends the day-"

A year ago yesterday, December 1, 2013, we ran Lava Falls.

Check out video:

Lava Falls Part I:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PofLGz_AGaA

Lava Falls Part II:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=paKolMe0AZc&list=UUBsZrRnUEzQZ674dghdNQqA

Happy Birthday Mark, our son, brother and stalwart companion!