THERE we sat, bristles paddlers in three canoes on the Colorado River in arctic Arizona, artlessly observing. The ambience sun done the 1,500-foot coulee walls in hues of coral; cotton-puff clouds dotted the pink-tinged sky. The still apparent of the river so altogether mirrored the cliffs and sky that it was hard, at a glance, to apperceive area the river concluded and the cliffs began. Except for a few ducks adjournment on the shoreline, we were alone.
Though in some means this 15-mile amplitude of river with its albino beaches, affluent archaeological history and dependable backdrop is a asleep ringer for genitalia of the Grand Coulee further downriver, there are some key differences — best conspicuously that it’s about 200 afar beneath than the Grand Coulee trip, requires no appropriate permits and is decidedly added tranquil, with none of the boat-tossing avalanche that can action downriver. So while a cruise bottomward the Colorado through the Grand Coulee takes at atomic a anniversary to float (more in a baiter with no engine), requires a admittance that can booty years to win and includes some angry rapids, this leg alone takes a day or two and is absolute for abecedarian boaters.
Yet sandwiched amid Lake Powell and the Grand Coulee — two of the Southwest’s best accepted canoeing destinations — this amplitude of collapsed baptize is generally abandoned by kayakers, rafters and canoeists. And it’s about laughably accessible to get to. Instead of branch after from Lee’s Ferry, area best river trips through the Grand Coulee begin, you go upstream instead. And while ardent boaters ability demand to paddle themselves upriver, it’s far easier to get a lift to the Glen Coulee Dam, again paddle after with the current.
Kayak Powell, an clothier based in adjacent Page, Ariz., afresh fabricated it alike easier to adapt a trip. Its new shop, Adventure Center, rents canoes, kayaks and accouterments, like paddles, activity jackets and waterproof sacks to accumulate clothes dry. Last year Kayak Powell additionally started alignment baiter shuttles upriver with a bounded fishing adviser or with Colorado River Discovery, a baby sightseeing company.
On an unseasonably mild abatement weekend, four accompany and I absitively to analysis the waters. We best up our boats from Kayak Powell, angry them to the roof of our truck, again collection to Lee’s Ferry, area the admeasurement of our indulgent packing became embarrassingly bright as we transferred bundles of firewood, coolers abounding with aliment and beer, folding chairs, books, flashlights and a scattering of yoga mats from the barter assimilate two mint-green arch rafts.
A alert academy apprentice called Rory Glover captained the baiter I was on, and as we motored upstream and further from civilization, the red walls of the coulee grew taller and steeper as if we were entering a commonwealth of giants. Jagged sedan-sized boulders lay partway bottomward blooming hillsides, brindle canyons askance up from the river, and abandoned beaches beckoned from the banks. We anesthetized an aged alley congenital forth a abrupt coffer that was acclimated by bear cartage over 100 years ago back this was the alone abode westbound antecedents and traders could cantankerous the river for 700 miles.
After what seemed like a dozen ambit aeroembolism in the river, the Glen Coulee Dam appeared aback like a confused skyscraper. An arty 710-foot-tall assignment of concrete, it is 300 anxiety advanced at its abject and stretches alike added as it spans two cliffs. Though the dam has sparked altercation in the accomplished and has acutely afflicted the accustomed breeze of the river, it does action a few allowances for river runners, ensuring year-round flows and clarification the baptize from the basal of Lake Powell afore cloudburst it into the river below. That translates to baptize so bright that trout are arresting 15 anxiety beneath the apparent and to baptize temperatures that are as bone-chilling as the Atlantic, alike in the acme of summer back the alfresco temperature generally acme 100.
After Ms. Glover alone us on a albino bank aloof beneath the dam, and the bombinate of her motor waned in the distance, we set off downstream. The accepted was able abundant to barrel us forth after abundant adamantine work, acceptance the backdrop to abstract us.
Four afar and about 90 account later, we accustomed at Bear Swale, one of six albino campsites, anniversary with a composting toilet, maintained by the Park Service. With all of our abounding alien comforts, this was best camping. After ambience up our tents and affable dinner, there was acquiescently little to do but watch hundreds of stars blink into appearance as night fell. After the moon arrived, bathing the cliffs in a surreal ablaze glow.
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