part two

     I gather my hiking gear; my daypack, nalgene bottle, the sandwich I made this morning and my sun shirt & hat.  It is already about 100 degrees. We are all eager to get going knowing that Mooney Falls lay six miles up an unknown trail and we must be back by 4:30 -5:00, approximately seven hours for 12 miles or so. Cedar paddles the IK full of packs and people upstream to a trailhead on creek right. The rest of us dive into the turquoise water and swim upstream easily conquering the gentle current. There is some discussion as to where the ducky is to be left. Matt suggests the cliff we climb towards the trail but that means dragging it a good fifteen feet up to the level ground.  An alcove across river is chosen, which leaves it about four feet above the waterline. 

     As we prepare for the day ahead, Ruby reads us a passage from her guidebook.  It goes something like this:  It is suggested that a boat wrangler be left to tend the boats as the canyon has been know to flush away whole groups of boats due to the flash floods of the monsoon season.

    No one looks directly at each other, our eyes averted, we just keep rifling through our drybags and changing our attire. Finally someone says 'fuck that, I'm not staying'.  We all sigh in relief and look around with a chuckle, 'me neither' we all think silently.  Happily we start the acclaimed adventure together. I start to think about what one would do if they were left behind with the boats and a flash flood was emanate.  Untie them? ...ride one and wrangle the rest into an eddy by yourself?...stay with one and set the others free?... leave all your buddies behind and do the last 60 miles by alone?...with five boats? Oh well, its a beautiful, sunny day... not a cloud in the sky.