4/7/12 – Lee’s Ferry

It's not easy to cross the Colorado River.  The canyon through Arizona and Utah is deep and dangerous.   

Lees Ferry was built in 1873, and replaced in 1929 by the Navajo Bridge.  In 1995, the original bridge was replaced.  The new one is longer, higher (only 3 feet, but a statistic is a statistic), wider (we don't drive Model-T's anymore!) and (surprise, surprise!) cost a whole lot more!  Can you identify the modern marvel?

After you cross the Navajo Bridge, you drive past the Vermillion Cliffs and the balanced rocks. 

Lees Ferry is at the start of the Grand Canyon, 85 miles upstream from the North Rim.  There's no ferry there anymore, but they still launch rafts for trips down the canyon.  A couple of big ones were taking off when we got there.  

 Then I met some people who were heading off on a 21-day raft trip--way smaller rafts! 

We took a little walk down to the Lees Ferry historic district.  Part of the fort is still standing, and there's some junk for an old gold mine.

  

There's a trail that goes along the river, but I told George that I wanted to go on a hike, not a trail.  He asked, "What's the difference?"  I smiled at him, took one final picture downriver to the beginning of the canyon and headed for the truck.  (Check out the blog entry for Cathedral Canyon if you'd like to see for yourself.)  

More pictures of the Lees Ferry area:  Lees Ferry