We are up, eat, pack, and leave around 8:00.  I cache one quart of water for the return trip.  It certainly is easier descending the Redwall when you are fresh.  I'm not sure I would want to go all the way to the bottom in one day.

Redwall 10-14-2007 @ 9:14	Redwall 10-14-2007 @ 9:15

     In a little while, we come to an area of the trail that makes some people uncomfortable.  I don't consider it to have much exposure.  I've always felt that some of the lower sections have more exposure than this.

Narrow trail section 10-14-2007 @ 9:27	Travertine deposits 10-14-2007 @ 9:28	Narrow trail section 10-14-2007 @ 9:28

     Just below the narrow trail section, we come to a small flat area and the four hikers we saw late yesterday afternoon.  They camped here last night and are getting ready to head out to Palisades Creek also.  I didn't think they would make it to the bottom yesterday due to the poor shape that one guy was in.  I do find a few blooming flowers on this lower section of the trail.

Fetid Marigold 10-14-2007 @ 9:56	Trailing Four O'Clock 10-14-2007 @ 11:15	Desert Senna 10-14-2007 @ 11:15

     Keith and I reach Tanner Rapids around 11:30.  I am dragging a little and walk right by the cairn marking the start of the Beamer Trail.  Fortunately, Keith sees it and we turn onto the trail.  My map maker rates this section as a "Green E" or easy, but I would rate it more of a "Blue M" or medium.  There are a couple of minor scrambles and quite a few of these drainages to traverse.  The river is extremely pretty today.

Tanner Rapids 10-14-2007 @ 11:35	Beamer Trail 10-14-2007 @ 12:06	Beamer Trail 10-14-2007 @ 12:07

     We reach a sandy area near the water and come to more blooming flowers and a barrel cactus.

Fleabane Daisy 10-14-2007 @ 1:24	Trailing Four O'Clock 10-14-2007 @ 1:24	Barrel cactus 10-14-2007 @ 2:28

     Unfortunately, this sand is not the easiest surface to walk on.  Since I am pooped, I was wanting something really easy.

Sandy section of the trail 10-14-2007 @ 2:20	Sandy section of the trail 10-14-2007 @ 2:20

     We reach Comanche Creek and decide to filter some water at the river.  Anyway, I am ready for a break.  Just after passing Espejo Creek, we reach a cairn and a split in the trail.  One trail leads uphill while the other one takes a lower route by the water.  I seem to recall that the lower route is the best one to take, so that's what we do.  We soon come across a pile of animal bones.  These appear to have belonged to a larger animal, possibly a deer.

River by the low route 10-14-2007 @ 2:50	Animal bones 10-14-2007 @ 3:12	Animal bones 10-14-2007 @ 3:12

     Temple Butte is the dominant feature on the other side of the river.  We pass an area with some solar devices that apparently transmit data of some kind.

Temple Butte 10-14-2007 @ 3:27	Solar devices 10-14-2007 @ 3:41

     We pull into camp around 4:00.  This is a great site right next to Lava Canyon Rapids.  When I did my raft trip this spring, we camped directly across the river from here.

Palisades Creek campsite 10-14-2007 @ 3:59	Palisades Creek campsite 10-14-2007 @ 4:45	Palisades Creek campsite 10-14-2007 @ 4:46

MAIN INDEX | HIKING INDEX | BACK TO DAY 1 | FORWARD TO DAY 3