I was told last year that Lava Falls at River Mile 179 is the most exciting and terrifying 13 seconds of life, if you stay in the boat. This was sure to wake me up after a day of counting sheep.
Geologists estimate that between 400,000 and 10,000 years ago lava flowed across the canyon damming the Colorado River at least 12 times. Yet the mighty Colorado broke through these up to 2,000 foot lava dams repeatedly and has since carved down about 1000 feet.
I’d seen Lava Falls from the Toroweap overlook, and gave a little shiver.
First we approached Vulcan’s Anvil, the remains of a volcanic plug, about one mile upriver from Lava Falls. The Paiute consider it sacred.
Then we stopped to scout out the rapids.
Lava Falls rapid normally drops 13 feet and is rated at an 8-10 (1=easy and 10=most difficult). This year the Colorado River ran three times it’s usual cfs (cubic feet/second). The boatmen said this would make the rapids a little less exciting.
I needed to hang on with both hands so took no video. We plunged into a HUGE hole followed by a wall of water soaking everyone on board then continued the wildest roller coaster ride of my life. When all was said and done I asked our boat driver Shelly, “Can we do it again!” If she’d been able to get the boat back up Lava Falls I’m sure we’d have road it all day. WOW!!!!
Not my Colorado River trip yet awesome footage.
Major John Wesley Powell portaged around Lava Falls during his 1869 expedition reporting, “What a conflict of water and fire there must have been here! Just imagine a river of molten rock running down into a river of melted snow. What a seething and boiling of the waters; what clouds of steam rolled into the heavens!”
After this excitement the river slowed for the last of our journey.