Tanner to Palisades – October 2009 – Day 3
Beach north of Espejo Creek to Palisades Creek:
Layover for Rainbows.I had originally hoped to hike Beamer all the way to the Little Colorado River confluence, but the events of Day 1 have tempered my ambitions out of cautious respect for the demanding nature of the trek. Today will be a short hike to Palisades Creek, more of a layover day really.
There are several nice beach sites to choose from, and we pitch tents right next to The River’s edge, with just enough beach space to account for mildly fluctuating water levels. It is very warm today so we build a shade shelter on the beach, using my tent’s rainfly. Time for some fishing.
First cast…fish on! A nice ten inch rainbow trout, maybe deciding to stay here will be a wise angling choice at least. The fishing here continues to be outstanding, really some of the best I’ve seen in The Canyon. I get a few hits and land three more rainbows, including one at about fourteen inches and two pounds.
With so much fun to be had today, and very little physical work, it would seem that we are undeserving of a cocktail hour. Perhaps so, but that doesn’t stop us anyway.
What a gorgeous night, I am mesmerized by the shimmering half-moon light that stretches across the surface of The River. The setting of the moon beyond inner gorge cliffs leaves us speechless.
