We set up our base camp at Tanner Beach, and with plenty of extra daylight to spare, we chose to explore some of the Escalante Route to the west.

So this is part of a “route?”

“Don’t move,” Mike said, reaching for his camera, “Stay right where you are.”

This wave below and to the west of Tanner Rapid was quite impressive. it was close to us on the riverbank, and I couldn’t help but stare for a while.

Funny what washes up on the riverbank here

Navajo Department of Highway Safety reminds you to use your ABC’s….. Always Buckle Children

kitty tracks?

Back at camp, this was the last photo I took before sunset.

In the evening we had a significant problem with our water supply. As you can tell from the pictures, our only water source, The Colorado River, was a silt-laden, milk-chocolaty-brown color. We used a bucket to allow the dirt in the water to settle to the bottom before pumping it, but the silt quickly clogged Mike’s filter and rendered it useless. We had reason to believe that it would do the same to my filter, putting us and our water supply in a precarious situation. We imagined a number of scenarios of being without water, and at one point considered hiking all the way back up to the rim that night.

Much later that evening, after allowing another bucket to substantially settle, we tried using my pump filter. Utilizing an old Appalachian Trail trick of mine, I wrapped a bandana around the prefilter. This seemed to work “okay,” at least well enough to quell our concerns. We pulled a good amount of water from the bucket, and filled another load to settle overnight. It ended up being a pleasant night next to the river.