Well...back

The trip is done, we've been back a week. A few notes.

1) Flows - my obsessive concern about flow, heightened to an absurd crescendo shortly before we left by an absurdly low NOAA forecast, turned out to be (thankfully) unwarranted. I did get stuck, but it was on the first day, downstream from Butler while we were still in cattle country, and it was on a lowly shoal on river left. The flow dramatically spiked (as Ryan Christenson from BuRec indicated) about the third day out there, and when we hit Gov't, it was flowing about 2400-2600.Easy drop into two waves on the left - lasted all of 4 seconds.

2) Weather - Excessive wind, the first three days. I couldn't safely keep a fire burning the third night. The first few miles after Mexican Hat were a struggle - massive upstream blasting out of Pontiac Wash, then downstream for a few miles. Then hard upstream again, then some down. We got a little on Day 4, but it eventually stopped and we had a nice fire. Day 5 and 6 were essentially windless...but 100 degrees.

3) Camping:
Big Stick - the ranger asked us not to take a large site, but the trwo or three she recoemmended were all taken. We took it anyway.
Pouroff - a nice pre-MH site, river right. Only two decent tent pads, but located just downstream from a beaver lodge. Sharon got great pics.
Mile 42.3 - Navajo side, a sandy and fairly broad campsite, good landing but little shade. We considered laying over there, but I felt a little uncomfortable, largely due to wind, with a commitment to do almost 24 miles in one day to last campsite. It was the right decision.
Mile 54.7 - Navajo side, awesome spot. Sandy and easy landing, tent spots high on a sandy terrace above the beach, plent of room for fire/chairs/kitch at water's edge. Early shade in afternoon, late shade in morning.
Slickhorn A - Never been before; a very nice spot. Four or five decent pads, probably first Slickhorn in shade in afternoon, nice view. Would happily take this one again.

4) Equipment - Broke a tent pole first evening setting up. Annoying but we rigged it and it worked. Sharon left the silverware at home accidently, we borrowed from another party. Platform cracked, working now on a solution to that one. No issues otherwise.

5) Misc - We took about 1400 pictures. The flats had plenty of water, saw a few sandbars but didn't hit a single one. Stayed way right most of the way down. Trimble is gone. Actually saw 4ft Rapid for the first time - water was lowish early in the trip. Ran Ross too far left. 8 Foot jogged right at the top, straightforward center-left run, big rock/hole near bottom in center. Ledge was a few strokes, no big deal. Not a drop of rain. Beaver, bighorn, cattle, horses, toad, deer, herron and usual lizards.

Excellent trip, wasted after the driving but already looking fwd to next year's.