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Day Five, from Boucher Canyon to Monument Fold. I was with Jeff Sloss in "Hidden Passage." I rowed Sapphire (6), Turquoise (3), and 104 Mile (5) rapids. I did Sapphire "OK", caught a "snake" in Turquoise and splashed the passengers. The major rapid today was Crystal (10), which was brick red from last night's rain, and which our passengers were required to walk around; our boatmen ran it without incident. A baloney boat from another company lost a passenger and its swamper who went in after the passenger. The boatman had to cut his motor, so the boat went right down the center of the rapid. Lunch was at Mile 108, Bass Rapid (4). We stopped for the night at Mile 116 on a little beach where we had an "ABC Party" (Alive Below Crystal) in the evening. Tostadas, rice casserole, and blueberry cheesecake for dinner. We had to set up tents because of the wind and sand.

 

Boatman Tim Cooper said about a trip through Crystal: "We must have hit the lateral about there. Pretty close to the mark, but suddenly we're going nowhere but sideways. Pulled my face down against the 'D' ring as hard as I could. Gray tubes twisting around like a strand of DNA. Front was completely upside down before the oarlocks even got to the wave. A positive, wrenching, violent flip. Then white noise and darkness."