Ronnie Adventure #0004 - Lees Ferry at the Colorado River, Coconino County, Arizona

In a recent conversation that I had with Elmer, he told me that while sitting in the barber shop one day he overheard a patron telling the barber about a fishing trip he had taken to Lees Ferry on the Colorado River. According to the patron, the trout he caught were record size and he caught a fish on almost every cast. Why sometimes, the fish would jump right out of the water to grab the lure while it was still in the air before it could even hit the water. This sounded too good to be true -- time for a RonnieAdventure!

Since we didn’t want to clean too many fish, we just purchased one-day fishing licenses ($17.25) at the local store and checked into the National Park Service campground ($12 regular/ $6 Senior with a Golden Age card). There was no moon that night, so the night sky was brilliant and the Milkeyway was really spectacular. The stars were so bright that you did not even need a flashlight to walk around the campground.

The next morning we were up and at the boat launch area before it was even light. The only problem was that we forgot to bring a boat. Therefore, we decided to walk up stream from the boat launch area and fish along the way until we got too tired of pulling in fish.

 Early Morning Fishing on the Colorado River

First cast – No fish! Second cast – No fish! Tenth cast – No fish! Maybe Elmer should have asked the patron exactly where he was fishing and what lure he was using. Continuing up stream, we had the same results. 76^th cast – No fish! 77^th cast – No fish! Changing lures didn’t seem to help either. After walking about two miles upstream in four hours, and after 500 casts with no fish, be decided to retreat back to our vehicle that we left at the boat launch area. The walk back was pleasant because the trail winds past the Lees Ferry historic ruins and it was now light enough to take pictures. As an added bonus, the National Park Service has placed interpretive markers along the way that tell the story of tragedy, triumph, hardships and homesteading in the area.

 Remains of Fort Meeks

Lees Ferry Fort Trading Post

Lees Ferry Fort Buildings

Boiler Used To Power River Crossing Steam Engine

According to published information, Jacob Hamblim made the first river crossing at this site (“Pahreah Crossing”) in March 1864, but it wasn’t until the winter of 1869-1870 that a small stone building and corral were erected on the site and named “Fort Meeks.” In 1871, John D. Lee became the first permanent resident in the area; and, although there were no approach roads on either side of the river, on January 11, 1873 Lee started operating ferryboat service across the river. As more settler moved into the area, tension between the Navajos and settlers begin mounting, so in 1874 a new and larger defensive fort (“Lees Ferry Fort”) was constructed just down-river from Fort Meeks. However, regardless of what you have seen in the John Wayne movies, there never were any confrontations at Lees Ferry Fort; so the Fort was converted into a trading post and later a residence, school, and mess hall. It is one of the historic buildings still intact at Lees Ferry.

Charles H Spencer Wreckage and Main Boiler

Charles H Spencer Secondary Boiler

USGS Cabins

Also nearby are the partially submerged remains of the Charles H. Spencer steamboat and two stone cabins built by the U.S. Geological Survey. The stone cabins have been renovated, but are not open to the public. The Charles H. Spencer steamboat was built in 1911 and brought to Lees Ferry to transport coal for gold refining operations. A 110 horse-power marine boiler powered a 12 foot stern paddle and the boat averaged 5-6 tons of coal on each trip from a coal deposit located upstream from Lees Ferry. During a flood in 1921, the boat sank in shallow water and the superstructure was salvaged for its lumber. The main boiler is located in shallow water close to the shore and a second boiler is located just inland from the wreckage.
 

Colorado River Fishing

Back to Fishing! Traveling downstream from the boat launch area proved to be a better choice for fishing, producing several nice native Rainbow Trout. We continued down river for about a mile before we arrived at the confluence of the Colorado and Paria Rivers. From this point downstream the water on the west side of the Colorado River is very murky because the Paria River carries a large amount of silt during the spring months, which ruins fishing from the west side of the Colorado River in this area. We had considered hiking down Cathedral Wash to try fishing (about four miles south of the boat launch area), but decided that the water would still be too murky; so we decided that is was time to try fishing from the east side of the Colorado.

Navajo Bridges

Looking Down on River Rafters From Navajo Bridge

Fortunately, about five miles south of the boat launch area there are two bridges that cross the Colorado. The original Navajo Bridge (built in 1927-1928) is 18 feet wide, 834 feet long, 467 feet high, and has a 22.5 ton weight capacity. It has now been converted to a pedestrian bridge and is not open to vehicular traffic. While walking across the bridge I looked over the edge and noticed some river rafters far below, giving one a real sense of height from the bridge.

In 1990, trucks using the bridge were reported to be carrying loads in the 40 tons weight range (far exceeding the designed load capacity of the bridge) and traffic across the bridge had increased substantially, so plans for a new bridge were started. The new Navajo Bridge is adjacent to the original bridge, but it is 44 feet wide, 909 feet long, 470 feet high. It opened in 1994. There is an interpretive center on the west side of the bridge that is worth visiting. On the east side of the bridge, the Native Americans have various display areas where they sell Native American crafts. The turquoise jewelry work is especially beautiful and the more expensive pieces show a high degree of craftsmanship.

While I was examining the various crafts, I noticed an Elderly Native American gentlemen sitting in his pickup. I always like to visit with local people, so to start a conversation I asked him what he thought of the Navajo Bridges and all of the other great modern technological improvements that the settlers have brought into this area. He thought for a moment and then responded “When settlers found this land, the Native Americans were running it. No Taxes. No debt. Plenty of deer, elk, and other wild game for everyone. Women did most of the work. Medicine man was free. The men hunted and fished all day.” He paused for a moment and then added “Only a fool is dumb enough to think they have improved that system.” Time to head back across the bridge to find our vehicle. 
  

Downstream From the Confluence of the Peria and Colorado Rivers 

River Rafters on the Colorado River

Fishing on the east side of the river turned out to be an adventure just to find a place the get off of the mesa and down to the water. After a few hair raising four-wheel drive trails, we finally found a place that we could use to gain access the river. Views from the east side of the river were spectacular and it was interesting to see how the Paria River discolored the beautiful blue color of the Colorado. There were also a number of river rafters that came by while we were walking along the river’s edge. Fishing, however, was slow with only one fish in about an hour. Consequently, we decided to head for home. After crossing the bridge again, we stopped by an area of balanced rocks located along the Vermilion Cliffs and the famous "Rock House" (a house built around a large boulder).

Balanced Rocks Along Vermilion Cliffs

Balanced Rock (Not Our Car)

Balanced Rocks - About To Fall Over?

                                               Rock House (Built Around the Large Rock)

A little farther down the road (near milepost 557 on U.S. Highway 89A) a roadside marker and display area have been constructed to commemorate the 1776 expedition of Dominguez and Escalante as they attempted to find a safe overland route from Santa Fe to Monterey, California. This was the first party of Europeans to visit the area and the natives fled when they first saw the white people, thinking they were some type of spirit. The interpretive signs indicate that after the natives were coaxed to return, they brought pinion nuts and two roasted rabbits to share with the explorers.

Dominguez y Escalante Expedition Marker

Apparently, the party did not ever reach Monterey; however, they did established a good rapport with the natives and were able to travel the entire 1700 miles without firing a single shot or uttering a word of anger with the natives.

Stay tuned for the next RonnieAdventure!