A closer view of our camp at Unkar. Sandy is setting his tent up just above the tide zone in the sand.

Yes, there really are daily tides in the Grand Canyon thanks to the damn dam at Paige, Arizona. Water is released daily to generate power. Depending on the width of the canyon, the water can rise or fall several feet in the course of a day (except Sunday when there is little electric demand). As you get further from the dam, the longer it takes for the release to reach you. So you never really know what water level you're running at. During our trip, the water fluctuated between 13,000 and 8,000 CFS, which is relatvely low but typical for recent years.