Notes

Windsurfing the Lower Sodium River: An Backyard Adventure Through Arizona's Lower Salt River Canyon
Experience majestic wasteland scenery, rich riparian nature and enjoy a good exciting day of fantastic fun and outside the house adventure kayaking down the Lower Salt River. Merely a small drive from Phoenix, az, the Lower Salt River is some sort of very popular location for Arizonans searching for a way to cool off with "tubing" a widely well-known activity for many individuals in the course of the long, warm summer months. Even so in case you consider your self an outdoors buccaneer and you're inclined to try some thing new, then I recommend taking the day trip kayaking down the More affordable Salt River. Perhaps if you've by no means been kayaking before, the mild plus gentle Lower Sodium River is an excellent place to start, also if you're the beginner.

I acquired never been windsurfing before but acquired wanted to try it for a very long time. So when I heard of which there was a localized group the Scottsdale Sea and Ski Club organizing the kayaking trip along on the Salt River I swiftly jumped on typically the opportunity and also fixed up at the discounted group charge of only $60 including the boat rental equipment, shuttle service pick up transportation just as well as snacks and beverages offered by the club.

Starting up our day's journey early, we went out east from Phoenix on Path 202, exiting south west on Power Highway which turns in to Bush Highway because it enters the Tonto National Woods. It's another twelve miles until you arrive at Saguaro River. On the ideal just south regarding Saguaro Lake Marina, is Saguaro Lake Ranch & Holiday resort where we owned in, parked plus got prepared regarding our day's adventure kayaking down the Salt River. Straight down in the shoreline, believed our kayaks, put our life vests as well as were provided a new map and a new detailed overview involving the trip coming from start to surface finish by Saguaro Pond Ranch. After typically the briefing we transported our kayaks plus paddles into typically the water's edge plus quickly dropped within. Once everyone was securely launched in to the normal water, we were provided a "thumbs up" by our head and experienced mountain-climbing guide, Mike to start out our journey about down the water.

As being a first moment beginning kayaker, that took me a short time to learn how to use the particular double sided exercise correctly and quickly in order to be able to steer my kayak. After only some sort of few short moments of "bumper boats" and floating downstream sideways then backwards, I started finding on and began feeling more at ease, in a position to work along with the velocity of the particular current while preserving my kayak right, facing forward and even away from trees, reefs as well as other kayakers and people in the river. Even though we did shed somebody from our party very at the beginning that somehow must have decreased out and dropped her kayak, intended for the rest of our group, all of us successfully began our own exciting float straight down the beautiful in addition to scenic Salt River.

I'd describe the first portion of typically the river journey to be able to be probably be typically the most challenging element as this will be where almost all of the rapids are. I got busily taking lot's involving pictures of everybody kayaking as properly as the gorgeous scenery when all of an abrupt I looked upward and realized I actually had already approached Snake Rapids and even somehow got drawn into an eddy in the lake which caused my personal kayak to veer wildly into typically the rapids, headed right for the rubble where it received lodged and stuck! After only a few short panicky moments with no one left to assist, My partner and i managed to get my kayak up off the rubble then quickly paddled my way throughout the rest of the rapids to obtain captured back up with all the rest of the particular group again. Soon thereafter, we reached Blue Point Bridge and after picking up our lost kayaker, we pulled each of our kayaks over to the shore intended for a short relaxation break in the picnic area where snacks and beverages had been provided.

Following your small break, we received last our kayaks and were about the river once again. From Azure Point Bridge typically the slows down plus the current will be much milder. You will learn many more people presently because it is also a part of the river contributed by the tubers, making for some sort of much more energetic social experience with kayakers and tubers mingling together in addition to enjoying the water experience. As we all continued to float on down toward Sand Cliffs, we all also passed by simply many people out fishing and picnicking along the shore incidents where giving their own horses an awesome down within the drinking water!

From Sand Coves the scenery proceeds to be totally breathtaking and right after passing from the departure point to the tubers, you will start to experience more peaceful and tranquility nowadays on the water with the possibilities regarding encountering nature more likely so make sure to keep your sight open and your own camera ready. That was literally just within minutes of which I researched to be able to the right coastline and saw a new Great Blue Heron! Blue Herons are very large, grayish/blue birds and popular in riparian sort habitats. I swiftly snapped up a couple of photos while drifting by.

After another regrouping stop, this time around at a mountain cliff on the particular river itself, many of us continued to kayak on past Coon Bluff until many of us had reached each of our final exit point, Phon D Sutton, Exit #2. We safely got away, pulled our kayaks up onto shoreline, then carried them up to typically the parking lot intended for loading by Saguaro Lake Ranch. We then got in to the shuttle truck which had been waiting for people and within quarter-hour we had came back at Saguaro Lake Ranch wherever we had originally began and where each of our cars were parked. We had dropped in to the river in 9am and were finished by 2pm and in our own cars by 3pm. The total moment for the trip was 5 hours which included stops and remainder breaks along the particular way.

I extremely recommend taking this particular short day vacation which costs just $65 for the day with move forward reservations at Saguaro Lake Ranch. You don't need to be an knowledgeable kayaker as the particular Salt River will be considered to get a great place to begin if you're innovative to kayaking, like I was. Saguaro Lake Ranch will provide you the equipment rental, instruction, additionally shuttle transportation back again to your car from the end associated with the trip. An individual only need in order to bring lot's involving sunscreen and drinking water as it does get pretty hot simply by mid-afternoon as well as your individual food or treats for lunch. Throughout all, it absolutely was truly an amazing, fascinating day of out-of-doors fun, beauty in addition to adventure which I plan on performing again sometime really soon!

Laura Ok. Halik is the writer and released author with over 20 years knowledge of outdoors travel throughout the point out of Arizona and even the western location. She is enthusiastic for nature, the outside, travel and journey. Laura enjoys walking, canyoneering, white drinking water rafting, kayaking, scuba diving diving, snorkeling, publishing, and photography. Your woman is also some sort of co-hiking leader in addition to organizer in the hiking and outdoors adventure club regarding advanced and encountered hikers.
Here's my website: