Notes

Windsurfing the Lower Sodium River: An Outside Adventure Through Arizona's Lower Salt Lake Canyon
Experience majestic wilderness scenery, rich riparian nature and revel in a great exciting day of fantastic fun and outside adventure kayaking straight down the Lower Sodium River. Merely a small drive from Phoenix, the Lower Salt River is a very popular destination for Arizonans buying a way to cool off with "tubing" a widely popular activity for many throughout the long, hot summer months. However should you consider your self an outdoors fortune-hunter and you're prepared to try anything new, then I recommend taking a day trip windsurfing down the Decrease Salt River. Actually if you've never ever been kayaking prior to, the mild plus gentle Lower Sodium River is a good excellent place to start, actually if you're a new beginner.

I got never been windsurfing before but got wanted to try it for an extended time. So any time I heard of which there was obviously a localized group called the Scottsdale Sea and Snowboard Club organizing the kayaking trip down on the Salt River I rapidly jumped on typically the opportunity and got authorized up at the discounted group rate of only $60 including the boat rental equipment, shuttle service get transportation simply because well as snacks and beverages offered by the club.

Starting our day's trip early, we headed out east coming from Phoenix on Route 202, exiting north west on Power Road which turns in to Bush Highway because it enters typically the Tonto National Woods. It's another 12 miles unless you appear at Saguaro Pond. On the right just south associated with Saguaro Lake Riva, is Saguaro Lake Ranch & Resort where we drove in, parked and even got prepared intended for our day's experience kayaking down typically the Salt River. Down with the shoreline, believed our kayaks, set our life vests on and were provided some sort of map and a detailed overview associated with the trip by start to finish by Saguaro River Ranch. After the briefing we carried our kayaks in addition to paddles right down to the water's edge plus quickly dropped inside. Once everybody was properly launched to the normal water, we were given a "thumbs up" by our innovator and experienced mountain-climbing guide, Mike to get started on our journey about down the riv.

Becoming a first period beginning kayaker, that took me a little while to learn just how to use the double sided paddle correctly and very easily in order to be able to steer my boat. After only the few short mins of "bumper boats" and floating downstream sideways then back, I started capturing on and started out feeling convenient, ready to work together with the velocity of the current while preserving my kayak direct, facing forward and even away from woods, reefs as properly as other kayakers and people on the river. Though we did drop somebody from your team very in early stages which somehow should have decreased out and lost her kayak, regarding the rest associated with our group, many of us successfully began each of our exciting float straight down the beautiful and scenic Salt Water.

I'd describe the first portion of typically the river journey to be probably be the particular most challenging portion as this will be where most of the rapids are. I had been busily taking lot's regarding pictures of everyone kayaking as effectively as the beautiful scenery when most of an abrupt I looked upward and realized My partner and i had already contacted Snake Rapids in addition to somehow got pulled into an turn in the river which caused our kayak to veer wildly into typically the rapids, headed directly for the rubble where it got lodged and caught up! After only a new few short panicky moments with no person left to assist, We managed to find my kayak upward off the dirt then quickly paddled my way throughout the rest of typically the rapids to obtain caught back up with all the rest of the particular group again. Soon thereafter, we achieved Blue Point Bridge and after getting our lost kayaker, we pulled each of our kayaks over to the shore regarding a short rest break with the have a picnic area where snacks and beverages had been provided.

Following your small break, we acquired back our kayaks and were in the river once again. From Azure Point Bridge the slows down in addition to the current is usually much milder. You will learn many more men and women right now because it is also an area of the river shared by the tubers, making for a new much more energetic social experience along with kayakers and tubers mingling together and enjoying the lake experience. As many of us continued to float on down towards Sand Cliffs, we also passed by simply many people away fishing and picnicking along the coast incidents where giving their very own horses a great down in the water!

From Sand Coves the scenery goes on to be absolutely breathtaking and after passing with the exit point to the tubers, you will begin to experience more peaceful and tranquility right now on the riv together with the possibilities involving encountering nature extra likely so make sure you keep your eye open and your own camera ready. It was literally simply within minutes of which I researched to the right coastline and saw the Great Blue Heron! Blue Herons are usually very large, grayish/blue birds and typical in riparian variety habitats. I rapidly snapped up a few photos while drifting by.

After another regrouping stop, on this occasion at a rock cliff on typically the river itself, we continued to boat on past Coon Bluff until we had reached the final exit point, Phon D Sutton, Exit #2. All of us safely got away, pulled our kayaks up onto banks, then carried these people up to the particular parking lot regarding loading by Saguaro Lake Ranch. We then got in to the shuttle lorrie which had already been waiting for us and within a quarter-hour we had arrived back at Saguaro Lake Ranch in which there were originally started and where our own cars were parked. We had dropped into the river in 9am and were finished by 2pm and back each of our cars by 3pm. The total moment for the trip had been 5 hours including stops and remainder breaks along the particular way.

I highly recommend taking this specific short day getaway which costs simply $65 for the day with advance reservations at Saguaro Lake Ranch. You don't have to be an knowledgeable kayaker as typically the Salt River is definitely considered to be a great place to begin if you're fresh to kayaking, such as I was. Saguaro Lake Ranch will give you you the equipment rental, instruction, additionally shuttle transportation again to your automobile at the end involving the trip. An individual only need to be able to bring lot's involving sunscreen and drinking water mainly because it does acquire pretty hot by simply mid-afternoon as well as your own food or treats for lunch. Inside all, it absolutely was really an amazing, fascinating day of outdoors fun, beauty in addition to adventure which I actually plan on undertaking again sometime actually soon!

Laura Ok. Halik is a writer and printed author with over 20 years encounter of outdoors vacation throughout the condition of Arizona plus the western place. She is enthusiastic for nature, the outdoors, travel and venture. Laura enjoys walking, canyoneering, white drinking water rafting, kayaking, scuba diving diving, snorkeling, composing, and photography. The lady is also some sort of co-hiking leader and organizer in a new hiking and outdoors adventure club with regard to advanced and suffered hikers.
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