Notes

Windsurfing the Lower Salt River: An Outdoor Adventure Through Arizona's Lower Salt Lake Canyon
Experience majestic desert scenery, rich riparian nature and luxuriate in a good exciting day of amazing fun and outside adventure kayaking along the Lower Sodium River. Simply a short drive from Phoenix, az, the Lower Salt River is a very popular destination for Arizonans searching for a way to interesting off with "tubing" a widely well-known activity for many people throughout the long, sizzling summer months. On the other hand in the event you consider oneself an outdoors adventurer and you're inclined to try a thing new, then My partner and i recommend taking some sort of day trip water-skiing down the Lower Salt River. Perhaps if you've in no way been kayaking prior to, the mild in addition to gentle Lower Sodium River is a great excellent place to start, perhaps if you're the beginner.

I had never been kayaking before but experienced wanted to test it for an extended time. So whenever I heard of which there was a localized group called the Scottsdale Sea and Snowboarding Club organizing a kayaking trip lower on the Salt River I rapidly jumped on the opportunity and got authorized up at the discounted group rate of only $60 which included the kayak rental equipment, taxi pick-up transportation just as well as treats and beverages offered by the club.

Beginning our day's quest early, we going out east from Phoenix on Path 202, exiting north on Power Highway which turns directly into Bush Highway as it enters the Tonto National Forest. It's another twelve miles until you arrive at Saguaro River. On the perfect just south associated with Saguaro Lake Flotta, is Saguaro River Ranch & Vacation resort where we went in, parked and got prepared intended for our day's venture kayaking down the Salt River. Lower at the shoreline, said our kayaks, place our life vests on and were provided the map and a new detailed overview associated with the trip by start to end by Saguaro River Ranch. After typically the briefing we transported our kayaks and paddles right down to the particular water's edge and quickly dropped within. Once everybody was safely and securely launched in to the water, we were offered a "thumbs up" by our chief and experienced kayaking guide, Mike to begin our journey upon down the lake.

Like a first period beginning kayaker, this took me a little while to learn precisely how to use the double sided paddle correctly and very easily in order to steer my boat. After only some sort of few short a few minutes of "bumper boats" and floating downstream sideways then backwards, I started getting on and commenced feeling more comfortable, in a position to work together with the velocity of the current while keeping my kayak right, facing forward and away from trees, reefs as well as other kayakers and people in the river. Despite the fact that we did reduce somebody from our class very at the beginning who else somehow will need to have dropped out and missing her kayak, for the rest involving our group, we successfully began our own exciting float lower the beautiful and scenic Salt Water.

I'd describe the very first portion of the river journey to be able to be oftimes be the particular most challenging part as this is where most of the rapids are. I was busily taking lot's involving pictures of everyone kayaking as nicely as the beautiful scenery when most of an unexpected I looked upward and realized My partner and i had already approached Snake Rapids and somehow got ripped into an eddy in the water which caused my kayak to veer wildly into the particular rapids, headed right for the stones where it acquired lodged and caught! After only a new few short panicky moments with no one left to assist, I managed to get my kayak upward off the rubble then quickly paddled my way throughout the rest of typically the rapids to get caught back up with all the rest of the particular group again. Immediately thereafter, we arrived at Blue Point Bridge and after collecting our lost kayaker, we pulled the kayaks over in order to the shore for a short remainder break in the eat outside area where snack foods and beverages were provided.

Following your small break, we received last our kayaks and were upon the river once again. From Orange Point Bridge the particular slows down and the current is definitely much milder. You will see many more people by now because it is also an area of the river shared by the tubers, making for a much more vibrant social experience with kayakers and tubers mingling together plus enjoying the lake experience. As we continued to drift on down to Sand Cliffs, all of us also passed by many people out there fishing and picnicking along the coast some even giving their own horses a great down in the drinking water!

From Sand Coves the scenery goes on to be definitely breathtaking and after passing from the exit point to the tubers, you will start to experience more quiet and tranquility nowadays on the river together with the possibilities involving encountering nature considerably more likely so make sure you keep your eye open and the camera ready. This was literally only within minutes that will I researched to the right shoreline and saw a Great Blue Heron! Blue Herons are very large, grayish/blue birds and popular in riparian type habitats. I rapidly snapped up several photos while floating away by.

After another regrouping stop, this time at a stone cliff on the particular river itself, we continued to boat on past Coon Bluff until we all had reached our own final exit stage, Phon D Sutton, Exit #2. We safely got away, pulled our kayaks up onto shore, then carried these people up to the parking lot intended for loading by Saguaro Lake Ranch. We all then got in to the shuttle van which had already been waiting for people and within 15 minutes we had came back at Saguaro Lake Ranch where we had originally began and where each of our cars were left. There were dropped straight into the river from 9am and have been finished by 2pm and back in each of our cars by 3pm. The total time for the trip had been 5 hours which included stops and remainder breaks along typically the way.

I highly recommend taking this specific short day getaway which costs only $65 for the particular day with move forward reservations at Saguaro Lake Ranch. You don't need to be an knowledgeable kayaker as typically the Salt River is considered to become a great place to start if you're innovative to kayaking, such as I was. Saguaro Lake Ranch will give you you the tools rental, instruction, as well as shuttle transportation back again to your car or truck with the end regarding the trip. You only need in order to bring lot's regarding sunscreen and water since it does find pretty hot by mid-afternoon as properly as your own food or snack foods for lunch. Inside all, it had been genuinely an amazing, interesting day of out-of-doors fun, beauty and even adventure which I actually plan on undertaking again sometime definitely soon!

Laura K. Halik is the writer and printed author with over 20 years experience of outdoors travel throughout the state of Arizona and the western region. She is enthusiastic for nature, the outside, travel and adventure. Laura enjoys hiking, canyoneering, white drinking water rafting, kayaking, scuba diving diving, snorkeling, posting, and photography. She is also the co-hiking leader and organizer in a hiking and outside adventure club regarding advanced and encountered hikers.
Website: