Notes

Mountain-climbing the Lower Salt River: An Patio Adventure Through Arizona's Lower Salt Lake Canyon
Experience majestic desert scenery, rich riparian nature and revel in an exciting day of fantastic fun and out-of-doors adventure kayaking straight down the Lower Sodium River. Merely a short drive from Phoenix arizona, the Lower Sodium River is some sort of very popular vacation spot for Arizonans buying a way to amazing off with "tubing" a widely well-known activity for many people during the long, very hot summer months. Even so if you consider yourself an outdoors fortune-hunter and you're ready to try something new, then My partner and i recommend taking some sort of day trip windsurfing down the Decrease Salt River. Actually if you've by no means been kayaking just before, the mild and gentle Lower Sodium River is a good excellent place to start, also if you're a new beginner.

I got never been kayaking before but experienced wanted to try it for an extended time. So whenever I heard that there was a local group the Chandler Sea and Ski Club organizing a new kayaking trip lower on the Sodium River I rapidly jumped on the particular opportunity and also authorized up at typically the discounted group price of only $60 which included the kayak rental equipment, taxi grab transportation mainly because well as snack foods and beverages provided by the club.

Starting up our day's quest early, we advancing out east from Phoenix on Way 202, exiting south west on Power Street which turns into Bush Highway because it enters typically the Tonto National Woods. It's another 12 miles before you arrive at Saguaro Pond. On the best just south involving Saguaro Lake Riva, is Saguaro Pond Ranch & Holiday resort where we drove in, parked in addition to got prepared for our day's experience kayaking down typically the Salt River. Down at the shoreline, claimed our kayaks, set our life vests as well as were provided the map and some sort of detailed overview regarding the trip through start to complete by Saguaro Lake Ranch. After the briefing we carried our kayaks plus paddles right down to the particular water's edge plus quickly dropped throughout. Once everyone was safely launched into the drinking water, we were provided a "thumbs up" by our head and experienced water-skiing guide, Mike to get started on our journey about down the water.

Like a first moment beginning kayaker, that took me a short time to learn how to use the double sided paddle correctly and effortlessly in order to be able to steer my boat. After only the few short minutes of "bumper boats" and floating downstream sideways then in the opposite direction, I started getting on and commenced feeling more at ease, ready to work together with the speed of the particular current while preserving my kayak directly, facing forward plus away from trees and shrubs, reefs as effectively as other kayakers and people on the river. Although we did shed somebody from your group very at the beginning who else somehow must have gone down out and misplaced her kayak, with regard to the rest of our group, we all successfully began our own exciting float down the beautiful in addition to scenic Salt Riv.

I'd describe the initial portion of the river journey in order to be probably be the particular most challenging portion as this is where a lot of the rapids are. I got busily taking lot's of pictures of everyone kayaking as properly as the gorgeous scenery when most of an immediate I looked up and realized My partner and i had already contacted Snake Rapids and somehow got pulled into an eddy in the riv which caused my kayak to veer wildly into the rapids, headed direct for the stones where it acquired lodged and stuck! After only a few short panicky moments with no person left to assist, My partner and i managed to get my kayak way up off the rubble then quickly paddled my way throughout the rest of the particular rapids to have trapped back up together with the rest of the group again. Immediately thereafter, we reached Blue Point Bridge and after getting our lost kayaker, we pulled each of our kayaks over to be able to the shore for a short remainder break on the refreshments area where snack foods and beverages have been provided.

After the short break, we got last our kayaks and were upon the river when again. From Azure Point Bridge the slows down plus the current is much milder. You will learn many more men and women by now because it is also an area of the river contributed by the tubers, making for the much more exciting social experience using kayakers and tubers mingling together plus enjoying the riv experience. As we all continued to float on down towards Sand Cliffs, many of us also passed by simply many people out there fishing and picnicking along the coast incidents where giving their particular horses a cool down within the drinking water!

From Sand Coves the scenery carries on to be definitely breathtaking and right after passing from the leave point for your tubers, you will commence to experience more quiet and tranquility nowadays on the lake with the possibilities of encountering nature considerably more likely so be sure to keep your eyes open and your current camera ready. That was literally just within minutes of which I researched to the right shoreline and saw the Great Blue Heron! Blue Herons happen to be very large, grayish/blue birds and common in riparian type habitats. I swiftly snapped up several photos while floating away by.

After one other regrouping stop, on this occasion at a mountain cliff on the river itself, all of us continued to boat on past Coon Bluff until we all had reached our own final exit level, Phon D Sutton, Exit #2. We all safely got out there, pulled our kayaks up onto shoreline, then carried all of them up to the particular parking lot with regard to loading by Saguaro Lake Ranch. We then got in to the shuttle vehicle which had been waiting for all of us and within a quarter-hour we had arrived back at Saguaro Lake Ranch wherever we had originally started out and where the cars were left. We had dropped in to the river in 9am and had been finished by 2pm and last each of our cars by 3pm. The total coming back the trip has been 5 hours including stops and remainder breaks along typically the way.

I highly recommend taking this kind of short day trip which costs only $65 for typically the day with progress reservations at Saguaro Lake Ranch. You don't have to be an experienced kayaker as the Salt River will be considered to get a great place to start if you're new to kayaking, just like I was. Saguaro Lake Ranch can provide you the equipment rental, instruction, in addition shuttle transportation again to your vehicle in the end of the trip. You only need in order to bring lot's associated with sunscreen and drinking water since it does obtain pretty hot simply by mid-afternoon as nicely as your very own food or snacks for lunch. Inside all, it had been really an amazing, thrilling day of outdoors fun, beauty and even adventure which We plan on doing again sometime really soon!

Laura Ok. Halik is the writer and published author with above 20 years encounter of outdoors vacation throughout the state of Arizona plus the western region. She is zealous for nature, the outside, travel and journey. Laura enjoys trekking, canyoneering, white water rafting, kayaking, scuba diving diving, snorkeling, composing, and photography. The girl is also the co-hiking leader in addition to organizer in some sort of hiking and outdoor adventure club intended for advanced and seasoned hikers.
My Website: