Trip Announcements

New: April 4 & 5, 2023 Twilight and sunrise paddle on the lower Salt River

Join one or both! Twilight float on the lower Salt River Tuesday April 4, 2023

Meet at Granite Reef Dam (north on Power Road off the 202 in Mesa) at 4:00 pm, Tuesday April 4 to set up the car shuttle to Water Users (east on Bush Highway). Put in around 4:45 pm. Moonrise (94% full) at 5:40 pm, sunset at 6:50 pm, take out around 8:00 pm. Bring a headlamp. Pack fleece in a dry bag; it’s cold on the water after dark. This is a safety measure. Flipping is possible.

I’ll be camping that night in the Goldfields OHV area between the put in and take out. No facilities, but convenient and free with permit. Use a tent.

Sunrise float on the lower Salt River Wednesday, April 5, 2023

Meet at 6:30 am at Granite Reef Dam for the car shuttle to Water Users. Put in around 7:15 am. Take out at Granite Reef Dam 11 miles and up to 4 hours later. We’ll pause at the big rock to take a break and maybe some leaping into the water. There can be an upstream breeze for the last hour.

What to bring: PFD use mandatory. Bring plenty of water & snacks. This is the perfect setting to use inflatable kayaks, paddleboards, sit-on-tops or any other real boat like a short hardshell. No tubes or floaty toys allowed as watercraft. Hats and sunblock needed. I wear long sleeves, long pants.

No rapids, some riffles, a few splashy wave trains, twists & turns to have fun in and get a little wet.

Parking: A Tonto NF use permit (or a Natl. Parks Senior Pass) is needed for each car. They are available at Big 5 Sporting Goods or convenience stores along Power Rd. You must purchase BEFORE arriving at the Water Users Parking Lot; they are not available on site.

Due to Covid safety measures, wear masks and roll down windows in cars. At all other times, practice social distancing.

This eleven-mile float is a good trip for beginners, people who haven’t boated in a while or for introducing new people to boating. If you are a novice and need an experienced person to share a boat with, tell me this when you sign up. I may be able to help you. If you need a boat, I may be able to help you.

Please contact me by April 1 to join this trip. Let me know if you have questions. pegdavis at u dot arizona dot edu. Text 520.628.8985

Estero Tastiota — April 4-8, 2023

This estuary is located on the Sonoran coastline half-way between Kino Bay and San Carlos. We will drive from Tucson to El Colorado, a small fishing village southwest of Hermosillo. On the second day we will paddle north about 6 miles to the estuary and camp at its mouth on sandy beaches, arriving in time for lunch. We will camp there 3 nights, exploring the estuary as we wish though somewhat constrained by tides and wind. On the last day we will paddle back and drive home. The highlight of this trip are the myriad species of waterfowl as well as the large numbers of each. Egrets, herons, spoonbills, terns, gulls, skimmers, pelicans, vultures, etc, are always in evidence. This is an intermediate skill level trip. We will plan to stop in Hermosillo for a late lunch on the drive down. You will need a valid passport. Drivers need car insurance; transportation costs split among participants. Please contact John Maier at [email protected] if interested.

Sonoran Coastal Paddle — May 13-20, 2023

This is a rescheduled trip at a time which is warmer and has longer daylight hours. We will paddle from El Colorado to San Carlos after first setting up a car shuttle. This is under 40 miles in distance so we will have time to explore many coves along the way as well as a few sea caves. Or we may consider a lay-over day at some location which will be decided by those who take part. One highlight will be to revisit Julio Villa, a site that used to be our favorite Thanksgiving vacation beach camp until vehicular access was blocked due to development in an adjacent canyon. But kayaks are welcome at this wonderful cove. You will need a valid passport. Drivers need insurance; transportation costs and shuttle split between participants. Please contact John Maier at [email protected] if interested.

Rescheduled & New Announcements:

> April 27-30, 2023 (Flexible) – Lower CO River 4-day paddle/camp from Walter’s Camp to Martinez Lake. A car shuttle driver & van will be contracted from Kathy in Palo Verde, CA. The Van fee is $100, a car shuttle is $50 per car. People share the cost of the van, then add that to the $50 car shuttle. More info to come about the camps, historic points of interest, backwaters, etc. along the 35-mi. voyage (all flatwater). This trip will be entirely self-contained, car pooling is encouraged. To express interest/sign-up & get all info, contact Norma Miller or 520-235-8927 (text ok). This time weather should be great with more daytime to visit POI. The dates posted are flexible if we can establish need. Thanks.
>> Steve Kanner’s river running adventures: (As noted above), All rivers are high & runnable. Dates TBD by Steve asap. To express interest & sign-up. Call, text, or email Steve. 520-401-1581.
>>> The 24th annual Spring Patagonia lake shore clean-up & picnic will be on Sunday, April 16, 2023. SAPC members will have free entrance & camping at boat-inn camp #110 for Sat. only. This will be a pot-luck BYO affair as before. Clean-up starts at 09:00, Picnic @ noon. Should be great weather. Please bring all gear, boats, etc. & announce you are SAPC Lake Clean-up participants for your Pass. Meet-up at the Beach area. Contact Royce Davenport for more info.