HikeArizona.COM

I would like to invite everyone to come along on a commercial paddle-rafting trip on the upper Salt River, in the depths of the Salt River Canyon, on Sunday April 11. Cost per person, if you go with my group (they gave me a pretty good discount) is $110.86. The trip starts at the Salt River Canyon Bridge put-in, north of Globe on US 60. (Note: This is NOT tubing, nor is it near the tubing area!!!) Paddle rafts have the guide in the stern, who calls commands and steers. Passengers paddle according to the guide's calls. Check out the website for photos. This part of the river has Class II and III rapids. It is amazingly beautiful: big whitewater with saguaros along the banks!

The company I use is Independent Whitewater/Raft the Salt, which is based in Buena Vista, Colorado. Their "home river" is the Arkansas. They have been running raft trips on the Salt for many years, previously under the name of Blue Sky Whitewater. I have gone with them 3 times and found them to be very fun and very competent. Here is their website for more information: www.raftthesalt.com Phone number is 719-539-3555 or 800-425-5253. The people who answer the phone are owner/guides, and can answer any questions you may have.

The advantages of going commercial are that they set up the shuttle, they have the wetsuits and booties and helmets, etc. for everyone, and they give you a nice BBQ and salad bar lunch. All you have to do is to show up with your sunscreen and water bottle! Plus, you have the added safety of being with a professional guide instead of some random friend who has little or no experience. You do not have to have any experience on a guided paddle raft, and yet you get to participate in the paddling.

If you are interested please pm me for more info. In order to make a reservation you will need to call the company with your Visa or Mastercard (debit or credit) handy. And tell them the date and that you are with my group. Please pm me for the rest of the info.

Hey azbackpackr, sounds like fun but I'll be on a weekend hiking trip. I did this a year or two ago and it was a blast. If anyone is thinking about it I recommend it!

Yes, it is a blast indeed. And despite the commercial nature of it-- I have done a private trip, and found the commercial ones so much more hassle-free, and safer, too. Not that I am against doing more private trips, just that the commercial guys have it down. You show up, you have a great time, and you don't have to freeze your **s, since they do have wetsuits, and you don't have to set up the shuttle beforehand. And they feed you, too!

Oh, and this one is also listed on ABC, the Arizona Backpacking Club meetup group, that several of you were talking about today.

I have one raft-full signed up now, but no HAZers. Hope some of you will be interested, since I would love to meet all of you!

This trip is not on the HAZ event calendar, and I don't see how to put it there. Maybe it doesn't qualify because it isn't really a hike? Not sure, but there is no place to edit that that I can see. Anyway, that isn't too important. I just want to get the word out.

Would have loved to have gone on this trip but will be out of town. Maybe next year.

Well, I do try to make it an annual event. Hope you can join us next year!

Ok, not sure if anyone here is interested, but I do have 16 paid people for this trip so far. That is enough to fill 2 rafts. Most are from TRACKS hiking club, based in Pinetop-Lakeside, one is from SAHC. I talked to the rafting company, and they will hold a 3rd raft for my group. So we have room now for at least 8 more people.

Definitely interested, just can't swing it this year. Keep posting

Who me, keep posting? ;)

AZBackPackr,
I also strongly recommend the upper salt river raft trip.
Believe it or not, it contains Class III and IV rapids.
I've been doing it every year with the kids for the past 4 years and we're going again this year, next weekend.
Check out this site for water levels of the upper salt. http://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis/uv?09497500
2,100 CFS is best, it maximizes the rapids...closer to 3,000 and you're just flowing a lot of water...closer to 1,000 and not as exciting, but still a nice trip none the less.
Note: I am in no way affiliated with the following commercial rafting company but we've been using them for the past 4 years...primarily because they offer what would normally be a 2-Day trip in one day, it's called "a Dash of Salt", they cover 25 river miles, from "the 60 Bridge" to Gleeson Flat....includes lunch, awesome scenery through Cherry Creek Canyon tributary, includes a 2hr. ride back to the starting point. The river rapids and scenery you get on that extra 10 river miles is well worth the additional cost. In fact, I would never do the 1-Day trips offered by the upper salt commercial rafters, after having been on this one! the company is out of Durango Colorado, "Mild 2 Wild". The "Dash of Salt" is a bit more, it is $185/person plus access fees, but it is well worth it.
No matter who you go with, you will be impressed with the scenery and Class III/IV water in the desert.
Greg

Hey, thanks for the info! I have done the 10-mile trip several times, so I am familiar with it, but I was not familiar with going to Gleeson Flats in one day. I will check that out for sure and maybe that will be what we do next year.

I already have 25 people signed up for this one--amazing response--so it is a little late to change my plans! I do like Independent Guides (Raft the Salt), but am willing to check out Mild to Wild, I have seen them on the river before.

If you're thinking about his trip, stop thinking and sign up! Now!

You can't go wrong with either trip. SRR is great. All of their guides and owners are all very, very experienced and skilled as well as very cool and easy going. I've only met a few of the Mild 2 Wild guides but I can say the same about them as well.

As for the timing---there's a good chance that the flow will be peaking in a few weeks. Which is good. 3,000 cfs does not diminish the rapids at all (I've done the day run at flows ranging from 1,400 to 3,100) Higher water just makes the waves and holes bigger and much, much more fun. I just did a bridge to bridge trip on 3/11/10 with the river at 3k+ and it was blast.

Like I said--you can't go wrong with the SRR trip. But if you have the time and extra dough, do the longer trip to Gleason--you'll get to float through Granite Canyon which is one of my favorite sections of the entire wilderness trip and you'll get to hit 3x's more class III rapids. Maybe even some class IV holes, depending on the water level, your group and guide.

I don't really have the time or the money this year. I am going to school full-time, and I also work. I organized this trip in Feb, I put the word out to various hiking clubs and websites, now have 25 people signed up. I used to organize a lot of backpacking trips, but hadn't been doing it for the past couple years, so I am pleased with the response.

What I really would like to do is go to one of the guide schools in Buena Vista CO and work on the river for a season or two. A lot of these companies that run the Salt are based in Colorado, so they run the Salt in the spring, then they go do the Arkansas or Gunnison, or other river in the summer.

Alright AZBPKr you've talked me into it. I'm bummed that there was a scheduling conflict for the weekend you planned. I'm going tomorrow and can't wait!! (same river but a different company purchased through a groupon.com offer) We're hiking a different side canyon, apparently the road to Cibecue is washed out.
Looking forward to the fajita lunch, too :GB: Rafting, hiking and eating

Suz you are going to have a blast! I am just glad you get to go. It's funny how over the years I have talked to various hikers about rafting the Salt, and sometimes get such lukewarm responses. So I'm glad this year so many are interested. Or, my networking skills have improved. Just call me "Elizabeth, Queen of Networking" ;) These people in my group, a lot are from TRACKS, which is a Pinetop hiking club, and ABC, plus my own family members and my daughter's friends.

I now have 32 people signed onto my trip! Good thing that once we are on the river, the rafting company is responsible for their safety, not me! I am still getting inquiries, and as far as I know we could go to 5 rafts (32 people fit into 4 rafts.)

I have had a couple more people sign up in the past day or so. I guess there is still room, although I haven't called the company to see if they are running out of rafts yet. Right now I think I have about 34 people or maybe 35. I really don't know! That is 5 rafts and they told me they have plenty of rafts! This thing got a little out of hand, but it is going to be fun! The company knows their business and they are used to dealing with big groups.

I really should write this up. It was a lot of fun, and I got to meet shirlyd of HAZ and her pal, Andrew. I had a total of 35 people in my group. NO that is not a typo. Don't ask me...I am so amazed...they just kept signing up! There were 11 from ABC, 15 or so from TRACKS, and I had some family members and hangers-on as well. Which doesn't add up to 35! Oh some people from AZH as well.

We just had a lot of fun, but I was glad the river guides took over the management of the crowd! The river was up, to about 2600, the rapids were bigger than some other years, the rocks hidden, though. The people all seemed to be having a lot of fun, which was kind of the point.

No, I don't have any photos yet because I bought one of those disposable waterproof cameras. Have to send it in. Sharon on ABC has posted some.

Well, it was fun, despite my usual dislike of large crowds, I had fun....

Incidentally, my daughter and her pals camped on the river the night before the trip. It was $15 per person, payable as you drive into the area, and they had a real beachy experience, sitting in the warm sun in the sand by the river. They were as happy to get out of cold Flagstaff, as I was to get out of cold Eagar. So, that's a thought for car camping.

Also I guess our trip was one of the first to go past Cibicue Creek. It was not crossable by vehicles the weekend before, we were told. I will have to ask Suzaz if they went past it or not on their trip. It would sure be short if you had to stop there!