Arizona Paddle

Let's check out the sunset at Canyon Lake! The sun will set about a half hour after we launch so we'll be able to see the beautiful colors in the sky and the changing shadows on the cliffs. The moon won't rise until a little bit after the sun set so we should get a nice view of all the stars, before being treated to a nearly full moon.

WHAT TO BRING:
a kayak or paddle board and paddles, obviously
life jacket
snacks and drinks
LIGHTS FOR BOTH YOU AND YOUR KAYAK/PADDLE BOARD

PARKING:
You will need either a Tonto pass or a National Parks pass to park at the Boulder Recreation Site. You will need to buy a pass in advance. The cost is $8 - $12 for a Tonto day pass.

HOW TO FIND US:
We will meet at the Boulder Recreation site. Park in the first lot on the left and take the dirt trail that goes straight down to the beach.

PADDLE CRAFT:
Paddle boards, hard-shell kayaks, or high-quality inflatables (no Intex).

NOTE:
If you are going to consume alcohol, drink responsibly.

DISCLAIMER:
Please note that neither myself, nor any other trip leaders are professional tour guides, nor do we have any special training in first aid or rescue. You are entirely responsible for your own safety.

PLEASE BE ON TIME, as we don't wait too long for stragglers. If you need to inflate, get there early so you are ready to go at 7:00 pm.

We'll meet at Water Users, then run most of the cars down to Phon D and leave them at the bottom so your car is waiting for you when you get there. If you have an inflatable, please arrive early to give yourself time to inflate prior to 7:00 am.

Watercraft:
Paddle boards, hard shell kayaks, and high-quality inflatables (no Intex).

What to bring:
a kayak or paddle board and paddles, obviously
life jacket
snacks and drinks
sun glasses
hat
sunscreen

Parking:
You will need either a Tonto pass or a National Parks pass to park at Phon D Sutton or Water Users. You should be able to buy a day pass at the Phon D Sutton parking lot, but the machines are often broken; it's best not to take chances and buy a pass in advance. The cost is between $8 and $12.

HOW TO FIND US:
Go to Water Users. I drive a blue Ford F-150 with a solid blue camper shell (no windows).

REMEMBER:
The AZ sun is strong and the reflection off the water makes it more so. Use plenty of sunscreen, reapply on the way down, don't forget to cover the tops of your feet and your ears and every other exposed surface. Wear a hat and sunglasses. Drink lots of fluids. If you are going to consume alcohol, drink responsibly.

DISCLAIMER:
Please note that neither myself, nor any other trip leaders are professional tour guides, nor do we have any special training in first aid or rescue. You are entirely responsible for your own safety.

PLEASE ARRIVE EARLY to set up your craft. I'd like to run the shuttle to the bottom as close to 7:00 am as possible.

The Colorado River, Canyonlands, and Arches National Monuments

This fall we will drive up to Moab, Utah and spend a week exploring some of the most beautiful landscape in the country.

ITINERARY:

Monday, Sept 21:
Drive to Moab, set up camp. I will host a Happy Hour. I'll provide drinks and food.

Tuesday Sept 22:
Kayak the Colorado River. We will paddle from Dewey Bridge to Hittle Bottom, a stretch of about 8 or 10 miles of flat water. Because it's an unfamiliar river and the water is really cold, kayaks are preferred over paddleboards, and life vests are REQUIRED TO BE WORN. There are shops in Moab that rent kayaks if you need one.

Wednesday, Sept 23:

We'll hike Arches National Park, leaving from the Devil's Garden Trailhead at the far end of the park. The trail passes by about half a dozen or more of the park’s most impressive natural arches. As we drive back through the park from this hike, we will pass a ton of small ¼ mile to 1-mile trails that lead out to other arches. If you have energy left, we can visit as many of these as we like, otherwise we can simply drive by and head back to camp.

Thursday, Sept 24:

Kayak the Colorado River again. You will have the option of doing either the flat-water section from Take Out Beach to the Moab Bridge (about 10 or 11 miles) or the section with half a dozen rapids, from Hittle Bottom to Take Out Beach (this is known as The Daily). Sit on top kayaks are highly recommended if you are doing the rapids. Again, life vests are REQUIRED TO BE WORN.

Friday, Sept 25:

We will drive the Schafer Canyon Road through Canyonlands National Park. This is a dirt road that stays just under the edge of the plateau and travels along it for a bit before switch-backing thousands of feet to the valley floor. It then travels along the bottom with red rock cliffs towering above. We hit a fork and turn onto the White Rim Road that will then take us out to amazing overlooks of the Colorado river as well as to some short trails to some natural arches. We can have a picnic lunch on a plateau overlooking a bend in the river. When it’s time to head back, we can rejoin the Schafer Road and continue on it out of the park, past the Potash mines. It lets out onto the paved road just a few miles from our campsite. If we haven't done so yet, we can take this opportunity to take a short hike out to Corona Arch as the trail head is directly across the road from the campsite.

Saturday, Sept 26:

Head home.

CAR CAMPING:

We will be camping at the Gold Bar Recreation Site. To get there you will drive through the town of Moab on Hwy #191 N. After passing through town, just after crossing the bridge over the Colorado river, you will turn left onto Potash Road (UT-279). About 10 miles down this road on the left is the Gold Bar Recreation Site. It is right across the road from the Corona Arch trail. If you drive to the Salt mines, you have gone a few miles too far. The price will be $20 per campsite per night. Share campsites to fit everyone in and save money. Each campsite has a pit toilet, a fire ring, and a picnic table but nothing else. You must bring all your own water and supplies, although we are not far from Moab if you need to run into town for anything.

The sites are not reservable. I will be getting there early to make sure that the weekend crowd clears out and there is room for everyone. If by any chance there is not (unlikely), I will make other arrangements and post them here.

As an added note, this is part of a larger Utah trip for me. Some people have asked about joining me and you are all more than welcome. I'll be arriving in Moab the Thursday prior, and doing some additional exploring of Canyonlands and Arches, as well as taking Sunday off to watch football (FLY EAGLES FLY!). After Moab, I'll be heading up to explore Bryce, Zion, and Snow Canyon parks. I'll be camping at the KOA outside of Zion (Hurricane KOA in St. George) from Sept 26 through October 3.