Valerie Cassity
Special to the Sun

Our latest adventure was a two day canoe trip 12.5 miles down the lower Colorado River with Michelle Maring, her parents Liz and Dennis, and our friends Romi and Josh. Having never canoed before, Tony and I were uncertain what to expect, but I am glad to say that we took to paddling like fish to water.

Our Adventure

Tony Cassity, daughter Sophie, and Valerie Cassity in the canoe taking a rest from paddling to enjoy some young ducks that came right up to their boat.

We launched just below Hoover Dam Friday morning, and had to carry our supplies and boats down a long winding ramp just as a rainstorm hit. That didn’t seem like a very auspicious beginning to our trip, especially after we missed the first stop since we were still adjusting to our rowing style and Tony had to get out and pull the boat through the current to reach the sauna cave. When we climbed up to the cave though, it was well worth it (even Tony agreed). By the next stop we had figured out the boat and we enjoyed hiking up Gold Strike Canyon to the hot spring waterfall.

Although our group decided to skip the next stop (read: we couldn’t find it), we did find a nice spot to pull off and have lunch, and after some swimming in the deliciously cold water to cool off from the 100 degree day, we decided to hike up a canyon there, and found a wonderful, secluded hot spring not marked on the map. The next stop, which is a popular destination, was Arizona Hot Springs beach. To get to Arizona Hot springs, we hiked up a canyon where at the end you have to climb a tall, narrow, rickety ladder to get to the hot water. The perceived danger added another layer of excitement to the day.

That night, we camped in a sandy spot in a canyon beyond a rocky beach. We didn’t give much thought to the fact that a canyon of volcanic rock that has been baking in the sun for the entire 100+ degree day would retain heat (duh), so ended up sleeping on the hard ground in what was essentially a dry sauna. Because it was so hot, before getting into bed I took a dip in the still river to cool off, and in the moonless night with the sky reflected in the water it felt like I was swimming amongst the stars.

The next day, we had several hours to reach our pick up point and very few stops along the route to break up the day. We did see some great wildlife, particularly water birds and bighorn sheep. Several groups of mama and baby ducks came alongside the boat to say hello, as well. Partway through the day, the paddling began to feel monotonous, so we hitched our canoe to Romi and Josh’s and became a pontoon party boat, which made those last miles a blast!

What you should know

We used Desert Adventures for our trip, and I have to say that for the price it was quite a deal. We paid $58 per person for the canoe rental, shuttle service, and launch permit, which was reasonable for an adventure of a lifetime. You can also rent kayaks, but for an overnight trip with a tent, the canoe was great for holding a lot of supplies. If you prefer to have someone to cook your meals, take you from place to place, dictate your schedule, and do everything for you so that all you have to do is paddle, you might prefer a guided tour, which runs about $250 per person.

Useful Tips

Remember to apply sunscreen frequently throughout the day on a trip of this nature. I used SPF 50 liberally throughout the two days I was there and still got very burned.

No matter how tired you are, choose your campsite wisely.

Shoes are important! In our group, four people wore Chacos, and the other four Tevas, but with the rocky river bottom, we were frequently pulling rocks out of our shoes, and those of us with Chacos got blisters from the wet straps. A good, sturdy pair of water shoes would have been perfect, so learn from our mistake!

The Colorado River

The Colorado River flows 1,450 miles from Colorado throughout the Southwest and into Mexico’s Gulf of California. The section we boated ran through the Nevada/Arizona border. Several cities such as Los Angeles, Las Vegas, San Bernardino, San Diego, Phoenix, and Tucson have aqueducts leading all the way back to the Colorado River.

To learn more, or took book your Colorado River adventure, visit Desert Adventures at www.kayaklasvegas.com.