Kayaking the Colorado

KAYAKING DOWN THE RIVER

YOU DON'T NEED TO BE A POWER BOATER TO MAKE THIS TRIP ALONG THE COLORADO

We stood on the bank of the Colorado River and looked at the rented green kayak with a mixture of fear and curiosity. Could we control it? Would we flip over? Could we navigate the river? My friend Selma Baharoglu and I would find out soon enough. We were planning to kayak the 11-mile stretch from the base of Hoover Dam to Willow Beach through Black Canyon. Some said it was an easy jaunt with no rapids, a great trip to take with kids. Others recounted tales of a wild ride when the dam released water. We didn't know what to expect. All we knew was that a promised bounty of beauty awaited us downstream, and the only way to reach it was by kayak or canoe. Pat Beloud of Down River Outfitters did her best to alleviate our fears. "The river's low, but it's Saturday. They don't usually release water on the weekends."

Pat went on to explain how to maneuver the 15-foot-long pointy-ended plastic boat. "I've hooked your paddles together at a 45-degree angle so you won't have any wind resistance. Just do this to go," she said, holding the double-paddled oar and making a figure-eight motion. "Get into rhythm with each other. The person in front sets the pace." Selma and I glanced at each other then back at the kayak. As if reading our minds, Pat added, "Don't worry. Kayaks are easier to handle than canoes. Most people get in step before they pass the first big rock outcropping." Relieved, we clambered into the kayak. The slow float from Hoover Dam to Willow Beach is one of the calmest sections of the river, and we were told it offers glimpses of early 1930s construction as well as a variety of natural wonders. We took out our map and looked for points of interest. We paddled for only a few minutes before arriving at Sauna Cave, created when construction workers tried to drill a tunnel to Hoover Dam. When they discovered hot water leaking from the rocks being chiseled, they abandoned the site. The cave is hard to find. We docked our kayak where we thought it would be and looked around. A group of off-duty Orange County, California, policemen hiking to the cave with family and friends guided us to it. We climbed up a sandy slope of the canyon, pushing back tall salt cedars. A wave of heat hit us as we approached the mouth of the cave. "You need a flashlight to see in here," one of the policemen said. He was right. Three steps into the aptly named steamy cavern and I was blind. We formed a human chain, holding hands as we made our way through the dark cave. Sweat beaded on my arms and legs. My glassed fogged, so I took them off. I could hear the water gently trickling down the sides of the walls, evaporating as it dripped. Sauna Cave's height is just enough to walk in without hitting your head, and barely wide enough for two people to pass

each other. It goes back about 100 feet. Each step gets hotter until the temperature peaks at 140° F. The cavern walls sparkle when light hits them. Mineral deposits, mostly salt, have accumulated, and the constantly dripping water polishes them to a high sheen. Marble-colored stalactites grip the ceiling of the cave. We breathed deeply, letting the heavy air cleanse our lungs. One of the policemen's children ran toward the exit when he literally saw the light at the end of the tunnel. The rest of us walked to the opening. The wind which seemed so warm only a few minutes earlier now felt chilly on our perspiring bodies.

We got back into the kayak and went on to explore several other small caves dotting the riverside. Steaming rocks indicated which ones housed hot springs. River guides call these the "rain caves," as water drips down their sides much like drops of rain. A few more strokes took us to Gold Strike Canyon, where a short walk led to hot springs and waterfalls. The 160° water there creates an entirely different atmosphere for plants. Lush vegetation grows, a sharp contrast to the barren desert just north of the area. Canyon rocks are painted with vivid green and gold algae. Some are striped with black and snowy-white mineral deposits.

We hiked back for more than two hours and saw spectacular effects of nature the entire way. We sloshed through the warm water, amazed and delighted at an ecosystem so foreign to most of Arizona. Back in the kayak, we settled into the rhythm Pat Beloud predicted, counting out only the first few strokes to get us moving. Looking into the water, we could see smooth black rocks beneath us, floating branches, and green grasses.

"I bet it's 10 feet down, and we can still see the riverbed. It's so clear!" I said to Selma. Curious, we took one of the six-foot oars and eased it down. It hit bottom with only an inch or two still showing above the surface.

KAYAKING

One reason the river happened to be so still, so translucent, was that the Bureau of Reclamation issues only 30 permits a day for canoeists and kayakers, so there are few people stirring up the riverbed. There were long stretches on which Selma and I neither saw nor heard anyone else. But we did see largemouth bass and trout so clearly I could count their scales. Small minnows darted about, avoiding the big fish. On the river's edge, we saw three bighorn sheep and a hungry-looking coyote. We continued a mile and a half down the river to Boy Scout Canyon and found another hot spring and plenty of good places to pitch a tent if we were so inclined.

Continuing our voyage, we paddled through Ringbolt Rapids, named for the large ringbolt fastened to a rock about 20 feet above the waterline. In the late 1800s, steamboat crews used it to winch their boats through what were then rapids.

We saw more waterfalls and another hot spring, Arizona Hot Springs, and a short hike led us to Petroglyph Wash where (LEFT) Kayakers set out on a Colorado River trek from just below the dam. (RIGHT) Ten-year-old Garrett Bulatovic joins Glenn and Mary Wald for a dip in a hot springs pool in Gold Strike Canyon.

KAYAKING

Native Americans pecked at the black desert varnish on canyon rocks, leaving picture messages for future generations.

Selma and I felt confident in our newly acquired kayaking abilities. But that changed at Cross Current Canyon. The stone walls high above channeled the wind, which had us running into it. If we didn't paddle, the kayak turned around and went upstream. We doubled our efforts to get through the next two miles. When the river widened, the wind calmed. By then we knew the exact location of every muscle in our arms and shoulders.

We took a long break on a sandy shore. Wandering up the side of a bluff, we found winding circles of raven and gull tracks and discovered their attraction to that particular beach: tiny white flies. Great eating if you're a bird.

We climbed a little farther and were treat-ed to a superb view of the river. There were no other boats in sight. We felt like explor-ers charting a new waterway through the wilderness. We ate some of the fresh fruit we packed. Then, our strength renewed, we settled in for the last leg of the trip.

People finally made an appearance where the water deepened, riding jet skis and speedboats. The roar of their engines broke the peaceful silence and brought us back to the present, but not for long. We were taken back to the 1930s by an old gauging station used to monitor the river's water level during the construction of Hoover Dam, and a cable car dangling from a cable. Men utilized this contraption to get themselves and their supplies from one side of the river to the other. From there they used plywood and cable catwalks to get to the station. The structures were now home to a family of double-crested cormorants.

Carefully hidden nearby on the Arizona side of the river was Emerald Cave. Un-marked on any tour map, the tiny opening housed thousands of swallow nests and the greenest water I have ever seen. But don't plan on getting out of your kayak there the clear gemlike water is at least 30 feet deep, and there is no shore for docking. Within sight of the catwalks is the National Fish Hatchery, where boaters pull out to watch the fingerlings in the tanks. The hatchery is a stone's throw from Willow Beach. Here Selma and I got into a rhythm and made for the shore, sunburned and happy.

WHEN YOU GO

You must have a permit from the Bureau of Reclamation to kayak through Black Canyon. These can be hard to come by, so plan your trip at least a month in advance. Down River Outfitters is a licensed company and can provide you with everything you need. They'll drop you and your rented kayak at the base of Hoover Dam then collect you at Willow Beach for $33 per person. For more information, call them toll-free at (800) 748-3702.

Another company, the one that pointed out Emerald Cave to the author, is Back Bay Canoe & Kayak. For $50 they provide the same services as Down River, but they start out in Bullhead City. Contact them at (520) 758-6242.

Camping along the Colorado River is available. There are toilet facilities at Gold Strike Canyon and Arizona Hot Springs. If camping is not what you have in mind, you must make the 11-mile trip in a single day.