Salt River Beta???

[skibuminwyo]

Has anybody ever done US60 to Highway 288 run? Just looking for some info on it, thinking about making a trip down. Thanks.

[Storm11]

Go.

One of the best rivertrips out there IMHO. Bring the playboat if you can. Some of the sweetest surf spots you'll ever see in the Ledges section, then some easy class III for the upper section. In the lower canyon you hit the bigger 5 rapids. All straight forward, easy class IV, but fun. Then class II/III- the rest of the 15 or so miles to the takeout. Do 5-6 days if you have the option. Some AMAZING scenery. Bring ample substances of choice for the float days.

Pretty easy overnighter if you self support kayak (long days), but we did it last year at 800 in two days no problem. Make it to atleast Fress, YankeeBoy or BlackJack Canyons to camp if doing one night.

You need an Apache permit ($15) to do the upper section and a BLM lottery permit from March 1 - May 15 for the lower section. (I scored a March 28 permit this year...stoked) Off season you only need the Apache permit. Both for permit season. It will flow until atleast mid April this year. The section above highway 60 is gnar and super illegal. Don't leave anything valuable at the takeout.

check out www.whitewatercampsites.com and http://www.inaraft.com/map-salt-river-overview.htm to for maps and camp beta. Eddyflower or AmericanWhitewater for rapid descritpions if you want em.

If that's not enough to convince you, here's a photo from our 800 cfs bug infested overnighter last August (rain) that was still fun as hell. Blackrock is the hardest rapid at lower water.

[skibuminwyo]

I got ahold of COUNT on the other board and he got me in touch with the guy over there that makes maps (like the one takemetotheriver lost)..... My question is, after looking at the pics on AWW, is Quartzite rapid as bad as it looks in the pictures? Kinda looks like a river wide hole.


Edit to add: even that photo kinda looks a little gnarly.... might be a place for me to push rubber, instead of kayak.

















Oh, and do you have room on your permit?

[Storm11]

Quartzite is easy in a kayak and it's walkable... not so easy in a raft. Blackrock is also walkable and at higher flows (above 1200ish), it's a lot easier. There's also a sneak line you can't really see in the photo. (and actually I just remembered that photo is actually from our trip last spring when it was at 280 cfs...not 800)

And as of right now my permit's full... but I'll let you know if that changes

[skibuminwyo]

Good info to have. That doesn't make me quite so nervous. She was saying the walk arounds were kind of a pain in the ass.

[Storm11]

That's also cause she's pushing rubber too though... Blackrock takes a little bit of time just because of the slick rock and mud, but Quartzite is cake to walk, but honestly, you probably won't walk either...they really are easy IV

[skibuminwyo]

I kinda caught that. I am excited. Oh, and I am 90% sure I'll be doing a Cat trip with COUNT. Should be fun, one more entry for the river log.

[P_McPoser]

I did the salt river below saguaro lake plenty of times. Got there if you're into naked college girl titties and floating beer cooler tubing

[Adolf Allerbush]

I did the salt river below saguaro lake plenty of times. Got there if you're into naked college girl titties and floating beer cooler tubing

Where do I sign up?