Visit Arizonas Salt River Canyon in the early spring, and youre likely to see more folks from Durango than you would walking down Main Avenue in the summertime. The 60-mile wilderness stretch of the Salt River has traditionally been an annual blessing for many Durango residents looking for a break from the chilly, bleak days often found in between seasons. Last week, the Salt was running at a strong 2,700 cfs and offered a few lucky local permit holders the opportunity to experience this river and the desert in its prime.

Victor Longinotti tries unsuccessfully to shake hands with a
saguaro cactus after a long day on a raft. Scott Japhet drops into the famed Quartzite Rapid ...
backwards. Several boaters dig into a nice warm meal at the end of the last
day. Tony Mieley throws a front loop in a hole along the Salt River
near Camp 2. Cheap, yellow and plentiful. Stephanie Milner wanders through a field of incienso in the
hills above the river. Scott Japhet drinks a beer from das boot as punishment for
flipping a passenger-filled raft in Overboard Rapid. No river trip is complete without a loyal canine. Here, Posey
the playful pit, gets a little curious about the camera. Boaters rig the rafts under a grove of cottonwoods on the last
morning of the five-day trip.

 

In this week's issue...

January 25, 2024
Bagging it

State plastic bag ban is in full effect, but enforcement varies

January 26, 2024
Paper chase

The Sneer is back – and no we’re not talking about Billy Idol’s comeback tour.

January 11, 2024
High and dry

New state climate report projects continued warming, declining streamflows