photos by Stephen Eginoire

The waters of Arizonas Salt River have long been a coveted destination for hungry boaters and desert rats suffering from the pangs of a long, cold winter. Draining from the White Mountains into the Sonoran Desert, the Salt has a relatively early and short-lived boating season compared with other Western rivers. Anyone lucky enough to hook up with a springtime trip through this extraordinary canyon will find one of the most remote, rugged and beautiful river ecosystems in the Southwest.