Black Canyon - Thanksgiving 2000
As an initial disclaimer, I need to mention that this was
NOT a CKF sponsored trip, but rather a trip hosted by Herb Hislop and George
Kulakowski. This trip has, in past years, been a CKF event, but for reasons
unknown to the author, this trip was not.
This years trip was on a similar timetable as years past. The launch point was
Willow Beach which seems to be about a 15 mile drive south of Hoover
Dam on the Arizona side of the Colorado River. The morning was clear with a slight chill as about 17 kayakers assembled.
The water appeared calm as everyone exchanged hellos and gear tips.
Once underway, it didn't take very long for all the paddlers to realize that
the downriver current was making paddling upriver to Arizona Warm Springs a
bit more difficult than in years past. The reason for launching early from Willow
Beach early in the morning is to avoid stronger afternoon currents. However,
it was quite clear after the second mile marker that we were in for some work.
The final seven miles to Arizona Warm Springs were anything but easy. Paddling
against a 5 to 6 knot current made travel slow and tricky at some points. I
had never seen riffles and rapids on this lower part of the paddle trip, but
here they were. What I regularly consider a rather easy beginner/intermediate
paddle was suddenly a hard paddle. Moving forward faster than 2 knots was not
easy and several paddlers needed rests and time outs to navigate the nine miles
to our final destination.
Gladly everyone made it and not a capsize in the group. Several college outing
clubs also made the trip which helped to crowd this already popular spot. But
everyone seemed to manage well and many sought refuge in the clear hot waters
found in the hot springs close to camp.
Saturday found most paddlers too pooped to take on the boiling river in front
of our campsite. A hearty breakfast was served up by a non paddling member of
our group who had motored several hundred eggs and bacon strips to our campsite.
Now if I could just remember his name. (Marshall?) Several people hiked, while
others found some quiet time to read or just hang out with old friends. In the
meantime, George Kulakowski started his famous pre-Thanksgiving feast. He got
help from several sources including some new paddlers from Maine and Arizona.
Others, including the author made their way back to hot springs to soak tired
muscles.
The Thanksgiving meal consisted of my first deep fried turkey which was delicious.
A ham was also cooked. Garlic mashed potatoes, yams, corn, green beans, olives
and warm rolls were served to the 17 hungry paddlers. A pie was also served
to those who hadn't already filled up on turkey. A booming bonfire and plenty
of beverages were yet to come.
I'm sure everyone went to bed on Saturday night hoping for that strong current
to whisk them downriver. Guess what? The river had returned to its normal placid
self by the time 7am rolled around. The downriver paddle was nice because we
encountered no wind and the sun was warm.
If you are considering hosting a trip to Black Canyon please be advised that
for some reason, the discharge from the Hoover Dam has been somewhat screwed
up from past years. Be prepared to paddle hard or worse yet, find another beach
to camp on.
Mark Brodeur
Submitted on November 22, 2000