When I set out to raft down the Salt River in Arizona with the Wilderness Aware Rafting Company, I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect. Did I think it would be exciting? Surely. Did I think it would be fun? No doubt. But all ofmy expectations flew out the window as soon as I got in that raft. Salt River Rafting ended up being one of the most thrilling adventures I’ve experienced. I say this as someone who is involved in numerous outdoor activities including rock climbing, spelunking, mountaineering, skydiving, and anything else that might allow me to be outdoors. Though, while most of these interests are great, they all lack the one main element which rafting provides.. Water.
So we started the trip on a beautiful, sunny spring day. Our group met at the Wilderness Aware Rafting Company’s office, which was really nice. Our guides provided us with a life jacket and a paddle, and then gave us a safety orientation before we got in the raft. They gave us plenty of time to ask questions, and by the time they endedtheir talk, I felt completely comfortable and confident about rafting. I hadbeen rafting in a few rivers before, but none that were moving as quickly asit did here, and though I consider myself adventurous, I am still quitecautious.
Our guides, who had a ton of knowledge about the river and thesurrounding areas, mentioned to us that the Salt River is one of the mostunique rivers in the United States due to its location on the ColoradoPlateau. Its location puts it squarely in between mountain and desertecosystems, including the Lower Sonoran Desert, the most biologicallydiverse desert in the U.S. This really excited me, because I knew it meantwe were in for some great views on our trip down the river. Sure enough, Isaw many beautiful and wondrous sites as we headed down the Salt River. Ourraft passed by gorgeous woodlands, interesting rock formations, as well as avariety of cacti and other flora and fauna. I was so glad that the raftingcompany had a small store for me to buy a waterproof camera at the beginningof our trip! I got some fantastic shots, and it was great to havephotographic proof of some of the things I saw while Arizona RiverRafting in order to show friends and family back home.
Another memorable part of my trip was the lunch we had. We stoppedalongside the river, where our guides prepared hors d’oeuvres for us tosnack on along with a very filling meal on the grill. To add pleasure toperfection, we were offered a tasty dessert, which is something usually lostwhile camping. We all sat around chatting, getting to know each other andour guides better, and after the whole thing I really felt like I had madesome new friends. But after chatting, I was ready to get back in the river.
We continued down, hitting a number of exciting rapids and seeing breathtaking views all the while. We also stopped and did some hiking before heading back to the grand finale of our trip, Mescal Falls. Our guides told us that it was the most vertical drop we would experience, and they weren’t kidding! This was definitely the highlight of my trip, and one of the most exciting portions of the river. There’s nothing I can compare to the awesome power of a raging river.
Afterwards, our guides took us back to our cars, where we all said goodbye and promised to meet up again for another trip. Wilderness Aware Rafting Company offers a variety of different rafting trips, including a 2-Day Expedition, and 3-Day and 5-Day options. I think next time I’ll try out one of the other trips, since I enjoyed my full day trip so much. It was the perfect introduction to the world of whitewater raftingwhile in the Arizona Salt River, and a great way to add some excitement tomy life and make a few new friends.
