The river is very scenic where we put in and the canyon is narrow enough to be shady this time of year due to the cliffs in addition to the trees. There are a couple of really nice camp spots and a group of ORVs had driven in to there as a destination and were looking around when we arrived to put in, but no one was camped there and there was not a lot of trash or ash. The forecast was for a high around 80 in Clarkdale, but it was cool enough at the put in that I put on my semidry top without a shirt under it. My temperature was about right all day. The water was fairly cold, and I was glad I had the top on in case I flipped or swam, but I was able to stay upright all day. I did not attempt any practice rolls. Michelle and I left home by 7 am and stopped once for gas and once to pee and were just a couple minutes late for our 9 am rendezvous time at Lower Tapco River Access. We left Walt’s Camper there and loaded into the SUVs. We could have been faster at Tapco, but I did not feel like we wasted much time at the put in. The river was clear and very scenic paddling downstream and there was little enough water that we almost always went where the flow was greatest.

We hit rocks a lot and got stopped from time to time but I only had to step out of my Jefe once and Michelle did not have to get out of the Hero at all. We were all in hardshells except Walt, who took an IK and his dog. Walt was a little slower than the rest of and probably got stuck more but did not hold us up very much at all and it is always good to have an IK along in case someone gets hurt or loses their boat. Helen flipped her Fun Runner once and said the skirt came off, so she got out in shallow water and Mike helped her drain her boat. I am not sure she even got her head wet, but she said she was glad that she put on her drytop. That was the only carnage.