White water riffle on the Verde River.
The Verde River is a jewel in the desert and is the only federally designated "Wild and Scenic" river in Arizona. This majestic River runs 200 miles along three national forests and offers unlimited possibilities for kayakers and sightseers. Carving a spectacular canyon painted by nature in multiple hues of gold, reds and browns, it drops at an average rate of 20 feet per mile.
The lush foliage along its banks includes cottonwoods, sycamores and cattails, with bright yellow flowers hugging the banks. Often spotted wildlife includes the great blue heron, otters, deer and an incredible variety of bird life, which include Golden and Bald Eagles
Tour group enjoys lunch on the banks of the Verde River.
About halfway through the five mile float we stopped for lunch on the banks of the river. The outfitter provides a box lunch in the price of the tour. By this time everyone had become friends and fellow sailors and chatted like life long buddies.
We pulled out of the river at a place called Beasley Flats and loaded the funyaks back into the trailer behind the vans. Everyone was somewhat tired, but invigorated. Before exiting the river, several deliberately dove in and enjoyed a rather crisp awakening. It was November and the temperature was warm, (low 80s), but the water was cool since it originates from springs upstream.
