Kayak

[kylemorgan]

How about kayaking as a perk? I've started hiking w/ my kayak - either setting up a base camp and hiking some and kayaking some or strapping my pack to my kayak - paddling out, hiking, camping, hiking back to my kayak, and paddling back to my truck. That was a large sentence. Anyways, just a thought. Thanks - love the site.

[te_wa]

several trips have been posted for kayak and paddle outings. Mostly myself and Matt Gilbert. I have a touring 14' craft and just joined this group today. Funny how kayaking must be in the air or something. http://kayaking.meetup.com/201/?gj=sj6

[Hoffmaster]

I don't understand the question. Offered as a perk? Like the same way health insurance and 401K are offered at your job? I've never come across a person, company, or organization that offered kayaking as a perk. Kayaking is cool; if I had some extra cash for one, I'd go kayaking right now. I still don't understand the question. :

[mttgilbert]

Who's Jimmy?

[kylemorgan]

"Perk" in the sense that "Backpacking" or "Canyoneering" are perks (see Hike Indexes). Basically access to enough water to use a kayak.

[Hoffmaster]

Oh, gotcha.

[mttgilbert]

I still want to know who this Jimmy is, damn-it!

I think that inlcuding the kayaking as a perk would be cool. Really, a hike like lower first water in the supes is accessible by either kayak (from the lake) or from FH trailhead. Brown's cave (skull cave) is almost exclusively accessible from the lake (unless you want an unforgiving three-four day hike on overgrown trails through the wilderness - and really who would want that?!?). There is lots of hiking in the verde valley, and there's also a bunch of kayaking in there (one of my dream trips is to cache kayaks up north, hike up the length of the verde and then float back down). Some hikes are only accessible by kayak during high-water events, like Tonto Canyon or Salome.

It might be more work than it's worth though, Joes an awful busy guy and I'm just glad he finds time to keep the site going, let alone improve it!

[te_wa]

(unless you want an unforgiving three-four day hike on overgrown trails through the wilderness - and really who would want that?!?)

i know 12 nuts who wanted that once.. now i dont think they want it again. Sometime near the end of november im going to paddle around Saguaro or something close if anyone wants to join in keep your eyes peeled.

[joebartels]

I doubt it'd see much use but if anybody submits such I'll create the index.

For clarification, the previously requested "Rock Art" index wouldn't be difficult either.
However somebody would need to go through the thousand hikes
perhaps jimmy

[big_load]

Basically access to enough water to use a kayak.

I'd be happy with access to enough water to use my filter.

[ssk44]

I have been kayaking for ten years. I truely love the sport. I use my kayak for touring, fishing, and multi-day camping trips. Camping with a kayak is like backpacking with the exception of being able to bring heavier gear. Kayaking opens up almost endless cross-country hiking opportunities. My current boat is a Wilderness Pungo 140 Angler.

[JoelHazelton]

Last spring I kayaked Apache lake out to a small sandbar where we camped overnight. It honestly wasn't as fun as a backpacking trip would have been on foot. Kayaking on a lake doesn't offer that much changing scenery. Now, on a river... I would LOVE that.

[chumley]

I think its pretty fun in the ocean too. I've done it along the channel islands in california (santa barbara-ish), in the fjords of Norway, and just this spring I did it in the Turks and Caicos. The surf makes it much more challenging, and the scenery of a shoreline is much more interesting than most lakes. Plus, in the Caribbean there's amazingly clear water offering excellent views of sea life. There are some places that are virtually not accessible by hiking which kayaking offers the perfect opportunity to access by sea.

[djui5]

I use one for fishing

[Sredfield]

Kayaking in the air? Seems so. I've been looking for a weekend class to get started, the only class I saw was several evening or Saturday sessions. I don't have that kind of time, does anyone know of a one-weekend class?

[azbackpackr]

There are two in the fall and two in the spring at Arizona Western College if you want to make the drive to Yuma. They are on weekends, although there is a Wed. evening intro class. Problem is, like many of these kayaking classes, they use sit-on-top kayaks. I have talked to several of these kayaking instructors who don't even know how to do the Eskimo Roll! Anyway, I'm signing up for the one at AWC in Nov. even though it's mostly sit-on-tops because that instructor does know the roll and says she will teach me.

I personally don't see why you'd need a teacher for the sit-on-top ones. You can read the info you'd need in a book or online and go to a lake and practice. But I don't want to kayak on lakes. I want to run whitewater. I'd get bored with lakes PDQ, I'm sure. Been there, done that, in a canoe. Long distance sea kayaking would be fun, though, and surfing, too! And guess what, you need a different boat for each sport!

[azbackpackr]

I signed up for white water kayaking in Feb. via NAU Outdoor Rec. It is reasonably priced for NAU students, five 3-hour sessions in the indoor pool for $175. This is WAY cheaper than either private lessons or Lake Meade Kayak School. After the classes, they offer day trips on the Verde in March and San Juan in April. They DO TEACH the roll, bracing, and other necessary techniques, and it is taught by a certified ACA instructor! Finally, after years of wanting to do this, I will have the opportunity! YIPPEE!! I already own an old white water boat I can practice with after the class, so I hope they will have some roll sessions from time to time at the pool. They used to offer them at the middle school pool here, once a week, but I think it has closed. I hope to also find out what kind of boat I might want to buy later on.

At Lees Ferry last week I spoke with the people from, and watched the launch of, a private river trip led by a woman about my age, who was in a little kayak called a "play boat." The others in her group had rafts, but I guess she intended to paddle that play boat the entire way! I sure admired her! I drove down to Paria Riffle after they launched and watched them run that. I also spoke with some folks the following morning who had touring boats (the kind with a rudder in the back) who were going UP the river toward the dam. This would also be fun, and you don't need to wait years for a permit. There are a couple of places to camp up there.