Havasu National Wildlife Refuge • Kayak Trip • Arizona • All Triplogs • HikeArizona.COM

Northwest, AZ

Kayak		Apr 27 2025
		GrangerGuy • Triplogs 111

Kayak	19.12 Miles	593 AEG

Kayak	19.12 Miles	8 Hrs 19 Mns	2.60 mph
	593 ft AEG

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HAZ - Event

I led an Arizona Backpackers Club trip into the Havasu Wilderness via Kayak. The itinerary was basically the standard kayak trip from Topock Marina to Castle Rock at Lake Havasu through the Topock Gorge, with a four-mile walk into the wilderness on the Arizona side to Jackpot Spring.

We all met at the takeout point at Castle Rock and met the outfitter, who took us upstream to I-40 and the put-in point at the Topock Marina. We started out on a beautiful Monday morning, hoping to avoid too many power boats on the river. About 3.1 miles downstream, there is the remains of a gaging station and a small beach where we pulled off. The trick was finding the way along the cliff adjacent to the wash, which was choked with vegetation, and climbing up the cliff to the gaging station, and the remains of an old road. The road led around the tamarisk, and down into the wash.

We then hiked up the wash about two miles to the spring and back to the river. While two of us hiked, two hung back at the river and did some local exploring, as well as a little map research, where they found the petroglyphs further downstream.

Continuing after our hike, we alternately paddled and floated with the current, eventually stopping at the petroglyphs, and moving on to Castle Rock for the pickup.

Feb 13 2023

Guides 27
Routes 518
Photos 5,861
Triplogs 883

72 female

Joined Jan 21 2006
Eagar AZ

Topock Ramble to the marsh, AZ

Hiking		Feb 13 2023
		azbackpackr • Triplogs 883

Hiking	1.94 Miles	224 AEG

Hiking	1.94 Miles	1 Hour 2 Mns	2.16 mph
	224 ft AEG	8 Mns Break

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[ checklist ] Chemehuevi Mountains Sacramento Mountains Topock Marsh

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Still trying to work through a hip injury, went for a walk in Topock (Golden Shores) on the Arizona side of the river. My friend and I walked down to a small beach at Topock marsh. {At this point, we'd walked into the Havasu National Wildlife Refuge, from her neighborhood.) I had been to the beach before, via kayak. I've been doing lots of short walks lately, mostly about 3 miles. I discovered the cell phone zoom is pretty lousy (see photo of white pelicans.)

Flora

Flora [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Brittlebush Desert evening primrose Sand Verbena

Fauna

Fauna [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] American White Pelican

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

Wildflowers Observation Moderate
Brittle bush, scorpion weed, sand verbena, evening primrose.

_____________________

There is a point of no return unremarked at the time in most lives. Graham Greene The Comedians
A clean house is a sign of a misspent life.

3 archives

Jan 24 2022

Guides 27
Routes 518
Photos 5,861
Triplogs 883

72 female

Joined Jan 21 2006
Eagar AZ

Topock Gorge, AZ

Kayak		Jan 24 2022
		azbackpackr • Triplogs 883

Kayak	14.73 Miles

Kayak	14.73 Miles	5 Hrs 11 Mns	3.15 mph

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This is a kayak/canoe trip from I-40 to Lake Havasu, down the Topock Gorge. More specifically, we launched at Topock 66 Marina and took out at Castle Rock Bay. See GPS route for location.

On this particular day there were 4 of us. When we got to the boat ramp, I discovered that a hatch cover had flown off my boat on my way. I had recently driven about 5,000 miles with that boat on top of the car, with no problems. But it was my fault--I had not attached it properly. Stay tuned for the rest of the story...

We rigged in the dark and started paddling just before sunrise. We soon reaped the benefits of doing that, because the water was extremely glassy, the light was perfect for photography, and we saw almost no motorboats. I had done this trip 4 or 5 times before, but never so early in the morning. All the shuttling was done after the trip, courtesy of a spouse of one of the paddlers. This also helped us to get going early. All we had to do was park, rig and go.

The river runs kind of slowly through this section because it is being backed up as it runs into Lake Havasu. The notion that it is "just like it was before the river was dammed" is nonsense. Some of the outfitters like to say that, I guess to interest their clients. However, it's very beautiful, especially if you are not dodging speedboats the entire time. Go on a weekday, very early, when it's cold, but on a day when the forecast for the wind is fairly calm. (A late morning breeze of 10 mph or less, from the north, is good.)

We stopped on a sandbar for an early lunch. We saw a few water birds. With such great conditions and good company, we had a nice time, until we got to Castle Rock bay, and I dropped my Nikon into the water. I have since bid on one successfully on eBay, for $65. It is a Nikon Coolpix P530 with a nice zoom lens.

But happily, I found the hatch cover by the side of the Needles Highway, close to where I'm living! (See photo.)

_____________________

There is a point of no return unremarked at the time in most lives. Graham Greene The Comedians
A clean house is a sign of a misspent life.

2 archives

Mar 30 2020

Guides 27
Routes 518
Photos 5,861
Triplogs 883

72 female

Joined Jan 21 2006
Eagar AZ

Looking for Lost Lake, AZ

Kayak		Mar 30 2020
		azbackpackr • Triplogs 883

Kayak	7.21 Miles

Kayak	7.21 Miles	4 Hrs 56 Mns	1.91 mph

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All winter, the Colorado River has been pretty low in the Topock area. This time of year the BOR typically ramps it up. So now, instead of running 2500-8500 cfs it's now up to 8500-19,000. So, this was the perfect time to see how far back into the west side of Topock Marsh I could get in my kayak. The starting point is usually Topock 66 Marina, but I started downriver of I-40, because there's a free place to launch there. (I forgot to turn on the GPS until I got to the Marina, though.)

Looking at my GPS route, it's best to switch it to Satellite, because the standard maps show only how it used to be, many years ago.

I followed an ever-narrowing channel. For about half a mile, in fact, it was so narrow it wasn't always possible to use the paddle. Instead I had to grab onto the reeds on either side and pull myself through. I was never sure if the channel was going to take me to Lost Lake, or not. Now I see on the satellite map that it bypasses that lake and goes further. I'm not sure I can get to Lost Lake by boat, but a channel to it is visible. Whether that fills with water when the river is high, I don't know yet.

I will probably go back there, because I didn't get all the way to the end, nor check the side channel to Lost Lake.

I've been trying to be more observant of birds recently, since I do so much paddling. As I recall, I saw white pelicans, cinnamon teal, Clark's grebe, western grebe, black Phoebe, turkey vulture, ring-necked duck, mallard duck, coots, and grackles. The only photos I got were of two Clark's grebes hanging out with a Western grebe. Clark's has the white around the eye, whereas Western has black.

Fauna

Fauna [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Clark's Grebe Western Grebe

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Old Trails Bridge

_____________________

There is a point of no return unremarked at the time in most lives. Graham Greene The Comedians
A clean house is a sign of a misspent life.

1 archive

Mar 05 2019

Guides 27
Routes 518
Photos 5,861
Triplogs 883

72 female

Joined Jan 21 2006
Eagar AZ

Bill Williams River & Lake Havasu Kayak Camp, AZ

Kayak		Mar 05 2019
		azbackpackr • Triplogs 883

Kayak	13.06 Miles

Kayak	13.06 Miles	1 Day 4 Hrs 46 Mns

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Parker Dam

Bill Williams River NWR

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This paddling (see GPS route) was over a couple of days. I went on a very relaxed two-night campout on the lake with a friend, who turned out to not be feeling very well, and wasn't up to doing much kayaking at all, just wanted to sit in camp and read a book. So, after setting up the camp in one of the "boat-in only" BLM campsites on the lakeshore, ($10 a night, paid in an iron ranger) I paddled up to Bill Williams River by myself on the first day, the 5th. On the second day I paddled the opposite direction with the idea of inspecting all the other BLM boat-in campsites nearby, to see which ones were particularly nice. I also spent a lot of time reading a book and playing my ukulele in camp. Very relaxing and enjoyable, except for the lack of shade. We put up a tarp, which helped a lot. We had a nice time, it just was not as active as I would have preferred.

Here's the hike I took on the second day of the camp-out: [ photoset ]

Bill Williams River is part of the Havasu National Wildlife Refuge. People do rave about the place. (If you know me, you know I'm usually immune to other people's ravings.) If you are a very serious birder, have oodles of patience and very good binoculars it is worth visiting. Many, many species have been seen there. But as a pure paddler's destination, it's way too short. It's pretty, but nothing to really rave about, in my opinion. There's nowhere to get out of your boat and stretch out on a beach, unlike the rest of Lake Havasu. No place to park the boat and go for a hike, unless you want to crash through a whole bunch of mud and brush. And a serious paddler is going to say, "is this it?" because it's only two miles long!

And calling it a "river" is a misnomer, really. It's an arm of Lake Havasu. There used to be a small desert creek which flowed in that area, called Bill Williams River. But the lake has drowned it. Further upstream, you can backpack down the Bill Williams River below the Alamo Dam. They let water out of the dam at a steady rate to create an unnatural riparian area that would not exist if it weren't for the steady stream of water. But further down the drainage that water seeps underground. The two areas, upper and lower Bill Williams River, are not easily connectable, even on foot, because there is a ranch in the middle.

Wildflowers Observation Light

_____________________

There is a point of no return unremarked at the time in most lives. Graham Greene The Comedians
A clean house is a sign of a misspent life.

2 archives

Oct 22 2018

Guides 27
Routes 518
Photos 5,861
Triplogs 883

72 female

Joined Jan 21 2006
Eagar AZ

Upriver Paddle, AZ

Kayak		Oct 22 2018
		azbackpackr • Triplogs 883

Kayak	5.88 Miles

Kayak	5.88 Miles	3 Hrs 7 Mns	2.52 mph

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Such a perfect day. White puffy clouds, light breeze, temperature in the 80's. I launched from the "secret spot" which allows locals to get into Topock Gorge without paying a fee to one of the marinas. This is within the wildlife refuge. However, I paddled upriver, and out of the refuge, not down into the Gorge. I passed under the Old Trails Bridge, which used to carry Route 66 from 1916 to 1947. Since then it has carried a gas line. I then passed under the modern I-40 bridge and the railway bridge. Lots of rumbling going on overhead. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Trails_Bridge

Interestingly, there are two very expensive homes next to the bridges. They have a lovely view down the Topock Gorge, plus waterfront and launch ramps, white sand beaches, big shade structures, etc. However, the rumbling noise never stops. It is never quiet outside at their homes, because I-40 never stops, and the tracks carry an average of 87 trains a day!

I kept paddling upstream, into the current and into the wind. Good workout. I passed the opening into the Topock 66 Marina. Just upstream from here is where the terrible boating accident happened during Labor Day, in which four people were killed. One of them, a young woman, has not been found, and the Sheriff's Dept. hosted a big search in the Gorge, and down in Lake Havasu, this past weekend.

I crossed to the California side, passing a couple more white sand beaches. I passed the entrance to Pirate's Cove Resort, another marina. It used to be called Park Moabi. It belongs to San Bernardino County, but after the concessionaire took it over, they made it less for the public, and more for their idea of who they can get away with excluding. Very expensive. Seems odd they are allowed to get away with this. They now have "Private Property" signs on all the beaches along there.

I didn't have time to paddle 5 miles up, as I had wanted to, because my landlady needed me to work in the afternoon, so I turned around after about 3 miles. I spent a bit of time chatting with a family on the shore. Pirates Cove Resort has a long stretch of white sand beaches, broken by small jetties, with RV spaces on the jetties. Very pretty places to camp.

After chatting a bit with the folks, I turned around and headed back downriver. Much easier!

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Old Trails Bridge Park Moabi

_____________________

There is a point of no return unremarked at the time in most lives. Graham Greene The Comedians
A clean house is a sign of a misspent life.

1 archive

Oct 20 2018

Guides 27
Routes 518
Photos 5,861
Triplogs 883

72 female

Joined Jan 21 2006
Eagar AZ

Northwest, AZ

Kayak		Oct 20 2018
		azbackpackr • Triplogs 883

Kayak	12.26 Miles

Kayak	12.26 Miles	4 Hrs 40 Mns	2.98 mph

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A real bluebird day at the marsh. I got sort of carried away paddling the back channels, and went further than I had intended, but it was fine. If you look at the GPS route, be sure to switch it to satellite. The map is pretty useless.

I saw a lot of birds, but I was not out to take fancy photos. I'm kind of "in training" for a really long kayak trip-340 miles--next month. I saw a kingfisher, a lot of white pelicans, plus herons, egrets, ducks, black phoebes, a couple of Northern Harriers, and hundreds of coots. It was a bluebird day, but no bluebirds.

_____________________

There is a point of no return unremarked at the time in most lives. Graham Greene The Comedians
A clean house is a sign of a misspent life.

2 archives

Mar 19 2018

Guides 27
Routes 518
Photos 5,861
Triplogs 883

72 female

Joined Jan 21 2006
Eagar AZ

Topock Gorge - Upper, AZ

Kayak		Mar 19 2018
		azbackpackr • Triplogs 883

Kayak	7.46 Miles

Kayak	7.46 Miles	4 Hrs 13 Mns	2.03 mph

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Topock Gorge is a canyon carved by the the Colorado River, between the I-40 bridge and Lake Havasu. (Trivia: It used to be called Mojave Canyon, on old maps and in historic photos.) It's a fairly popular paddling destination. Most people paddle it using a shuttle option, leaving a vehicle at Castle Rock Bay, on Lake Havasu, which is the nearest take-out point. This necessitates help from other people.

I just wanted a simple solo adventure. I launched the kayak a short distance downriver from the I-40 bridge. This launch spot on the Arizona side of the river is not easy to find--I'd heard about it from a local. I had to use my kayak cart to get the 50-pound boat from my Jeep to the put-in. It looked as though I might be trespassing on gas company property, but there are no "No Trespassing" signs, and I was assured by my friend that many people walk down there to fish from the shoreline.

Of course, it was easy floating downriver with the current, but it seemed to take forever to paddle back up, especially since a breeze came up, not in my favor. (The NWS had assured me the wind would be out of the South. Hmmm, wrong again!) I paddled downriver following the right (California) shore and stopping at a couple of beaches. Paddling back up the opposite (Arizona) shore I stopped several times as well. I have been having a sciatica problem, and need to get out of the boat and walk around.

The water releases from Davis Dam have increased a lot over the past month. In winter the river is kept very low. Winter would be the best time to do this down-and-back paddle, when the river is running at 5,000 cfs, instead of 18,000 cfs! Also, pick a time when there will be a definite south breeze to help push you back upriver!

There are no levees in this section, so the appearance of the river is similar to pre-dam conditions. However, yesterday I spent a couple hours at the Needles Museum, looking at dozens of old photos of the river, pre-channelization. Back in those days, Topock Gorge/Mojave Canyon had a lot more sandy beaches along its banks.

It was another gorgeous day on the Lower Colorado River. Almost the last hurrah for me, since I will be moving back up "on the mountain" to Flagstaff on April 1st.

Camping info: Topock Gorge lies within the Havasu National Wildlife Refuge. No boat-in (shoreline) camping is allowed. For kayak campers this makes for a very long paddle of 20 miles, between two campgrounds--Park Moabi (Pirate Cove), and Windsor Beach Campground at Lake Havasu State Park. This is unfortunate.

I found another volleyball! This is a real nice one (see photo). Too bad I am not able to play.

Culture

Culture [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] HAZ - Selfie

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Old Trails Bridge The Needles

_____________________

There is a point of no return unremarked at the time in most lives. Graham Greene The Comedians
A clean house is a sign of a misspent life.

5 archives

Jan 20 2018

Guides 27
Routes 518
Photos 5,861
Triplogs 883

72 female

Joined Jan 21 2006
Eagar AZ

Dead Burro Canyon, AZ

Hiking		Jan 20 2018
		azbackpackr • Triplogs 883

Hiking	6.84 Miles	1,527 AEG

Hiking	6.84 Miles	5 Hrs 13 Mns	1.45 mph
	1,527 ft AEG	29 Mns Break

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This hike was tougher than anyone had realized. The directions given on the golakehavasu website were pretty awful: a hand-drawn map and a description that didn't seem to go with what we were seeing. I think I now know where we went "wrong," but on the other hand, we had a very interesting hike. The area is pretty spectacular, with a lot of rock formations, potholes with water in them, slot canyons and dry waterfalls. There are cliffs and towers of rock, and expansive views of Lake Havasu.

I'll post a few photos my friend took. I didn't bring my camera, and took a few photos with my phone, which are totally out of focus.

Wildflowers Observation Isolated
A few brittle bush are in bloom

_____________________

There is a point of no return unremarked at the time in most lives. Graham Greene The Comedians
A clean house is a sign of a misspent life.

1 archive

Jan 03 2018

Guides 27
Routes 518
Photos 5,861
Triplogs 883

72 female

Joined Jan 21 2006
Eagar AZ

Topock Marsh - Five Mile Landing, AZ

Kayak		Jan 03 2018
		azbackpackr • Triplogs 883

Kayak	6.87 Miles

Kayak	6.87 Miles	2 Hrs 53 Mns	2.56 mph

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This time I launched at Five Mile Landing. This little ramp is on the map, but there is no sign at the turnoff. Motorboats can no longer launch from here. The marsh is getting too shallow, especially right now with the water level being kept so low. It is fairly ideal for kayaks, but it is easy to get lost in the dead tree area if you launch here. There used to be a campground here, but it's long gone. It's a pretty place, with many enormous salt cedars and a lot of palms.

I pretty much kept to the route I had planned. I paddled up the east side of the marsh lake, then worked my way across to the west through a lot of water that was very shallow. I was scraping mud sometimes, and wending my way through the spooky forest of dead mesquite trees. Once on the west side I got into the active boat channel, and the water is deep there. My destination was a place called "The Glory Hole." I guess it is, or used to be, a favorite fishing spot. But no one was there. In fact, I saw only one other boat all morning, likely a duck hunter. The hunters will be out and about until the end of this month, but regulations say they have to stop hunting at noon every day.

I took a break at the Glory Hole. A US Fish and Wildlife Service boat was sitting on a trailer there near the launch ramp. This ramp is closed to the public. I walked up onto the dirt road there to look things over and stretch my legs. I saw that the road is in really good condition for mountain biking. Sometimes they grade the roads and make them too soft and gravelly. So, if I want to get in a nice long ride I had better go soon before they mess it all up. This is also where I took the self portrait.

When looking at my GPS route, or in planning a trip to the marsh, use satellite. Maps will not be accurate because the marsh has changed a lot since the maps were made. In planning your trip, note there are some back channels on the west side of the marsh. These are all navigable, and interesting. As for riding the roads, the same applies. You can get lost in there, so print out a map from the satellite.

I saw a lot of big White Pelicans and a grebe (it dived before I could see if it was a Clark's or Western, and then never came up where I could see it.) Saw an osprey and a Northern Harrier hawk. Also saw some double-crested cormorants, a Great Egret, a couple of Great Blue Herons, some swallows (I think they were tree swallows, but will have to ask my birder friend), some coots and ducks. (I'm not sure what kind of ducks--they were flying by very fast southward, no doubt because there were hunters shooting at them to the north.) I have a hard time grabbing the camera out from its box, and then I am never happy with the results. I am not sure if it is the camera or its operator, but I suspect the latter...

Fauna

Fauna [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] American White Pelican Great Egret

Culture

Culture [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] HAZ - Selfie

Sacramento Wash

Dry

	Topock Marsh	51-75% full	51-75% full
	Kind of low right now.

_____________________

There is a point of no return unremarked at the time in most lives. Graham Greene The Comedians
A clean house is a sign of a misspent life.

1 archive

Jan 01 2018

Guides 27
Routes 518
Photos 5,861
Triplogs 883

72 female

Joined Jan 21 2006
Eagar AZ

Northwest, AZ

Kayak		Jan 01 2018
		azbackpackr • Triplogs 883

Kayak	3.76 Miles

Kayak	3.76 Miles	1 Hour 28 Mns	2.62 mph

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This section of the refuge is called Topock Marsh - North Dike. It's the northernmost of the three put-ins for the 10-mile-long marsh. I went for a short paddle there, after work on New Year's Day. I was feeling tired and a little depressed. I had worked all morning at the front desk where I live. Since I had gone for an early morning walk, I could convince myself I'd had my exercise for the day, and it was hard to get myself going. Even when I got to the put-in at North Dike, I almost talked myself out of going because it was a little windy. Not so windy to be unsafe, just maybe a little annoying.

I got started anyway, after kicking myself several times for being lazy. I usually follow along the west side channel because it's free of those dead trees sticking up everywhere, but I decided to switch things up a bit and went over to the east side. There was an open channel that way, between the dead trees. I got over to an area where the white pelicans roost. There were four of them floating on the water. It was funny to see them simultaneously dip their heads down, and come up again, like a coordinated dance. Sometimes one or two of them would catch something in its bill. It would put its head back and flop its bill and swallow. I let the wind push me toward them, not paddling. I knew once they caught sight of me it would not be long before they'd fly away. I was able to get fairly close before they did take off. I didn't have my good camera with me, unfortunately, so the photos aren't that great. I'll bring it next time.

I also saw one or two osprey (maybe saw the same one twice). I saw a couple of great blue herons, a snowy egret, a great egret, and numerous coots. I didn't see any cormorants, which I usually see.

If anyone is visiting the area and wants to go kayaking, let me know. I may have time to paddle with you. I have a loaner boat, which is an Advanced Element Advanced Frame inflatable.

The water level in the river and the marsh are both kind of low right now. The marsh is man-made, and its water level is regulated by a series of ditches and gates. You can NOT paddle directly from the marsh into the Colorado River. There is a place on the southwest end of the marsh lake where you can portage to a channel that leads to the river, but ONLY when the river is higher than it is right now. When it's low you will be paddling on the mudflats. (Been there, done that, got stuck!) Google Earth is very useful in figuring out the marsh. All of the maps are out of date and show water where there is no water. When looking at my GPS route, switch it to satellite.

_____________________

There is a point of no return unremarked at the time in most lives. Graham Greene The Comedians
A clean house is a sign of a misspent life.

1 archive

Nov 26 2017

Guides 27
Routes 518
Photos 5,861
Triplogs 883

72 female

Joined Jan 21 2006
Eagar AZ

Colorado River Beach epic bike ride, CA

Mtn Biking		Nov 26 2017
		azbackpackr • Triplogs 883

Mtn Biking	21.30 Miles	206 AEG

Mtn Biking	21.30 Miles	3 Hrs 13 Mns	7.56 mph
	206 ft AEG	24 Mns Break

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Another absolutely stunning day in Needles, temperature about 80, with almost no wind. This has been the nicest fall I have ever experienced here. Usually it's a lot windier, and even kind of cold. This is my fourth year of snowbirding in my RV on the riverbank.

This ride started north of the town of Needles, California. I headed downriver, starting from near where I live, first passing through the Aha Macav village (the Fort Mojave Indian Tribe), and then past the golf course (the Wrinkled Old Guy Tribe). Just before I got to Jack Smith city park, I took a dirt road which follows the railroad tracks south all the way to Park Moabi. At a certain point you can turn off this road (see GPS route) and ride the levee road for several miles. The tread is pretty good, not a lot of sand, just enough to keep you honest. Some of the side roads are VERY sandy, however. ATVers like those; I don't.

There are quite a few beaches and overlooks a rider can choose to visit, but I stopped at only one of the beaches. My destination was Five Mile Lagoon. This pretty lagoon is about half a mile long, and is adjacent to the river, separated by a levee, so you can't boat into it from the river. At this point the levee road ends. I didn't want to make a lot of side stops to beaches on this ride because I knew I was going to rack up over 20 miles just to get to the lagoon and back, which seemed like enough mileage to me, since I've mostly been doing only 10 miles rides lately. This was my first 20+ ride on the mountain bike since last winter. I was pleased to find I was not totally exhausted at the end.

Since this is directly across the river from the Havasu National Wildlife Refuge I am linking to that.

_____________________

There is a point of no return unremarked at the time in most lives. Graham Greene The Comedians
A clean house is a sign of a misspent life.

1 archive

Nov 12 2017

Guides 27
Routes 518
Photos 5,861
Triplogs 883

72 female

Joined Jan 21 2006
Eagar AZ

Northwest, AZ

Kayak		Nov 12 2017
		azbackpackr • Triplogs 883

Kayak	7.29 Miles

Kayak	7.29 Miles	3 Hrs 20 Mns	2.63 mph

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We launched at Catfish Paradise in Topock Marsh. I had posted this with a local group, and one guy showed up. He had one of those Hobie pedal kayaks, which was pretty unsuitable for the marsh, which is full of duckweed. The apparatus underneath his boat got clogged up, and he had to pull it up and paddle like a normal kayaker, poor guy! Despite all this we had fun.

Incidentally, there is no way to boat from the marsh directly into the Colorado River without portaging over a levee. I get asked this a lot at the marsh: "How do you paddle to the river from here?" However, when the river is high, you can start at Topock 66 Marina (that drinking establishment on the Arizona side, by the I-40 bridge) and boat up into a part of the marsh that isn't walled off by the levees.

I believe that the marsh is kind of sick right now. Duck weed is starting to take over. Channels are filling with it, and you can no longer easily explore them. I don't know if there are any plans to dredge it, but I think that's what it needs.

Google Earth is the most helpful method to figuring out the back channels of the marsh. Maps are almost useless, because they show water where there are only cattails.

We pedaled/paddled by the beaver lodge. We saw lots of birds, including a possible bald eagle, but it was kind of far away and kept flying further. Saw white pelicans, cormorants, herons, ducks, and of course, mud hens (aka coots). Stopped on a small beach for lunch and walked up a dune to get a view.

As we paddled, several times very large fish would jump up in front of us. They were at least 2 feet long. I don't know if they were carp, bass, or what they were.

Reminds me of that old tale about the man whose wallet fell into the pond, and the carp found it and started playing volley ball with it...That is, they were carp-to-carp walleting...

Fauna

Fauna [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] American White Pelican

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] The Needles

_____________________

There is a point of no return unremarked at the time in most lives. Graham Greene The Comedians
A clean house is a sign of a misspent life.

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Nov 05 2017

Guides 27
Routes 518
Photos 5,861
Triplogs 883

72 female

Joined Jan 21 2006
Eagar AZ

Northwest, AZ

Kayak		Nov 05 2017
		azbackpackr • Triplogs 883

Kayak	5.59 Miles

Kayak	5.59 Miles	3 Hrs 32 Mns	1.85 mph

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A moderate paddle in Topock Marsh. For quite a while, a couple years, I hadn't been leading many, (if any) activities for a local group. I decided to start doing it again. I'm glad I am, because it's fun. As I mentioned elsewhere, sometimes I just get tired of my own company. It's true that going solo you may see more. But today I don't think I would have seen the bald eagles that one of the other two gals spotted. Too far away for a photo, though. We also saw grebes, great egrets, great blue herons, and the ubiquitous coots. It's duck season, so of course we didn't see any ducks. Those guys are hiding! We saw duck hunters in kayaks!

I had never before paddled through the large pipes into the intake/outlet canal. It was fun. It's not possible to do unless the water is exactly at the right level. It has to be deep enough to float a kayak, but not so deep you can't get through. The water doesn't rush through, so doesn't seem dangerous. Someone took a photo of me from the back as I went into the pipe.

Culture

Culture [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Canal - Aqueduct HAZ Rides

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There is a point of no return unremarked at the time in most lives. Graham Greene The Comedians
A clean house is a sign of a misspent life.

1 archive

Dec 08 2016

Guides 27
Routes 518
Photos 5,861
Triplogs 883

72 female

Joined Jan 21 2006
Eagar AZ

Northwest, AZ

Mtn Biking		Dec 08 2016
		azbackpackr • Triplogs 883

Mtn Biking	15.07 Miles	105 AEG

Mtn Biking	15.07 Miles	3 Hrs 10 Mns	5.83 mph
	105 ft AEG	35 Mns Break

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This is in the Pintail Slough section of the refuge. I rode pretty much all the roads separating the fields and the swampy areas. It's flat, and most of the roads are hard-packed dirt. Some are a little sandy but not bad.

Wildlife:

A trumpeter swan (or tundra swan, not sure which) was swimming in one of the ponds, and flew away. Enormous bird! It's the largest of waterfowl, and has a 10 foot wingspan, according to the info online.

Two coyotes, remarkable because they were kind of blasé about my presence. When I took a lunch break nearby they lay down in the sun on the road and rested, about 200 feet away. Since I made more than one loop through that area, I saw them several times.

A turkey vulture on its meal, which was a freshly killed snow goose in the road. (It's hunting season, and maybe a hunter didn't find it.) The vulture flew away when I rode by. Vultures don't kill, they scavenge.

A big flock of snow geese, which took off from a field, with much honking and bleating.

Roadrunners, quail, various tweety birds, a woodpecker of some kind, and various ducks. I'm not a very good birder, am I?

It turned out to be a really nice day, fairly warm and sunny, and almost no wind.

Autumn Foliage Observation Moderate

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There is a point of no return unremarked at the time in most lives. Graham Greene The Comedians
A clean house is a sign of a misspent life.

Mar 15 2015

Guides 27
Routes 518
Photos 5,861
Triplogs 883

72 female

Joined Jan 21 2006
Eagar AZ

Topock Marsh Big Loop, AZ

Kayak		Mar 15 2015
		azbackpackr • Triplogs 883

Kayak	13.18 Miles

Kayak	13.18 Miles	5 Hrs 58 Mns	2.76 mph

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I'm going to Baja California in April to go kayaking, and I've wanted to increase the miles I can paddle on flat water, without benefit of river current. To date, this 13 miles is the furthest I've paddled my boat on a lake. I was pretty tired the last three miles, but I had hidden a packet of "Gu" in my deck bag, and remembered it, with good effect.

I started at Catfish Paradise and paddled up the main lake, dodging the dead trees, stopping at the only real beach, and then took a spin around the lagoon at Five Mile Landing. Then across the lake to find the first of the hidden channels. In and out of that one and into the next one. In the second (southern) set of channels I saw the beaver lodge, which I had not seen before.

I have gotten better at bird IDs. I saw white pelicans, double-crested cormorants, osprey, bufflehead ducks, coots, great egrets, etc.

I have pretty much figured out this marsh now, but there are a few more channels and hidden lakes to explore. Stay tuned! It's necessary to use satellite image, because maps are totally out-of-date. (See GPS route.)

Flora

Flora [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Mexican Fan Palm

Fauna

Fauna [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Double-crested Cormorant

Geology

Geology [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Beach

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Chemehuevi Mountains

_____________________

There is a point of no return unremarked at the time in most lives. Graham Greene The Comedians
A clean house is a sign of a misspent life.

4 archives

Feb 16 2015

Guides 27
Routes 518
Photos 5,861
Triplogs 883

72 female

Joined Jan 21 2006
Eagar AZ

Colorado River - Needles to Topock Marina, AZ

Kayak		Feb 16 2015
		azbackpackr • Triplogs 883

Kayak	14.93 Miles

Kayak	14.93 Miles	5 Hrs 51 Mns	3.43 mph

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This was the second time I'd paddled down this stretch of the Colorado River. Levees on both sides, but there are still some nice beaches and views. This time I did the trip solo, asking a friend to help me shuttle my vehicle to Topock Marina ahead of time, so it was there waiting for me at the take-out.

Once you pass the outskirts of Needles the Havasu National Wildlife Refuge is on the left. On the right there is a railroad track but otherwise little development. It's fun to watch the trains go by.

Taking out at Topock Marina you'd have the opportunity to sit at the bar at Topock 66 Resort, but I didn't do that this time. I paddled up the channel toward Topock Marsh but not very far.

_____________________

There is a point of no return unremarked at the time in most lives. Graham Greene The Comedians
A clean house is a sign of a misspent life.

Feb 06 2015

Guides 27
Routes 518
Photos 5,861
Triplogs 883

72 female

Joined Jan 21 2006
Eagar AZ

Pintail Slough Bike Loop, AZ

Mtn Biking		Feb 06 2015
		azbackpackr • Triplogs 883

Mtn Biking	5.05 Miles	7 AEG

Mtn Biking	5.05 Miles	57 Mns	8.42 mph
	7 ft AEG	21 Mns Break

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This is a fun place to ride a mountain bike in the late afternoon, up to just after sunset, or early in the morning. Lots of wildlife. The Pintail Slough - North Dike area of Topock Marsh has a maze of roads on the dikes or levees. (Drove my Chevy to the levee...rode my bike to the dike...hmmm, doesn't have the same ring to it, does it?)

The photos were not taken all on the same evening but on two different evenings in February. It's just easier to put them all in one triplog.

Anyway, it's best that you look on Google Earth before going to ride there because you can sort of get lost. I printed out a satellite photo and it was very helpful.

There are often a lot of snow geese feeding in the shallow water, which is kept at a certain depth by the Fish and Wildlife Service to provide food for them. I often see some big coyotes and of course there are a lot of other birds, such as marsh (Harrier) hawks, egrets, herons, various ducks, coots, grebes, etc.

Fauna

Fauna [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Snow Goose

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Topock Marsh

_____________________

There is a point of no return unremarked at the time in most lives. Graham Greene The Comedians
A clean house is a sign of a misspent life.

1 archive

Jan 20 2015

Guides 27
Routes 518
Photos 5,861
Triplogs 883

72 female

Joined Jan 21 2006
Eagar AZ

Topock Gorge, AZ

Kayak		Jan 20 2015
		azbackpackr • Triplogs 883

Kayak	16.20 Miles

Kayak	16.20 Miles	6 Hrs 8 Mns	3.00 mph

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This was a kayak trip down the famous Topock Gorge, which seems to be on every kayaker's wish list, (and some wannabe kayaker's wish lists as well, alas.) It is a beautiful run, despite the motorboats. I'm really glad I did it on a weekday in moderately cool, somewhat cloudy weather because otherwise there would have been too many motorboats. Yes there are motorboats, hundreds of them if it is summer.

It is beautiful but it's long and not really a good run for beginners, although I am sure many beginners have done it. There are no options for early take-out. You have to get to Castle Rock Bay. This take-out would have been very easy to miss (not see), so I was glad I had scouted it out last March by paddling up the lake from Mesquite Cove. http://hikearizona.com/photoset=29571 The take-out has been silting-in, and is almost too shallow to get boats through at one point, but of course the Wildlife Refuge admin isn't going to do anything about it. If you paddle on down to Mesquite Cove that adds 4 more miles, or to Windsor Beach, adds 5 miles. By then you'd be exhausted and any fun you had at the beginning, in the early morning, would be only a distant memory.

Anyway, it's a beautiful gorge. No camping is allowed. There are places where people have camped, or stopped to party, and left a lot of trash behind. The motor boaters are infamous for throwing trash--I have heard locals complain about this problem. There are places to camp on the right side (Indian Reservation) before you get to Castle Rock Bay, after leaving the gorge.

We saw a few birds, but it wasn't a bird-watching trip. A lot of hikes would be available to access from the river, but you don't have time to do them because you have to keep on paddling down the river. When you get to the Lake an afternoon wind can come up and make things very difficult. In our case the afternoon wind was from the north, so it was helpful. It's a long day and it beat me up pretty good.

I did stop to walk up to see the petroglyphs, but I didn't take the time to get very close. There are a lot of them, and they are big ones.

I'm glad I did the trip, it was really, really pretty in the morning. And I went with one of my best kayaking buddies. We had fun. We know each other well, and we know each other's weaknesses and capabilities regarding dealing with the boats.

But I am not taking anyone else to do it. I have a lot of friends who want me to take them here and take them there. I'm done, poke me with a toothpick. No more taking people here and there. Do it yourself, like I did. Although I learned to kayak years ago, I've been paddling seriously for ONLY about 13 months! How did I get to be this go-to person for kayaking? Because I went kayaking a lot? I get emails all the time from people wanting me to "take" them to Topock, etc. I am going to start referring them to Desert River, the local outfitter, who also does guided trips. Pay her to take you. Leave me out of it.

:out:

_____________________

There is a point of no return unremarked at the time in most lives. Graham Greene The Comedians
A clean house is a sign of a misspent life.

Jan 06 2015

Guides 27
Routes 518
Photos 5,861
Triplogs 883

72 female

Joined Jan 21 2006
Eagar AZ

Colorado River - Needles to Topock, AZ

Kayak		Jan 06 2015
		azbackpackr • Triplogs 883

Kayak	13.81 Miles	40 AEG

Kayak	13.81 Miles	4 Hrs	4.27 mph
	40 ft AEG

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