You did great ! Mostly, go out and enjoy. PFD, sun hat, SPF 50, I normally insist on long sleeves and long pants for sun protection, and depending upon where, keep some DEET handy. Beyond that, stay well hydrated, if it has a bit of alcohol in it, extra water to stay hydrated. The two things you need to learn, one is paddling, a bit of practice and humility takes care of that. The second is even more important, learning not to paddle. Rubber neck, enjoy the scenery, enjoy the wind on your face, the great blue heron taking off in front of you. Sounds odd, but most people have to be told to, “Stop paddling.” I just got back from a 2 week trip, 120 miles on the Green River and Colorado River. Canyons, native American ruins and petroglyphs, big horn sheep, lizards, I spend far more time not paddling , than paddling. Learn that now. A canoe or kayak or raft can take you places an auto never could. Into peace, quiet, clear skies, stars, bad food, mosquitoes, and a thousand new photos on your IPhone. Learn, not to paddle. Rubber neck more.
I’ll see you out there.
I just read Rival51 The Grand Canyon is even tougher than rival51 implies. They don’t list or rate as rapids what the rest of us rate as Class I or Class II, they call them riffles and they are not listed separately. When the Grand Canyon lists a rapids as Class 2 on their 1 to 10 scale, that is approximately a Class III on the International scale. The Grand Canyon does not list a Class 10. A couple of them make it to a Class 8 or 9, (Duebendorf (?) or Lava Falls) Lava Falls is a perfect example. It drops 38 feet in the first 100 or so yards, it has standing waves with names, famous names. It has holes that can Maytag an 18 foot raft. ONLY very skillful rafters, and kayakers, canoers. Kayakers need a rock solid roll back to vertical, with a smile on your face when you do it. You will get lots of practice at that roll in the GC.
I actually do not recommend Topock for a new kayaker. It is beautiful. It is all flat water. But can you paddle back to Topock against the current? Lake Havasu can produce some wicked winds. So, if you go downstream into Topock, you may get to either paddle back against the current. Or risk an open water wind down to the state park.
Same neck of the woods. Put in at Willow Beach and paddle upstream to the base of the Hoover, then back downstream to Willow. You can paddle downstream the 80 miles to Katherines Landing, the difference being, lots of camping spots on Lake Mohave. You can get off the water and allow the afternoon winds to play while you sit back and relax.
OR, The Green River in Utah south of Green River, Utah. Talk to Tex’s out of Moab. They can put you in the water at Green River, Crystal Geyser, or Mineral Bottom, and pick you up at the Confluence. Flat water, a couple of Class I or easy Class IIs Just point the bow straight down stream, open canoes do it with ease canyons, beauty, silence, wilderness camping (some steep banks to climb to camp sites some times) BLM and Canyon Land NP. I have done all of them, multiple times. I speak from my experiences.
Your advice is spot on Flyer. I have canoed from the Hoover to Lake Havasu City several times, ya go downstream, that uphill stuff is for young and foolish people. If he wants beautiful canyons, and some upstream paddling (no power boats allowed) put in at Willow Beach and paddle upstream to the Hoover, if you get tired, turn around and paddle back downstream to your car. Or bring some gear and make it really easy, paddle upstream and pick a campsite, overnight it and paddle back down to Willow.
Thanks for that informative post. We will look up where Willow Beach is.
I just texted your post to my husband and pasted it to notes!
You know, it never even occurred to me to paddle upstream but I’m sure we are capable at most stretches. How do you find out the dam release times, just Google it? For some reason, I thought it depends on the need for power generation and fluxes?
You have it figured correctly. Power generation. Air conditioning season and the classic 6PM to 10PM home and dinner time. High flows move downstream at about 5 miles per hour in most canyon or riverine systems. In the GC if you are at Crystal Rapids 110 miles downstream… If the high water release starts at 6PM at the dam, you are 22 hours downstream. So you will see the water rise at 4 PM the next day.
Yes. Find Willow Beach. 11 miles downstream from the Hoover. Blacks Canyon is a nice canyon, A few spots you can camp over night if you want a two day trip… Or paddle upstream as far as you are willing to exercise, no rapids, fairly deep water so the current is not very fast. Hot springs, but do not dip your face and nose in, amoebic, infection, contamination. At least the one hot spring stop has a pit toilet. Enjoy !! If I am out at my sister’s place in AZ, give a holler, I’ll join you.
Since you know that float and we have it planned in our future, can you please advise on these boats?
The replacement costs is high enough, my vote is to hang on to them.
The reason is, I’m ramping up to pull the trigger on a Sterling Progression, Illusion, Rovany, or Skims Beaufort or Braveheart but maybe we should hang on to these CD Solstices for camping trips along the routes you are discussing.
My husband wants to sell one of the CD Solstices but I’m feeling we might want them later.
The real issue is getting them all shipped back because our movers won’t accept anything over 14 ft.
so
Main question: Are the Solstices good boats for the Willow Beach, Mohave, Havasu-Colorado floats?
I’m pretty sure I’d enjoy the more playful new boat out on the middle of Lake Mohave rolling around when it gets hot. I just have to sort out which one to get (which I hope to find out here picking some brains)
Oh yea I had amoebic dysentery in Costa Rica so thanks for that tip 
it’s kind of hard to get rid of too
Might contact you when we move back and we can see about doing that trip.
Pretty boats. At 14 feet, long enough for some gear and still fast to paddle,but, I am NOT an expert at kayaks. Be certain to get much more valid comments from others. I am a canoe nut. My expedition canoe, that has traveled most of its miles solo (6,000, 10,000 ? no idea) is a 20 foot Clipper canoe Mackenzie with many modifications. Fully rigged, I love white water, camp and canoe along the way
20ft!
We just bought an 11 ft pack Canoe for the dog.
I know we need food. But from what I know all the alfalfa is being shipped out of the country. You would think growing in a region with a better water source would be a better idea. I also found out at a public water meeting that the recycled water from the waste water treatment plant is being pumped back into the aquifer. We live out of town thinking our water was less treated than city water.
I’m not sure where a good place to move to is. We thought about Colorado but I think I’m allergic to the cold. At least It feels like it.
Talking about Willow beach to the Hoover dam. I did that once with a jet ski. I have to tell you that you don’t want to get in the water there unless you are part of the polar bear club. I fell off of the ski (once) I couldn’t get back on it quick enough. I think the water there is liquid ice! Lol
It was so cold I couldn’t believe it. I did the same trip in a boat before. It is beautiful through there. We saw plenty of big horn sheep. There are some nice hot springs in that area.
Your kayaks look nice. I think once I get use to the one we have I would like to upgrade to something like that. The one I have now it a little beat up so I’m not worried about it as much while I learning as I would be with a nice one. That’s awesome you bought a pack canoe for your dog. I would like to see a pic of that in action.
He wants to be with me but there is no room.
You can find those kayaks for 6-700 used pretty easily on the west coast.
I have been very happy with them, they glide like butter and handle big waves very well.
Our country is being sold off to the highest bidder IMO.
That’s unrestrained capitalism, no?
Sometimes referred to as Crony Capitalism. Russia has an Oligarchy. Most people ignore it as long as basic needs are met, or they drop out altogether.
Maybe you can train the pup to be like Paris, the Parson’s Jack Russell terrier who rides the bow of his buddy, Chuck Freedman (AKA “TsunamiChuck”) atop all of the various kayaks in Chuck’s fleet for their adventures in the waters around Elmendorff AF base, Alaska (where Chuck is medical personnel).
You can do a search on “TsunamiChuck” in the “Pretty Pictures” forum to see his frequent posts of their outings together.
The intrepid Paris the Pup has caught salmon in the Alaskan streams and stayed balanced standing on the bow deck when a pod of bubble-net fishing humpbacks erupted just yards from where she and Chuck were paddling.
Chuck has a lot of YouTube clips of Paris’ adventures: https://www.youtube.com/@tsunamichuck/videos
Oh, I thought it was the globalists and the corrupt transnational corporations 
If they are growing alfalfa in Arizona with public goods water and sending the alfalfa overseas, that’s what it sounds like.
My dream! I think he is bigger. First, he has to learn to enjoy it a little more and then he needs a rubber grippy mat. Oh, and I need to be more certain I can climb back in if I am alone. And the water needs to be warmer.
Jack Russells are a little more focused than Aussies, at least in my experience. Though my friend Dennis (retired Canadian Naval officer) had meticulously obedience trained his late Aussie, Tomo, to be willing and happy to stay tightly controlled, even when his master’s instructions were totally at odds with the dog’s instincts. Then again, there is a lot of individual difference in disposition even among the same breed – Dennis adopted a new Aussie pup 2 years ago and despite what must be the same training regimen, so far the new one (Copper) has a mind of his own and his wild enthusiasm cannot be contained.
Dennis: “Tomo, stay!”
Tomo: “There’s a rabbit over there but I’m on “stay” so I have to wait for Master to says it’s OK to chase”
Dennis: “Copper, stay”
Copper: “Rabbit!!” Zoom!
I bet a Border Collie could be good on the boat. This dog is very good at camping, road-tripping, hotels, restaurants, ferries, gondolas, etc. He has only been out maybe five times since I only got him last year as he was kept as a stud dog and lived on a horse farm. He eagerly jumps in, that is all I can expect at this age I think. I am trying to not rush him since he has never had a pool or another dog to swim with. The first time I find a Lab or a big swimmer he will be on fast forward to join in.
People had JR at my barn and they bark too much for me. I can’t have a barky dog as much as we move.