Kayak Rack

That's right, attempt, as in not successful. Actually Paddling Gear was my third time on the mountain, but the last trip was planned as only a recon trip, with an unplanned and unprepared attempt on the lower southwest peak. In addition Old Town Kayaks Carlos and Hugo, my partners on the first try, we added Carla, another friend from the Camycam mountaineering club in Lima. I picked up Carlos and Carla at the bus terminal on Friday morning, after their 15-hour ride from Lima. We spent the rest of the day visiting, shopping and eating, while we waited to hear if Hugo would be joining us in the morning. He had been undecided about the trip, but about 4:00 in the afternoon we got a call saying that he was getting on the bus.

Saturday morning we met Hugo at the terminal, had breakfast and then headed for Nevado Solimana. It was a beautiful clear spring day in Arequipa, but by the time we neared the high plain above Chuquibamba we couldn't see the mountains because of the clouds. We never did see Ampato but got some stormy glimpses of Coropuna as we drove around it. As the sun was setting behind Solimana, there were some dramatic views caused by the dark clouds, giving us cause for concern and a prayer for clearer weather for the next couple of days. We drove to where the road to Huachuy crosses the Soro River, and set up camp there. I had said in my previous report from last year that I thought it was at about 14,000 feet, but it actually was about 15,000 feet. We arrived after dark and had to search a bit, but were able to find a couple of suitable campsites. It was snowing lightly, but thankfully it didn't amount to much and soon stopped.

We got up about 7:00 in the morning, in no hurry because it was a short day's hike to our high camp at 17,711, just below the start of the glacier. It was a beautiful clear day, with just a wisp of a cloud snagged on the summit of Solimana. With the climbing gear better distributed this time, Selftimer took our start-of-the-hike photo and we were on our way at 9:30. We again followed the small river up the gentle slope, and I think saw the same two wild horses as last year. We did follow the river farther this time, and waited until we were at the start of the ridge leading to the summit before leaving the river and heading cross-country. Even though there wasn't any trail, it was easy going on the rock-strewn surface of course lava sand. The weather kept changing all day, by 10:30 the clear sky had changed to clouds, but then it cleared up again later in the afternoon, after again snowing a little bit.

Carla and I reaching the campsite on the ridge at about 3:00 pm, and had our tent set up before Carlos and Hugo arrived. We were able to see the mountain for a while, before it was engulfed in clouds about 5:00. They weren't the dark storm clouds of the previous day however, and the sky was clear when nature called just after midnight.

It was my first time to use a double wall tent, a nice little Doite 2-man (Himalaya?), which kept me toasty warm in an optimistically rated 20 deg. Campmor bag, in spite of it being 20 deg. (F) outside. My fitful night's sleep was further interrupted when Carlos announced that it was 4:30 am and time to get up, but it seemed too early and way too dark. I decided to check my watch before I got up; it was 1:00 am! Somehow his watch had reset itself during the night. I forgot a 2-liter bottle of water outside of the tent; it was solid ice in the morning. Thankfully there was still water flowing in the icy stream because we were a few hours below snow level. Both my soda can stove and Hugo's butane/propane Doite stove worked fine in the morning, even though they had left their fuel canister out overnight as well.

After getting a little bit of a late start, we were on the glacier just before 9:00. It seemed so close to the summit wall on the other side, but in spite of very minor penitentes, it was two hours later before we started climbing up the snow pyramid leading up to the route up the chute. However we could see that there was very little snow on it, so we knew it would be a difficult climb. Neither Carla nor Hugo was feeling well from the altitude, so they were planning on going back to high camp while Carlos and I checked out the summit route. Unbelievably, it took us another hour to get to the rock wall due to the steep ascent through what were now serious penitentes.

After some discussion, we decided to give it a try, even though just above us there was no snow, just a thin layer of ice over rocks. I didn't have technical crampons so Carlos went first to check it out. After climbing about six feet, he reached a good resting point and stopped. I asked him if it was possible to continue climbing and he asked me which one I would chose, the summit or life? Dagger Kayak too hard of a decision when put that way, so at 12:20, after having reached about 19,200 feet, we were heading back down to our friends, who for some reason were still waiting out on the glacier where we had left them. Even though she had a severe headache, Carla was concerned about us and didn't want to go back to camp and worry about us making a summit attempt, especially as the route wasn't visible from camp.

Somehow we got on a different route just below the glacier, and had a hard time crossing a short gravel chute, which was very icy. I think it was mostly because we were tired and didn't climb up high enough on a ridge, like when we were going up in the morning. We were all hungry as well, and looking back on it I think Carla's altitude sickness was worse than we realized. She said later that she was having trouble thinking clearly. When we got to camp about 3:00 pm, Carlos and Hugo wanted to pack up quickly and return to the car. Carla said she was too tired to go back, so we stopped to rest and I made lunch for us, as none of us had eaten enough during the day.

By the time we would have been packed and ready to go, we would have had to hike in the dark for at least an hour. Carla said she was still too tired and wanted to spend the night there, and go down in the morning. We agreed and all went to bed early, I think it was about 5:30. I had been feeling great both days, but had a terrible night's sleep. My nose was a little stopped up and I woke up feeling like I couldn't get enough air. After lying there trying to relax and breath normally for what seemed like hours, I finally checked my watch, hoping it was at least after midnight. It was 8:30 pm! It was a very long night and now I was wishing we had gone back down to the car.

Fortunately Carla was feeling better the next morning and we made good time going back down for the first two hours, but then slowed down a bit. We finally went around a curve in the river valley and could see the car; it appeared to be fine. However when we reached there, Carlos, who had gotten there first, pointed out that one of the tires was flat. I was hoping it was just a puncture or someone had let the air out, but it had a two-inch cut in the sidewall. At least we were able to put on the spare tire and drive home, unlike last year when I had to walk back to get a mechanic. As I thought about it, I was really troubled, fearing that I wouldn't dare leave the car parked unattended again, without getting it vandalized, but when I had the tire replaced, they assured me that it had been cut by a rock not a knife.

After spending the night in Cotahuasi, we headed back to Arequipa the next morning. It was snowing again and there appeared to be a serious storm up on Solimana, so we hit the perfect time to be there. And of course we were talking about our next attempt and what we had learned to hopefully be successful the next time. For one thing, we are going to have to do it in May or June, just after the rainy season, when there is sufficient snow on the route. We also need to spend at least another day acclimatizing, probably by climbing Firura, a nearby 18,000-foot mountain. In spite of the fact that Peruvians seem to have less problems with altitude sickness than many from the U.S., and that my friends have climbed higher mountains in Huaraz with the same amount of acclimatization time, there is something about Solimana that is kicking our butts. Hopefully the third time will be a charm, and not a strikeout!

Vic Hanson is the founder of Adventure Cotahuasi Tours, which offers pre-planned and custom adventure travel tours in Cotahuasi Canyon and other areas of Peru. If you are interested in your own adventure in Peru, check us out! adventurecotahuasi adventurecotahuasi If you would like to see this article with photos, please visit my page on summitpost at summitpost.org/user_page.php?user_id=28256 summitpost.org

Like all Angst Kayak across the US, the Salt River is unique. It's beauty and grandeur are partly a result Kayak Paddles it's location on the southern edge of the Colorado Plateau in Arizona. The Salt River is home to a large number of plants, animals and bird life. It offers an outstanding adventure opportunity with world class rapids and stunning scenery. The Salt River Canyon is truly one of the southwest's hidden treasures.

Salt River Geography

The natural flow of the Salt is 86.1 m/s (3040 ft/s) at its mouth, almost four times that of the Rio Grande River. The Salt River flows northwest through Salt River Canyon, then southwest and west through the Tonto National Forest. The river is formed in eastern Arizona, by the confluence (or coming together) of the White and Black rivers. The river acts as a natural boundary between the Fort Apache Indian Reservation to the north and the San Carlos Apache Indian Reservation to the south.

The Salt River passes through a large valley between the Mazatzal Mountains and Superstition Mountains. The river drains into several reservoirs: Lake Roosevelt (formed by Roosevelt Dam), Apache Lake (Horse Mesa Dam), Canyon Lake (Mormon Flat Dam), and Saguaro Lake (Stewart Mountain Dam). The Verde river joins with the Salt river just south of this point. About five miles downstream, the Granite Reef Diversion Dam diverts all the remaining reservoir water into the Arizona and South canals. The water that comes from these reservoirs provide drinking and irrigations water for the Phoenix area.

The Salt Riverbed leaves the mountains and runs through various cities in Arizona: Mesa, Tempe, and Scottsdale, south of downtown Phoenix and then passing north of South Mountain Park. Keep in mind that is only the riverbed- and it stays dry during most of the year. Only when heavy rains and torrential downpours occur in Arizona will the Salt River run in these areas. When this happens, Stewart Mountain Dam will release extra water causing a rise in the water levels along the river. Flash floods occasionally occur in these areas during monsoon storms in late July and early August.

Salt River History

The river was originally used for irrigation by Native Americans. In 1929 Omar Turney did research work on the Salt River and the system as it was used anciently. According to Omar, the irrigation system encompassed the largest single body of land irrigated in prehistoric times in North or South America, and perhaps the world. As seen by the map recreation on the left, the Salt River provided extensive drainage far inland for a large area of land. Mesa Grande is the modern day area of Mesa, AZ, with the river running down toward the Phoenix region.

It is currently still used as a primary irrigation source. Phoenix and surrounding areas use the river for their needs through the Salt River Irrigation Project.

The river's water is currently distributed over more than 1,000 mi (1,609 km) of irrigation canals. These canals are used primarily for agriculture: the growing of cotton, alfalfa, fruit, and vegetables.

The regions that surround the Salt River are victim to occasional flash floods from heavy rainfall. The dry, hot desert geography of Arizona gives way to perfect flooding conditions. These floods can rise in a matter of minutes, without warning. They can cause damage to roads, bridges, parks, commercial and residential lands. The most notable flash floods that caused damage were in 1980, 1993 and 2005. However, except during floods, the Salt is dry below Granite Reef Dam. Previously you could navigate the Salt Rive in its entirety throughout the southern course by small raft. The river is still navigable in the majority of the area where it still carries a significant flow, but some areas now do not have high enough water levels.

Salt RiverWhiteWaterRiver Rafting and Recreation

The huge volume and rocky underground provide ideal conditions for recreational and adventure activities on the Salt River. The most popular of which is white water rafting. Many companies operate seasonal trips on the Salt River. Rafting trips vary depending on the section of river you choose to navigate and the time of year you go.

The Salt River is a class III and IV whitewater river that drops an average 25 feet per mile for over 50 miles through rocky, inaccessible canyons. It flows through oak and juniper woodlands down into striking Lower Sonoran desert. Amazing vegetation, giant multi-armed saguaro cactus and profusions of cactus of everywhere adorn the whitewater trip down the river. Several side canyons reveal oasis-like microhabitats that are a moist reprieve from the prickly cactus environment. Excellent scenic riverside campsites are abundant and accessible only by raft.

The Salt River white water rafting season goes from early March to late May. Because of the exciting and intense rapids during early run-off, whitewater rafting and kayaking are the main forms of recreation on the river. You can Adventure Kayaking outfitter information, rafting trips and contact info at raftingamerica Rafting America .

Ryan Hutchings is the Executive Director for the leading organization of white water rafting outfitters across North America Rafting America ( raftingamerica raftingamerica ). He has extensive involvement with outfitters and the river rafting industry across the US, Canada and South America. Ryan specializes in internet marketing and online business strategy.

We visited Yaquina Head Lighthouse, Oregon early in the day to learn of its history. Lighthouses were necessities of the nineteenth century. Rocky coasts Pontoon poor charting Storage Of Canoes And Kayaks spelled doom for ships. The lighthouse functioned to warn sea captains of danger and help with location and navigation. Modern day GPS and satellites have made lighthouses almost obsolete. However, Yaquina Head's light shines today as it has for more Canoeing a century through its Fresnel lens. The lens's construction took place on site and contains 250 pieces of glass. That alone makes it a wonder. Yet, the precision of its construction and pattern allows the light to be seen 20 miles out to sea. The lighthouse itself is made from 400,000 bricks, is 93 feet tall (tallest on the Oregon coast), and has no steel reinforcement. One can climb to the top using 114 steps, which we did.

We took a look at the cobblestone tidal pools while at high tide finding Harbor seals basking on the outlying rocks. Glaucous-winged, Western and Herring Gulls rode the winds in and about the cliffs. Brandt's Cormorants roosted on the larger, taller rocks, and Surf Scoter and Western Grebes rode waves as they washed in.

At 5:44 PM low tide occurred along the coast of Oregon this September day, 2007, and we were drawn back to the tidal pools in the evening. Tidal Pools are fantastic marine nurseries. Living organisms which inhabit such must be well adapted to the exposure that the ebb and flow of the tides dictate.

At low tide, we were not only able to walk farther onto the cobbles but also onto the basaltic rock platforms that fingered their way into the Pacific. Upon these platforms were beds of mussels and shelves of Leaf Barnacles. How ever so dead looking the mussels and barnacles appeared, they were not. Just waiting for the tide to roll back in when they would open their shells and feed again.

Small fissures and ponds held even more colorful and amazing species, green sea anemones, purple sea urchins too numerous to count. Starfish came in all manner of size and color. The largest of these were as big as dinner plates and burnt orange in color. Some were palm size and purple or grayish. Some starfish were attached alone to rocks while in other places they were tumbled together.

One very fascinating creature at first looked like the basalt upon which it sat. Black, slightly domed and elongated, and only partially covered with a row of eight saddle shaped plates, one might have overlooked it. Such is the Katy Chiton, which we found in one small pool. Chitons are what I would characterize as living fossils. Surely, biologists refer to these creatures as close to the ancestral mollusks. They attach themselves to the bottom of rocks in shallow water and feed on algae. Chitons can move by way of their elongated foot.

Of course, exposure at low tide means dinnertime for the gulls and cormorants. We watched as a California Gull spent his evening at easy pickings. The cormorants were more active diving in the shallows. There were a couple of Harbor Seals curious enough to swim closer to shore, but not too close, to watch us watch them. Who was the observer; who the observed?

Experiencing the Yaquina Head Lighthouse and its tidal pools at both high and low tide was a highlight to our trip. We would recommend to all this adventure. One would be astounded by all there is in this most unusual habitat. There is a profound appreciation, all at once, for both the fragility of life but the tenaciousness with which it occupies its chosen niche. It is easy to note the interdependence of living organisms in tidal pools. The concept of food webs and biomes are so apparent in this most unique of environments.

Roy Smallwood is the owner of Kingbirdfeeders . Roy began this enterprise after a 26 year career as a teacher of science. His love and enjoyment of the outdoors and birding in particular is the impetus for the company. He is an active member of the Central Texas Audubon Society. He encourages everyone to participate and enjoy birding whether in the backyard or in the field. Visit kingbirdfeeders kingbirdfeeders for, kingbirdfeeders /00ProdBinoculars binoculars and kingbirdfeeders /00SpotScope spotting scopes and happy birding!