Salty Dawgs

A few thousand CFS of cold, clean, snowmelt roaring through one of the driest climates in the United States is a sight to behold. Arizona’s Salt River is one of those ephemeral desert waterways that’s either trickling along at a knee-deep pace or pummeling the canyon’s interior with monster flows after a long, snowy winter. Home to incredibly diverse flora and fauna only found in the Sonoran Desert and geology that will give any Southwestern canyon a run for its money, the Salt River is a much-anticipated start to the boating season for many Durangoans. Here’s a look:

Feeling small paddling through a granite gorge. 

A crew makes its way downstream.

Bone-white granite ledges, spindly ocotillo, majestic saguaros and raging snowmelt: a combination not often seen outside the confines of the Salt River Canyon. 

A serene section of water at the put-in. 

Sunset, with ocotillo and prickly pear.