A Blast from the Past

Over President’s Day weekend, Outback resurrected a trip that was last run a few years ago: Black Canyon Kayak and Hot Springs. This trip took participants kayaking up and down the Colorado River: the border between Arizona and Nevada.

After a small hiccup on the road involving a dead battery in the van, the crew set off on a lengthy drive East through California and into Nevada. The difference between the geography of California and its next-door neighbor is vast – Nevada is almost completely flat and covered with nothing but dust and a smattering of palm trees. Houses stretch out for miles across the abyss and right smack in the middle of them is the Las Vegas Strip. That night the participants and guides camped out under the stars in a campground near Lake Mead.

The following day, the kayaking crew drove down to their launching point along the Colorado and set off upstream. They travelled around seven miles that day and camped at the side of the river in a canyon. This is where the fun started.

At the back of the canyon was a spring. The farther up this spring one walked, the hotter the water became. Eventually, if one walked far enough, they would reach a waterfall and a latter leading up it. Beyond this were natural hot springs pooled amidst the crags of the rocks. This is where the crew spent a majority of their time while back at camp.

The participants spent their weekend on the water, paddling during the day and visiting numerous hot springs along the way. These steaming pools and caverns riddled the canyon walls; each one hotter than the next. One particular hot spring dubbed “The Sauna Cave” was a long tunnel dug into the side of a cliff. The walls were lined with mineral buildup and the air was heavy with steam. The hot springs were definitely a reward to the participants who paddled arduously upstream in the heavy current of the Colorado.

On the last day of the trip, the crew floated back downstream to their starting point, loaded up the van, and set off for home. After a few pit stops to see the Hoover Dam, to change a busted tire, and to eat dinner at In-N-Out, the gang found themselves back in San Diego after sundown.

The Black Canyon Kayak and Hot Springs trip was definitely one to remember and hopefully Outback will be hosting another one in the near future.