Men may dam it and say that they have made a lake, but it will still be a river. It will keep its nature and bide its time, like a caged animal alert for the slightest opening. In time, it will have its way; the dam, like the ancient cliffs, will be carried away piecemeal in the currents.
-- Wendell Berry
The "A" team spent the weekend on the Lower Colorado River.
Jacobo
Juan
El Lobo
The lower Colorado has been made supremely functional (ruined) by a ladder of dams stretching from Glen Canyon in Northern Arizona to Morelos Dam south of Yuma. This area has transformed California and Arizona deserts into a lush corridor for aquatic recreation. There are a number of high quality State Parks that offer shoreline, beaches, boating and camping facilities, golf, tennis, RV centers and the like. Brand new communities and thousands of condominiums have popped up out of nowhere. I hate all of it.
The London Bridge at Lake Havasu City arrived on the Colorado's shore in 1968 and reassembled like a giant jigsaw puzzle. I don't like it!
We camped at Buckskin Mountain State Park. In the park we hiked the Buckskin trail, relaxed, played catch, read, and "sipped" cervezas.
There is a decent restaurant in the park where we were able to catch both final four basketball games and sip more cervezas, while slamming down chile cheese fries and burgers.
The next day we drove to the Topock Marina to gain access to a unique bit of landscape known as the Havasu National Wildlife Refuge. Here there are 260 different species of birds, 40 species of mammals and 20 species of reptiles. We saw a lizard.
We started our kayak trip at the Marina and took out at Castle Rock. This segment of river is known as the Topock Gorge , a 15 mile stretch of what was supposed to be gentle water, it did have incomparable scenery, perfect for kayaking or canoeing.
The trip started with gentle water but soon we encountered a strong head wind. This coupled with the wakes created by the speedy boats made it a challenging paddle for Jake and I. After the wind started, I hated everybody and everything.
Campers Behaving Badly:
Lorenzo for not going because he was too seeek!
Juan for secretly blaming Jacobo after Juan lost his "expensive" sun glasses in the Colorado.
Juan for announcing that he was an expert paddler and then leaving us to die.
EL Lobo for hating all the young punks in speed boats cruising at break neck speed, drinking beer, flaunting bikini clad beauties in their boat while poor Lobo was fighting the wind and their wake.
California spring break party animals going nuts at the famous sand bar. Next time I'm joining them, screw the paddling, after all, I am a student.
Juan and Lobo for hydrating themselves by sipping pitchers of cervezas at the restaurant and draining the camp cooler of all the bottled beer.
Jacobo for forgetting his air mattress and having to sleep on the ground-AGAIN!
The dudes in the next camp site that started "sipping" beer at 6:30 Sunday morning. Everyone knows that you don't start until after 9 on Sundays!
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