Eight Arizona Trailblazing kayakers on Butcher Jones Beach. [photo by Cindy]

Cindy, Ron, Lisa, Yanis, Anna, Eva, Chuck, Barbara..

The introductory paragraphs to these kayaking trip reports are beginning to look like a carbon copy of the previous one and the one before that and the one …. The weather conditions have been near perfect for quite a while on these trips. Sometimes I almost wish it would snow or hail on us as we’re prepping our kayaks for launch so I would have something different to write about. But, no, today is yet another picture-perfect, Arizona Chamber of Commerce day for virtually any outdoor activity. How lucky can we be to live in such a place as this? Of course, we probably won’t be saying that come June, July, and August when we’ll all be cursing the scorching and relentless days of never-ending heat and praying for cooler days ahead. Welcome to life in Arizona’s Lower Sonoran Desert.

Yanis, Ron and Lisa, and Anna are on the water. [photo by Cindy]

Ron and Lisa, with Yanis not far behind. [photo by Cindy]

At 9:20 a.m. eight Arizona Trailblazing kayakers push off from Butcher Jones Beach and start paddling south toward Peregrine Cove, then southeast toward Shiprock and beyond. Our goal for today is a wide sand and gravel beach about a mile northwest of Shiprock, where we’ll beach our kayaks and get out to stretch cramped legs and take a lunch and rest break. And, just for the record, a potty break as well. We certainly can’t forget that critical task. Easily accessible places to beach six or more kayaks are few and far between on this lake. Based on our experiences at Saguaro Lake last March, I had some initial misgivings about doing this trip again at the peak of spring break. But, so far so good, as far as the overcrowding we saw last year. Little do we know what lies in store for us later in the day.

Yanis is in his element today. [photo by Cindy]

These two Great Blue Herons are perched high above the lake. [photo by Cindy]

The winds are reduced to a mere breeze and the lake surface is relatively calm as we steadily make our way toward Shiprock, 2.5 miles from Butcher Jones Beach. Today I’m co-piloting with Cindy in her slick and stylish 12-foot Advanced Elements tandem inflatable kayak. We’re just tooling along, trying to get a good paddle rhythm going between us, not always an easy task in a tandem kayak or canoe. Things are going pretty well until I suddenly realize that I’m gradually sliding forward as my back support is slowly going in the opposite direction and offering less and less actual support. By the time we finally reach our takeout point past Shiprock, I’m leaning back at a 60-degree angle and can no longer see the horizon at all, only blue sky directly overhead. What a strange sensation this is! I tell Cindy I feel like I’m kayaking in the sky. Many of us have probably heard the song Ghost Riders in the Sky, but kayakers in the sky? My aching back! My aching neck! Cindy offers her profuse apologizes on more than several occasions and then concludes with “Oh, Dear!”

Elephant Rock finally comes into view. [photo by Cindy]

Followed immediately by Shiprock. [photo by Cindy]

The winds remain relatively calm, but the power boat traffic begins to increase as we continue paddling. We finally reach Elephant Rock and then Shiprock, take a few pictures and a water break, then push onward for another mile or so before reaching the wide gravel beach takeout point, large enough to easily accommodate several dozen kayaks. Now comes the really big challenge—extracting myself from this rubber boat as gracefully as possible. But that notion quickly vanishes into the breeze as I struggle to pull my cramped legs out of the cramped cockpit area. I twist and turn and squirm and swear and eventually pretty much just roll out of the kayak into the lake. Did anyone see that? But the cool lake water actually feels pretty good for a change since the day is quickly warming up.

We finally make it to our lunch stop. [photo by Cindy]

Kayakers gather in the shade for a rest and lunch break. [photo by Cindy]

Most of us concentrate into a shaded area beneath a sprawling willow tree for a well-deserved rest and lunch/snack break. And, once again Cindy passes around a bag of her special Marcona almonds for all to share and enjoy. Thanks Cindy! These are some of the tastiest almonds I’ve ever eaten. I’ve got to make a trip to Trader Joe’s soon and pick up a bag for myself. While eating lunch, we’re treated to the sight of two Doubler-Crested Cormorants perched on a nearby tree stump in the water, three more in the branches of a partially submerged tree, several large Great Blue Herons, either standing on a large rock or flying overhead, and a beautiful Northern Cardinal perched in the tree directly above us. We also discover the dried and shriveled remains of a large fish, possibly a largemouth bass, stuck in the branches about eight feet above the ground and conclude that it was probably lunch for a bald eagle or an osprey, since both are major fish eaters.

Today has been a perfect day for kayaking. [photo by Eva]

Double-Crested Cormorants taking a break from fishing. [photo by Cindy]

Cindy had earlier suggested switching seats in her kayak, thinking perhaps I might have better back support in the rear seat. I eagerly agree, but soon discover the cockpit area for the rear seat is even smaller than that of the front seat. So, it’s back to more twisting and turning, followed by even more squirming and swearing, as I desperately try to shoehorn my apparently oversized body into an undersized cockpit, obviously designed for a height-challenged person with very short legs. I finally manage to stuff all of me inside except for my feet. What the heck am I going to do with my darned feet now? I squirm and swear a little more and make one last frantic attempt to shove them inside. I’m in and we’re off! So far, so good, as I seem to have somewhat better back support, at least for now anyway.

This colorful Northern Cardinal is perched directly above our lunch spot. [photo by Cindy]

Reluctantly, we finally leave our shady and comfortable lunch stop behind as we start the long return journey back to Butcher Jones Beach. And we barely make it back to Shiprock before the usual afternoon winds catch up with us and start slamming us head-on. Several of us decide to take a short detour and explore a small cove, where we also manage to escape the winds for a short time. Back out on the main lake, the power boat traffic has been increasing significantly, as bigger boats with large-bore engines roar up and down the channel, followed by swarms of noisy jet boats, some carrying as many as three people. Several boats are pulling water skiers, while we see at least one person on a surfboard riding in the boats wake. That’s something you certainly don’t see too often.

Barbara makes her way back to Butcher Jones Beach. [photo by Eva]

We continue paddling directly into the winds past Campers Cove and finally Peregrin Cove, before rounding one last rocky point and spotting Butcher Jones Beach in the distance. As we get closer, we’re shocked to see this morning’s sparsely populated beach now morphed into something more like Coney Island, NY., populated with wall-to-wall people, kids and dogs running in all directions, sun worshippers stretched out on their beach chairs, dozens of bikini-clad young women lying on large beach towels getting an early start on their sun tans, and even an outfitter renting kayaks and paddle boards. Do I see someone hawking peanuts and popcorn in the crowd? Good Grief, Charlie Brown! Is there even enough space left on this beach for us to land our kayaks?

Kayakers enjoying the beautiful scenery of Saguaro Lake. [photo by Eva]

And to top it all off, I now have an audience of hundreds to witness my second extraction attempt from Cindy’s kayak, this time from the ultra-tight rear cockpit seat. But I’ll save that story for another time and another trip report. Suffice it to say that it was an embarrassing exhibition to say the least. I think I even heard a few dogs laughing. As Cindy would say, “Oh, Dear!” It’s been quite an interesting experience, and thanks for sharing your tandem kayak with me Cindy. No offense intended, but I’m not sure I would want to do it again any time soon. My aching back! My aching neck!
By about 2:15 we’re all safely back at Coney Island, ready to pack up and get the heck away from this lakeside zoo. If you want anything even remotely resembling peace and quiet, don’t ever come to Saguaro Lake during March Spring Break Insanity. It’s crazy out here!

Barbara is keeping up with the Desert Belle excursion boat. [photo by Eva]