# Hows the salt?



## Electric-Mayhem (Jan 19, 2004)

Its my third favorite run that I've done so far....with the Grand Canyon and Middle Fork Salmon being first and second. Its an amazing run and has a totally different feel from any other I've been on. Not many river trips through the Sonoran Desert.

That said...whether its gonna run or not is VERY hard to say at this point. It feels relatively unlikely. I keep an eye on the Snow Water Equivalent at Hannigan Meadows SNOTEL site ( Hannagan Meadows (511) - Site Information and Reports )and base it on that. As yet...no snowfall there yet. You get until the end of January to make the decision. Season is usually Mid-February till maybe April...so its not long after the lottery. I think they release the results on February 10th and there is a followup after that for any unaccepted dates on February 21st. I've never won a primary lottery...but I've gotten a few cancellations on this one.

Definitely some waiting to do before making this decision.


----------



## Wallrat (Jan 19, 2021)

Charlie, if you miss out there, I’d still take you with us down the Big Ditch. Consider it a consolation prize.


----------



## Pinchecharlie (Jul 27, 2017)

Man I wish I would've done better in life and could quit my job and go full time river running! Was considering trying for a salt in March at my spring break hollidays?


----------



## tallboy (Apr 20, 2006)

Pinchecharlie said:


> I know its a long shot to get permits but at 17hrs drive away from us I wonder if it's even a consideration. My friends friends (lol) say it's an absolute blast of a river? You guys ever run it? Looks pretty fur real whitewater wise too? Just thinking of how much money I wanna blow trying for permits (I've never actually gotten one) ....


Waste of time, don't bother applying.


----------



## jamesthomas (Sep 12, 2010)

Yeah, I totally agree. Don‘t even think about the Salt. Waste of time.


----------



## Pinchecharlie (Jul 27, 2017)

What I thought!


----------



## SherpaDave (Dec 28, 2017)

I did it once and I’ll never do it again.

…because I’ll never be lucky enough to get a permit when it’s actually got water.


----------



## Pinchecharlie (Jul 27, 2017)

Well good news buddy! Your invited when I score my ticket!


----------



## SherpaDave (Dec 28, 2017)

Sweet, thanks. It really is pretty awesome to float through a saguaro forest.


----------



## adamread (Aug 31, 2011)

Terrible place! All those rocks and pointy things everywhere. Scary rapids too, plus it could flood
or be really boney. You should skip it for sure.

Quartzite and Corkscrew at around 16k cfs (photo by Ron Barzel, 2019):


----------



## Pinchecharlie (Jul 27, 2017)

Yikes !!!


----------



## adamread (Aug 31, 2011)

Pinchecharlie said:


> Yikes !!!


So ugly there too. You'd be a lot better off just watching TV.


----------



## Pinchecharlie (Jul 27, 2017)

Netflix...
What date was your high water trip so I can warn others not to go?!


----------



## adamread (Aug 31, 2011)

Photos are from 3/15/2019
Upstream gage at the bridge went to 16,500cfs. The downstream gage above the reservoir went to ~35k cfs. Fairly epic.

When there's water, mid March is a good bet for flows and weather. Not looking so good in the southwest for 2022 though.

Things can bite you!


----------



## MNichols (Nov 20, 2015)

SherpaDave said:


> Sweet, thanks. It really is pretty awesome to float through a saguaro forest.


Even better in a snowstorm ❄🌨! Been there, done that, even the indian ranger on horseback with the scoped 300 magnum didn't take away much from the experience.. That being said, very iffy in 2022, according to me..


----------



## westwatercuban (May 19, 2021)

adamread said:


> So ugly there too. You'd be a lot better off just watching TV.
> 
> View attachment 71772


Na I’ll pass…I get better views playing video games..


----------



## upacreek (Mar 17, 2021)

I like to think of my lottery apps as more of donations, and while have pulled _a few_...the only thing you can rely on for the Salt is the good humor and weighted optimism of Don R. Sullivan.


----------



## okieboater (Oct 19, 2004)

Plus one on appreciation for Ranger Don on the Salt.

His emails and opinions are priceless and the Salt is better off having him there.

Over the years I have ran into him in person and visiting with him is a treat.

A good man for sure.


----------



## stellablue (May 31, 2011)

On the opposite end of the spectrum of 16,500 cfs, I was young/dumb enough to run it on my SUP March 2012 below 1000 cfs. I was too poor to afford dry gear and wore an old torn wetsuit from snorkelling. Started the day getting into that frozen stiff wetsuit, booties and gloves every morning and ended the day comparing hands to see who had the bloodiest. Not too shabby if you're into wild things, pokey objects, and floating by travertine and saguaros


----------



## adamread (Aug 31, 2011)

I've been on as low as 800 cfs in a 16' raft. Got wedged at the top of Quartzite for a while, but that was the worst of it.


----------



## okieboater (Oct 19, 2004)

adamread,

Plus one for the wedge move at quartzite.

Me and a bud in a Aire 143 attempted the quartzite left line at low water. Got stuck and mostly we just sat there laughing. At some point we think the water backed up a bit due to the raft acting like a cork in a bath tub and we pop'ed out. 

Salt for me has been a great fun run regardless of CFS.


----------



## adamread (Aug 31, 2011)

shhhh...


----------



## Taku (Apr 7, 2016)

Kayaked it in the 80's before the falls got blown up. great place. the funniest part was when we went by the mid-river takout, there was a large, bloated dead cow in the middle of the ramp. A commercial trip that some friends of a fellow I was boating with were taking out there. Heard later they had to tie ropes off to the cow's legs, drag it off the ramp and then were able to load the boats and get out of there. Took a while to get that smell gone.


----------



## Electric-Mayhem (Jan 19, 2004)

Did two back to back laps in 2020... February 28th and March 1st. First lap was ~1100cfs and dropping and managed the left move in Quartzite just barely with small cats. One buddy got wedged against the wall and almost flipped forward. He rode it out like a bullrider and it eventually released. Other buddy managed to smack a sleeper rock really hard below the main drop...still not sure what he hit but it stopped him dead in his tracks. 

Second lap it was down to ~800cfs and continiung to drop. Everything still went just fine and I'd be totally cool to do that level again. As far as I could tell the left line was a kayaker only line...the water line was 2-3 feet wide. We ended up going down the right channel. Looks like its gonna shove you into an undercut...but the current doesn't push as hard as it looks and it was a total cake walk. Just floated slowly through pulling upstream on the oars.

The cobble bar rapids towards the top were kind of a pain but still went without much effort if you picked your lines allright. The rest was still super fun and went well and basically ran like it does at higher water. I think the Maze was a little different but you can still do the right side sneak. Eye of the Needle was a bit tight but still very doable....just ship your oars once you are lined up.

Really hoping it goes this year.... still no snow accumulation in the area though.


----------

