Rafting down the Colorado

For a nice day on the water, try floating down the river on a raft. It is one of the many outdoor opportunities Yuma has to offer even in the blazing hot days of summer. The water is cool, the wildlife is abundant and the pace is lazy.

Using two four-person inflatable rafts purchased at a local big-box retailer, you can enjoy the water without investing a lot of money in boats, jet skis and vehicles to pull them.

Although paddles are on board as well as life jackets, the current on the river is often all it takes to move the rafts down the river.

The plus sides to the rafts are they are quiet, you don't need a rack since they deflate and can be put in the back of a Honda Civic, they don't require a lot of maintenance besides a good hosing down and they don't require a lot of piloting skills to maneuver down the river.

Just some basic paddling skills are needed to get you from one side of the river to the other and to avoid some of the midstream obstacles, like tree stumps or midriver islands, that might appear in your path.

We usually put the rafts in at the confluence of the Gila and Colorado rivers and get out at the West Wetlands boat ramp. The trip from the confluence down, depending on the strength of the river's current that day, generally takes about three hours.

The problem with the confluence is that the terrain near the water is rocky for low-clearance vehicles and sometimes there are suspicious people "camping" out in the area. It isn't advisable to leave anything valuable in your vehicle there.

There is plenty of room to park away from the water if you have a smaller sedan, and the rafts are light enough to carry to the water's edge.

Another, more accessible area but not offering as long a float is to put in at Riverside Park under the Ocean-to-Ocean Bridge. From there to the boat ramp usually takes about an hour at most. Definitely a good place to try out the trip if you are just getting your feet wet.

Rafts are a great way to see wildlife along the river. If you are an avid bird watcher, you may want to bring along a guide book to help you identify some of the water birds you may see. Binoculars are also helpful since most of the wildlife takes off as you approach.

Along the river are beaches where you can land to enjoy a lunch just remember that glass is bad and what you bring in, you also should take out to help keep the outdoors litter free.

If the river isn't moving fast enough and boredom begins to set in, you can always "fall out" of the raft and float a bit in the water with the aid of a life jacket. In many areas the river is not very deep and you can simply get out of the raft and walk along.

Visibility to the river's sandy bottom is usually very good, so you can avoid stepping on slimy or sharp objects fairly easily.

There is very little shade on the river, so the sun beats down relentlessly. Hats with wide brims, sunglasses and copious amounts of sunblock are necessary.

Floating is a great way to see the beauty of the river. The Gooding willows often shade fish in the water and even the salt cedar, an invasive species that is slowly being eradicated along this stretch of river, has pretty leaves and pink flowers. Water birds like egrets often will fly by and every once in a while, a beaver will be hard at work as you leisurely float by. Give it a try ...

WHAT TO TAKE

-SO-CALLED '4-PERSON' INFLATABLE RAFTS REALISTICALLY HOLD TWO PEOPLE EACH, BUT CAN BE PILOTED BY JUST ONE PERSON IF NEEDED.

-ONE PADDLE PER PERSON - WE USE THE WOODEN ONES.

-ONE LIFE JACKET PER PERSON, OFTEN USED TO TETHER THE RAFTS TOGETHER OR JUST FOR JUMPING IN THE WATER

-A LUNCH AND LOTS OF WATER

-SUNBLOCK

-LOTS OF WATER

-SUNBLOCK

-DID I MENTION LOTS OF WATER?

TECHNICAL DETAILS

-1. Most people use two vehicles, one left at the take-out area and one left at the put-in. Soloists will often park at one end or the other and then will call a friend or a cab to take them back to their vehicle.

-2. You can put in anywhere there is access to the river upstream from the take-out point. Taking out has been overall easy and accesible at the West Wetlands boat ramp.

-3. Yes, there are people living off the grid near the river. Not all of them are friendly, but not all of them are hopped up on methamphetamines either. Being careful, cautious and courteous seems to be a good rule of thumb.

-4. Other river enthusiasts use the river. Jet skis and motorboats are supposed to yield to smaller, less nimble crafts, but they don't always follow that rule. Be prepared to get out of the way if you have to. When going through a public swimming area, like under the Ocean-to-Ocean bridge, be polite and try not to run over any of the kids. Walking the rafts through that area might be the best bet.