Caving in Southern AZ

Chris from the Arizona Hiking Shack
at the top of a climb 

Caving is a strange activity. We are creatures of comfort, creatures of light. Everyone, I don't care how tough you are now, we all were terrified of the dark when we were little and there's probably a good reason that instinct exists. Plus it's humid, tight, rough, and absolutely exhausting to travel through any cave, and the best ones doubly so. And yet we do it. Yesterday a few of us, friends and employees of the Arizona Hiking Shack and Desert Voyagers, went digging deep to see what kind of adventure we could find in the deep places of the earth.

Now mind you, I am not as young as I once was. Sure I caved somewhat regularly a decade ago but I am 25lbs heavier now. That and spending the last year paddling and guiding people on the river often is great for general fitness, but does nothing for the flexibility and full body strength required for such pursuits. If you have never been, imagine those tube style jungle gyms at McDonald's or other places. You know, the ones kids can spend all day crawling though... Now image that those tubes get smaller, they are jagged, rough, have unprotected 100 foot drops, and just for fun, have someone smear slick mud all over the place. You can see a bit of scale in the picture just above. Keep in mind that is a huge, wide open space though. There simply isn't room enough to get out my camera in the squeezes.

Lunch, thank god at least the bread is clean!

Why I Love Being a Raft Guide - By Dallas Smith

"Wearing sandals and shorts, we arrive at work in one of the most majestic places in the country. We experience the thrill and beauty of the river by maneuvering through its current and basking in the sun. With each new trip, we provide this once-in-a-lifetime experience to a group of guests. Anyone with us will be absolutely stoked by their experience, telling friends and family about it for years. Immortalized as an adventure expert...a raft guide not only gets to do this all the time, we get paid to do it all the time."

The Wild Horses of the Salt River

It may surprise even the most nature-oriented local to Arizona but there are wild mustangs on the Lower Salt and Lower Verde Rivers. Seriously. In fact there are close to 100 wild mustangs that roam the Tonto National Forest, an area about the size of the state of Connecticut and five times the size of Rhode Island. Arizona’s major water supplies are limited to dam-controlled rivers, two of which hydrate our wild herds year-round. The Lower Salt and Lower Verde Rivers rarely run dry and collect these scattered majestic equine in certain areas, making them easy to spot if you know where to look.

Welcome to the Desert Voyagers Blog

The thought crossed my mind the other day that not only are Desert Voyagers' Guides the very best in the business, but that they are also truly interesting in unique ways. This small but elite group of people who are so committed to the outdoors that they go home each and every day covered in sweat or freezing cold, smelling of river water, covered in mud and paid very little for their irreplaceable talents deserves a place to voice their thoughts and share their adventures. Our Guides see the best of nature and experience the worst and still come back day after day for more. Why, you might ask? It's simple. They love it. They truly love the life-giving waters of the desert and how they transform an arid inhospitable place into a thriving ecosystem complete with wild horses, river otters and towering green trees. With saguaros rising up majestically on the orange horizon and cactus wren calling in the background who couldn't like it here, when they take the chance to slow down and appreciate what's around them?

The Guides of Desert Voyagers come from many different backgrounds and lifestyles. We have EMTs, survival instructors, rock climbers, motorcycle riders, bootleggers, photographers, hippies, hikers, former and current members of the military, teachers, naturalists, writers, SCUBA divers, beach bums, hammock lovers and hard workers. All of these people form a unique family of Guides who make it their top priority to create memories that will last a lifetime in the minds of every individual who boards our rafts.

Since many of our most creative and interesting Guides may not have another outlet to share their adventures, this blog will be a journal of experiences, adventures and thoughts they'd like to share with the world. We hope you enjoy!

To learn more about our tours, please visit www.desertvoyagers.com