It’s the last day of September, and you can feel the cool nip of Autumn in the air, even here in the Valley of the Sun.
It’s my last day of being forty-six, time to get my Huckleberry Finn on and kayak thirteen miles down the Salt River.
The Saguaro Ranch guest house is quietly tucked away at the beginning of the lower salt river, overshadowed by the mountain peaks along the waters edge. It’s where I get a few safety instructions before I launch.
This river requires no guide, and thus I am off to solo this adventure downstream. Fish are jumping early and often as I start my float, the scenery around me makes it hard to focus on the kayak.
I’m perhaps halfway when the first group of wild horses are spotted. You hear about the wild Salt River horses all the time, but it is quite another story to actually see them yourself.
They pay little attention to me as I float by, their heads busy looking for grasses to eat along the shore.
After seeing my first group of horses, more appear the further down I go, each time just as special as the last.
I truly feel the American spirit of adventure with each passing mile, in true Mark Twain style.
“Be on my side,
I’ll be on your side,
baby
There is no reason
for you to hide
It’s so hard for me
staying here all alone
When you could be
taking me for a ride.”
-Neil Young.
Happy 47th birthday sir!! Hope you had an amazing time.