Best place to put on for a day cruise on Colorado for a Newbie?

« **on:** June 17, 2010, 09:59:07 AM »

Being an Az guy, I mainly have been on local lakes like Apache, Pleasant, Canyon, Saguaro, bartlett and Roosevelt. Leaving the depraved life I have lead somehow I have never been to the Colorado.
I see on Google earth "big River" and some of the other places mentioned here for popular floats, but was looking for advice on a good place for a newbie to go ? Last thkng I want to do off the bat on our first river trip is run aground or suck some rocks or plain go to a low tide place which sucks. I will be shaking down my new to me boat over the next few weekends on lakes around here close by to get more familiar first, but the wifey says when are we going to "the river" ?

« **Reply #1 on:** June 17, 2010, 01:29:36 PM »

Lower riv(martinez)...has a couple lakes, old miner cabin, sandbars, and its not glamed out....

« **Reply #2 on:** June 17, 2010, 01:32:13 PM »

Best place is Big River this weekend!

Blythe, Mcintyre Park in particular, is nice, and not so far from you since you're on the West Side already. I was pretty impressed with the place, and didn't see many rock bars at all. Peeps are the best too! I hear great things about the martinez area as well (Yuma).

Seriously, though, drag the thing to Big River this weekend! Plenty of us out there to follow. Just bring a good box anchor or a big block cylinder head to tie off with. Waters pretty swift there.

Ray

« **Reply #3 on:** June 21, 2010, 12:42:52 PM »

Well, soon I hope! For now, I am trying local lake to make sure everything is working right and I get my skill levels up on this new to me boat. Slow speed manuevring is quite different than a prop for me (yikes!)
Once I have some time under my belt I will for sure, although I will want to go with someone that can give me a good river learnin experience as it has been years since I spent much time at the wheel, let alone a river with currents and shallows and traffic! I hate traffic! Here I go at end of day or early to avoid all that.
Big River looks nice form the oogle earth shots, and the offers for help here are welcome...I iwll need it as a NEWBIE!
ps: posted pics of the new squeeze (TAHITI) in the new boat sectin...

« **Reply #4 on:** June 21, 2010, 04:11:41 PM »

i rock mine in blythe all the time. love it out there

« **Reply #5 on:** June 24, 2010, 04:08:15 PM »

put on/take out which ramp? is the current a big issue for a newbie?

fwiw, we walk it back on the trailer with ropes as it works everytime as compared with me low speed steering skills (not).

Blythe aint tha far for me, only anothe 1.5 hrs compared to the lake.

I was looking at google earth and the river looks shallow? any decent maps for the newbie out there for downloading for boating?
Thanks for your help and wisdomw. I bow and scrape at the feet of a wise old jet boater...

« **Reply #6 on:** June 24, 2010, 04:28:17 PM »

I'm not real familiar with the Blythe area, but MacIntyre park has a really nice launch ramp, you launch into a nice little lagoon area, no current to deal with. The water in that area seems shallow, especially if you google map it

But like any other stretch of the river, keep your eyes open, read the water and you'll be golden. There's no reason not to take a jet boat there, if you go North of the 10 FWY, you're on your own, maybe Tony can pop in about the water up that way?

« **Reply #7 on:** June 24, 2010, 08:05:13 PM »

Its not about where you go but who you go with.
We have had a couple newbs come out to the more recent gatherings and we had a great time.
It will also save you tons of headaches trying to find places and where would be the places to go and stay away from.
Just sayin....

-beerjet-

« **Reply #8 on:** June 24, 2010, 08:19:06 PM »

Quote from: Luckie Stiff on June 24, 2010, 04:28:17 PM

I'm not real familiar with the Blythe area, but MacIntyre park has a really nice launch ramp, you launch into a nice little lagoon area, no current to deal with. The water in that area seems shallow, especially if you google map it But like any other stretch of the river, keep your eyes open, read the water and you'll be golden. There's no reason not to take a jet boat there, if you go North of the 10 FWY, you're on your own, maybe Tony can pop in about the water up that way?

Ya going under the 10 up river was a bit scary, especially since it was my first time. The sand bars, the logs, the sand bars, and did I mention the sand bars

, hell we even did a float in the middle of the river, where we wernt in the boats but standing on the sandbar holding onto the boats, the kids had a blast tho

Going downriver was awesome, nothing to worry about really, just my .02 for a newbie there

oldmxdog61u

Best place to put on for a day cruise on Colorado for a Newbie?

Your Mom

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IRRebel

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oldmxdog61u

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AQUAHOLIC

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oldmxdog61u

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Luckie Stiff

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