Getting to Know the Colorado River (better)

[WhatExit?]

I've been all over the Colorado River but I've not had the opportunity to run its lengths. It's something I'd like to do and I found this helpful in understanding it better.

Got anything similar or website/map recommendations for the Colorado River including points north?

https://www.parks.ca.gov/pages/28702/files/davistoparker.pdf

 

[FreeBird236]

The Bureau of reclamation has lots of different links depending on what area you are looking for.

 

[twocents]

I'd highly recommend picking up a paperback book "River Love, the Colorado River" by Smokey Knowlton available on Amazon. Smokey was a genuine boating adventurer. In 1976 he dropped in to the Colorado River in Gremling, Colorado and followed it to its true end point (nothing but a mud puddle) deep into Mexico. A couple of years later Smokey, accompanied by his wife, circumnavigated the entire U.S. (Long Beach to New York and back) in an 18' Glastron runabout/cruiser. Sadly, Smokey passed away in early June of this year at his home at Martinez Lake.

 

[WhatExit?]

One of my goals is to gain more familiarity with the Colorado River and the places people talk about and go. First step for me is reviewing the maps (online and link above) just to better understand the miles of river

 

[King295]

I'd highly recommend picking up a paperback book "River Love, the Colorado River" by Smokey Knowlton available on Amazon. Smokey was a genuine boating adventurer. In 1976 he dropped in to the Colorado River in Gremling, Colorado and followed it to its true end point (nothing but a mud puddle) deep into Mexico. A couple of years later Smokey, accompanied by his wife, circumnavigated the entire U.S. (Long Beach to New York and back) in an 18' Glastron runabout/cruiser. Sadly, Smokey passed away in early June of this year at his home at Martinez Lake.

Currently unavailable on Amazon. If anyone has a copy they want to part with I'm in the market.

 

[nowski]

Lots of neat things to do along the river you just need to get out and explore a little.

I've never hiked to these hot springs but I've boated to them dozens of times...

https://www.freshoffthegrid.com/guide-arizona-hot-springs/

 

[rivermobster]

I went to the head waters ages ago. Grand Lake in Colorado. Beautiful aera. We did a helicopter ride over the three lakes at the beginning.

I'd recommend the trip to ant true river fan.

 

[twocents]

I’ll apologize up front for the length of this post but talking about exploring the Colorado River made me think of Smokey Knowlton and his family, and their extraordinary boating adventures. Here’s a condensed version of Smokey’s life for those interested.

He was a local southern California guy, living in La Habra, CA residing on an avocado ranch in the foothills. He was also the owner of Boatland in West Covina for about 10 years. I got to know him well in the mid-1970s when I was the editor of Powerboat Magazine, helping him write some articles for various boating magazines. And when I did some project work for Glastron, Smokey became one of my side-jobs, responsible for sending him money via Western Union from time to time so he could purchase gas and food for his trips. I’m not sure, but I think Smokey’s two sons, Ron and Randy, may still be operating their Yuma River Tours business today.

The Knowlton family has an impressive boating history. In 1977, the family completed a 1450-mile journey on the Colorado River from its headwaters in Colorado State, through the Grand Canyon, and finally to its mouth near the Sea of Cortez. This unprecedented trip was documented in the book "River Love". Shortly after this, Smokey circumnavigated the United States in an outboard-powered 18-foot Glastron. Family members joined him on various legs of this unbelievable journey. They first went from Mexico to Alaska and returned to Long Beach. They headed south along the Coast of Mexico and across it to the Gulf of Mexico. Following the Intercoastal Waterway to Florida, they took a short diversion to the Bahamas and back. At New York City, they sailed up the Hudson River to the Erie Canal, sailing west through the Great Lakes to Chicago where they entered the Illinois River system for the trip to the Mississippi River. Following in the footsteps of Lewis and Clark, they then went up the Missouri River to the Continental Divide. Crossing it on a makeshift trailer, they entered the Salmon River over to the Snake River. From the Snake River they entered the Columbia for the trip to the Pacific Ocean. Once again they traversed the difficult coastal water to Long Beach and the end of a great adventure. With an obvious love for boating and history, it was a natural progression to start a business that included both of these things. The Knowltons started running Yuma River Tours in 1987. The narration on the tour was developed from a variety of sources. Many years of library research as well as personal interviews with "old timer" families such as the Davidsons, Fergusons, Fishers, Mendivils, Powers, Townsends, etc., have gone into the presentation. Yuma River Tours' narration on the history of the river predates the arrival of the Spanish explorers in 1540 and takes our passengers into the present happenings on the river today. Smokey has worked with the Quechan Indian Tribe in efforts to preserve the Tribe's rich history with the river. Boma Johnson, Bureau of Land Management Archaeologist, helped provide information about the legends regarding the ancient Indian petroglyph sites that are seen on the tour. Yuma River Tours shares all of its findings with the Yuma Historical Society in an effort to promote the history of the area. Promotional tapes for the Chamber of Commerce and also scenes for the Yuma Crossing movie have been filmed from the boats at remote locations along the Colorado River. Civic responsibility and pride is another hallmark of the Knowlton family. They are founding members of the Yuma Convention and Visitor's Bureau and have been instrumental in developing the riverfront. Ron cut down the first tullies at what eventually became the popular Colorado River Beach Park. Since 1966, the family has been active in the Blythe to Yuma River Cruises. The first Yuma to Blythe Reverse River Cruise was held in 1989. This event occurs each October and its goal is to remove trash from that part of the Colorado River. Since 1987, the "River Queen" tour boat has led the way in the local Christmas Lights Parade of Boats. Yuma River Tours takes part every year in the Handicapped Children's River Cruise on the Colorado and regularly provides discounted tours to school children and other youth groups. The Knowlton family's love of boating combined with a lifetime spent on the water has created a lifelong dedication to the preservation of the legendary history and beauty of a section of one of America's greatest waterways.

 

[Carlson-jet]

I believe my first Glastron CV16-SS was purchased from "Boatland in West Covina" in 74'

 

[lebel409]

Amazing story about Knowlton!

I'd recommend the "fish n map" co maps. The maps are to scale, water proof, detailed enough, have adjacent roads marked, and facilities like marinas, camping, gas, etc. The 3 I have (Hoover dam to Lake Mojave, Laughlin to lake Havasu, Parker to Martinez) overlap and have been invaluble in canoing these areas.

 

[Activated]

I went to the head waters ages ago. Grand Lake in Colorado. Beautiful aera. We did a helicopter ride over the three lakes at the beginning.

I'd recommend the trip to ant true river fan.

My sister has a cabin in Grand Lake, and luckily I have been able to spend some time there. Such a beautiful part of the country, and GL is a great little town.

 

[rivermobster]

My sister has a cabin in Grand Lake, and luckily I have been able to spend some time there. Such a beautiful part of the country, and GL is a great little town.

The winter would be rough, but I could definitely live in that area up there. So much to explore and see.

You and your sister are lucky.

 

[J DUNN]

Well here is my limited input.

First off, a novel I really enjoyed was written by a personal friend Gary Hansen. He grew up on the Colorado and did a lot of research for the novel so I know there is credibility to his facts and fictional scenarios. The book is called Wet Desert and is about an environmental terrorist who wants to return the Colorado to free flowing and get the birds back into the what used to be wetlands where the river exits. It's a fun read with an unsuspecting hero from the Bureau of Reclamation fighting and pursuing the terrorist along the way. It starts in Powell and has scenes through Grand Canyon, Mead, Havasu, Parker and below. This does NOT have the minute detailed river analysis the OP is referring to but is still a great read for anybody on hear that actually reads books.

Secondly, I have done a canoe trip with BSA scout group of 15 boys and a few leaders from base of Hoover Dam down to Willow Springs. I've done it twice and was in end of July both times and hotter than you know what. We went to every Hot Springs on the CA and AZ side of the river. The trip would last either 3 or 4 days and we'd camp at the rivers edge along the way. Early in the morning prior to dam release (slower current) we would canoe back up river to see more hot springs and explore. For canoeing it was a short trip and with the current it was easy mileage each day. The current really slows around Willow Springs so that is where we would take out. We would start on a Monday morning and this really helped minimize boat traffic which can really be a bear when in a canoe on a narrow stretch. I look forward to doing this again someday and if anybody wants more info on a trip like this PM me and I'm more than willing to share. It's a super cheap trip for a youth group. Jerk Water Canoe dropped us in and picked us up and shuttled us back to hotel. The beauty of canoe camping is it's more like car camping vs. backpacking. We took in multiple coolers, all the food we wanted and even cots to sleep on, and porta pottys. Had hamburgers and spaghetti type dinners. Did have to filter our own water though so I rigged a two (5gal) bucket gravity fed system that did all the work for you. Beauty was water was always cold with it coming from base of Mead. We'd fill our drink bottles and tie them to the canoe and drag them in the river so we always had a cold drink. Water is clear up there too. Can see right to the bottom and watch the fish swim by. Anyways, good times getting off the beaten path and roughing it for a bit. Never did take more than one tent and an easy up and those were just to shade food during the day. Slept out on a cot set right over the river bank to help cool you through the night, still 100 degrees even at night.

 

[hallett21]

Well here is my limited input.

First off, a novel I really enjoyed was written by a personal friend Gary Hansen. He grew up on the Colorado and did a lot of research for the novel so I know there is credibility to his facts and fictional scenarios. The book is called Wet Desert and is about an environmental terrorist who wants to return the Colorado to free flowing and get the birds back into the what used to be wetlands where the river exits. It's a fun read with an unsuspecting hero from the Bureau of Reclamation fighting and pursuing the terrorist along the way. It starts in Powell and has scenes through Grand Canyon, Mead, Havasu, Parker and below. This does NOT have the minute detailed river analysis the OP is referring to but is still a great read for anybody on hear that actually reads books.

Secondly, I have done a canoe trip with BSA scout group of 15 boys and a few leaders from base of Hoover Dam down to Willow Springs. I've done it twice and was in end of July both times and hotter than you know what. We went to every Hot Springs on the CA and AZ side of the river. The trip would last either 3 or 4 days and we'd camp at the rivers edge along the way. Early in the morning prior to dam release (slower current) we would canoe back up river to see more hot springs and explore. For canoeing it was a short trip and with the current it was easy mileage each day. The current really slows around Willow Springs so that is where we would take out. We would start on a Monday morning and this really helped minimize boat traffic which can really be a bear when in a canoe on a narrow stretch. I look forward to doing this again someday and if anybody wants more info on a trip like this PM me and I'm more than willing to share. It's a super cheap trip for a youth group. Jerk Water Canoe dropped us in and picked us up and shuttled us back to hotel. The beauty of canoe camping is it's more like car camping vs. backpacking. We took in multiple coolers, all the food we wanted and even cots to sleep on, and porta pottys. Had hamburgers and spaghetti type dinners. Did have to filter our own water though so I rigged a two (5gal) bucket gravity fed system that did all the work for you. Beauty was water was always cold with it coming from base of Mead. We'd fill our drink bottles and tie them to the canoe and drag them in the river so we always had a cold drink. Water is clear up there too. Can see right to the bottom and watch the fish swim by. Anyways, good times getting off the beaten path and roughing it for a bit. Never did take more than one tent and an easy up and those were just to shade food during the day. Slept out on a cot set right over the river bank to help cool you through the night, still 100 degrees even at night.

Gary Hansen as in Hansen juices?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[RiverDave]

Lots of neat things to do along the river you just need to get out and explore a little.

I've never hiked to these hot springs but I've boated to them dozens of times...

https://www.freshoffthegrid.com/guide-arizona-hot-springs/

Where is this?

 

[RiverDave]

I’ll apologize up front for the length of this post but talking about exploring the Colorado River made me think of Smokey Knowlton and his family, and their extraordinary boating adventures. Here’s a condensed version of Smokey’s life for those interested.

He was a local southern California guy, living in La Habra, CA residing on an avocado ranch in the foothills. He was also the owner of Boatland in West Covina for about 10 years. I got to know him well in the mid-1970s when I was the editor of Powerboat Magazine, helping him write some articles for various boating magazines. And when I did some project work for Glastron, Smokey became one of my side-jobs, responsible for sending him money via Western Union from time to time so he could purchase gas and food for his trips. I’m not sure, but I think Smokey’s two sons, Ron and Randy, may still be operating their Yuma River Tours business today.

The Knowlton family has an impressive boating history. In 1977, the family completed a 1450-mile journey on the Colorado River from its headwaters in Colorado State, through the Grand Canyon, and finally to its mouth near the Sea of Cortez. This unprecedented trip was documented in the book "River Love". Shortly after this, Smokey circumnavigated the United States in an outboard-powered 18-foot Glastron. Family members joined him on various legs of this unbelievable journey. They first went from Mexico to Alaska and returned to Long Beach. They headed south along the Coast of Mexico and across it to the Gulf of Mexico. Following the Intercoastal Waterway to Florida, they took a short diversion to the Bahamas and back. At New York City, they sailed up the Hudson River to the Erie Canal, sailing west through the Great Lakes to Chicago where they entered the Illinois River system for the trip to the Mississippi River. Following in the footsteps of Lewis and Clark, they then went up the Missouri River to the Continental Divide. Crossing it on a makeshift trailer, they entered the Salmon River over to the Snake River. From the Snake River they entered the Columbia for the trip to the Pacific Ocean. Once again they traversed the difficult coastal water to Long Beach and the end of a great adventure. With an obvious love for boating and history, it was a natural progression to start a business that included both of these things. The Knowltons started running Yuma River Tours in 1987. The narration on the tour was developed from a variety of sources. Many years of library research as well as personal interviews with "old timer" families such as the Davidsons, Fergusons, Fishers, Mendivils, Powers, Townsends, etc., have gone into the presentation. Yuma River Tours' narration on the history of the river predates the arrival of the Spanish explorers in 1540 and takes our passengers into the present happenings on the river today. Smokey has worked with the Quechan Indian Tribe in efforts to preserve the Tribe's rich history with the river. Boma Johnson, Bureau of Land Management Archaeologist, helped provide information about the legends regarding the ancient Indian petroglyph sites that are seen on the tour. Yuma River Tours shares all of its findings with the Yuma Historical Society in an effort to promote the history of the area. Promotional tapes for the Chamber of Commerce and also scenes for the Yuma Crossing movie have been filmed from the boats at remote locations along the Colorado River. Civic responsibility and pride is another hallmark of the Knowlton family. They are founding members of the Yuma Convention and Visitor's Bureau and have been instrumental in developing the riverfront. Ron cut down the first tullies at what eventually became the popular Colorado River Beach Park. Since 1966, the family has been active in the Blythe to Yuma River Cruises. The first Yuma to Blythe Reverse River Cruise was held in 1989. This event occurs each October and its goal is to remove trash from that part of the Colorado River. Since 1987, the "River Queen" tour boat has led the way in the local Christmas Lights Parade of Boats. Yuma River Tours takes part every year in the Handicapped Children's River Cruise on the Colorado and regularly provides discounted tours to school children and other youth groups. The Knowlton family's love of boating combined with a lifetime spent on the water has created a lifelong dedication to the preservation of the legendary history and beauty of a section of one of America's greatest waterways.

I’m wondering how much fuel they had to haul and plan out between fuel stops? There’s some Sections of coastline that there’s nothing for quite a ways? Then the gulf of mex?

Sounds like an amazing adventure!!

 

[DrunkenSailor]

I've only used chart plotters in the ocean. I would imagine Garmin or simrad have co river data.

 

[nowski]

Where is this?

Below the Hoover Dam. Arizona side at about the 62 mile marker...