DESERT LANDSCAPE BECKONS
HORSEBACK RIDING
If a desert hike in the heat seems too onerous, saddle up and let a horse do the work for you. There are a number of guest ranches with guided rides such as Saguaro Lake Ranch Stables, about 30 minutes east in Tonto National Forest. You’ll be given a sure-footed horse based on your riding ability and you’ll take a one-, 1.5- or two-hour ride through the 90-year-old guest ranch which is sandwiched between the imposing Bulldogs Cliffs and Saguaro Lake. Ride on cacti-studded ridges and through dry arroyos (riverbeds) where, if you’re lucky, you may see wild javelinas. Elusive creatures, you’ll likely just see the flattened grass where the piglike mammals bedded down. Also, keep an eye open for eagles overhead and rattlesnakes under foot.
RIVER KAYAKING
Paddling down the slow-moving Salt River with cacti crowding the shores, Phoenix and its freeways seem a world away. Starting life in the eastern White Mountains, the river flows more than 300 kilometres to southwest of Phoenix. It’s a popular place for boating, floating and fishing. Going on a guided kayak trip removes the hassle of renting a boat and figuring out drop-off and pickup as they do all the work. You can join a group trip or, if you have enough family and friends with you, create your own. By going with a guide, such as REI Co-op Experiences, you’ll learn more about the river and its unique ecosystem.
If you’re lucky, you might even see wild horses that live within nearby Tonto National Forest. They come to the Salt River to drink and cool off, and the best time to see them is in the mornings during the summer months.
BALLOONING
While hiking gets you up close to nature, see it from a very different perspective on a hot-air balloon ride. The desert stretches out in every direction, a vast plain of orangey ground intermittently studded with green. Pilots can fly at altitudes between 120 metres and 900 metres, but you won’t even notice you’re moving as the basket floats along with the wind at 7 or 8 km/h.
There are sunrise and sunset trips but you may have to keep it in your agenda for a few days as all trips are weather dependant. Many companies, such as Hot Air Expeditions, gather their clients at the Deer Valley Airport and head out north from there. It takes about half an hour for the crew to fill the massive balloons as portable fans blow air that is heated by burners on the basket. Waiting to board while all the action is happening is loud and either exciting or nerve-racking, depending on your tolerance for such adventures. The beautiful colours of the balloons, the fiery flames and the desert landscape make for incredible photographs.
If heading south to Scottsdale this year, try adding a little adventure to your holiday and come back with more than just a good tan.
For more information on Scottsdale, visit www.experiencescottsdale.com.