Our trip started Friday morning, Sept. 25. It was a beautiful morning to begin the vacation, perfect for a top down Miata adventure. This was the first time we had taken our Miata for a vacation longer than 3 days, so we were very uncertain about our ability to pack everything in. But we managed to squeeze everything we hoped we would need into the Miata's limited trunk space, the small space behind the seats, and just a couple of items on the back shelf. Off we went!

The Salt River Canyon is located on U.S. 60 about midway between Globe and Show Low. The Salt River flows through a series of granite gorges, much of which is located on the White Mountain Apache Indian Reservation. I drive through the canyon on fishing trips to the White Mountains, and always enjoy the beautiful views. We only stopped long enough here to snap a couple of pictures, because I never seem to have the camera during my other trips through the canyon.

Both these pictures were taken several miles upstream from where the river intersects with U.S. 60 at the Salt River Bridge. In March and April each year, the 38 miles of the river below the bridge contains Arizona's most technical white water runs. The rapids climax at Quartzite Falls, a notorious Class VI rapid where a group of self-appointed nature-improvers illegally dynamited the falls in 1994 to "protect" human lives. If you are interested in the story, check out the articles from High Country News - April 18, 1994 and Outside magazine - March 1995.

This trip, the river was low and muddy, but it still contributed to the beauty of the canyon. But now it was time to move on to our next destination, the Petrified Forest.