What to Bring on the Santa Fe River
Reconnoiter on the Santa Fe River / October 2021
Shoes, hat, sunscreen, and more! Here's the essentials for our pre-retreat canoe trip to help you unplug, reconnect and get into the best frame of mind for this year's AEC Leadership Retreat.
Three weeks until the start of this year's AEC Leadership Retreat. In preparation for the one day canoe trip, I took the trip last October with two other retreat attendees (pictured above). We learned a lot. :)
Be sure to arrive at Lake Swan Camp by Sunday, September 25 for early Monday morning departure. We’ll start at the Santa Fe Canoe Outpost and finish just before the State Rd 47 bridge. We’ll have plenty of food, snacks and bottled water. There are restrooms at the Santa Fe Outpost, Poe Springs and Gilchrist Blue Springs.
Morning break at Poe Springs.
Lunch at Gilchrist Blue Springs.
Afternoon break on river.
The total trip time is 8 hours. Total paddle time 5 hours. Paddling is non-strenuous, but constant. We’ll have breaks for snacks, lunch and exploring. The river is slow moving and swift in shallow areas but not whitewater rapids. We’ll be paddling as a group with lots of time for chatting, relaxing, and catching up. If I hear one question about worksets, phases, design options, filters, and by-god-help-me Dynamo for Revit...someone’s getting splashed. :-)
The Santa Fe Canoe Outpost is about 1hr from Lake Swan Camp. We’ll leave Lake Swan Camp by 8am (after breakfast). Earliest departure time from Outpost on river is 9am. We’ll be at SR-47 by 5pm and the shuttle will take us back to the outpost. Then back to Lake Swan by 7pm for dinner. This 9-minute video is a useful overview of the river, springs and nature we'll see along the way.
Bring the right clothing and UV protection. I would recommend packing a lightweight rain poncho. I prefer thin and fast drying, long sleeve shirts for sun protection. Polarized sunglasses are better for seeing below the surface of the water. Buy a cheap floating strap for your glasses (link). The water temperature is 72°F around the springs. Expect daytime temperatures to be mid-80’s. Don't forget your hat!
Water shoes / flip flops protect your feet when walking on rough terrain and underwater rocks (link). A waterproof case with a strap for your phone / camera is a good idea as well. A small 20L dry bag keeps clothes and gear dry (link).
Always test the depth before stepping out of your boat! The water near the springs is remarkably clear. I once presumed the water was only 6-8" deep because I could easily see the bottom. As I began to step off my paddle board I decided to test the depth. The water was over 3 feet deep!
That’s it! Looking forward to seeing everyone and starting the week with the right frame of mind Please let me know if you’ve any questions or suggestions in the comments below.