Colorado River Explorer
May 11 – 12, 2024
The Colorado River Explorer is a two day Personal Watercraft ride based in Laughlin, Nevada.
Riders will spend the first day riding north to Hoover Dam and back, about 64 miles each way.
The second day riders will ride south to Parker Dam and back, about 80 miles each way.
Laughlin Loops: Chasing Dam Dreams and Desert Whispers
Day 1: Laughter mingles with engine hums as we leave Laughlin's neon in our wake. Emerald canyons, ancient whispers etched in their walls, cradle turquoise ribbons of river. Bighorn sheep, kings of these crags, watch as we dance through bends, chasing Hoover Dam's shadow upstream. By midday, its concrete bulk dwarfs us, water roaring through spillways like a desert symphony. Campfire tales flicker under stars, the dam a silent witness.
Day 2: Dawn breaks, igniting anticipation for Topock Gorge's whitewater waltz. We plunge into frothing waves, adrenaline our new rhythm. But the Colorado whispers serenades too. Sun-warmed turtles philosophize on rocks, herons paint elegant paths in shallows, and hummingbirds defy the arid with vibrant life. Sun dips low, casting long shadows as we turn back, hearts full of adventure and river murmurs lingering in our souls.
Bonus: For an extra thrill, detour to Pirate Cove, a watery portal to hidden beaches and rock formations.
Is this route right for you?
This route is not good for beginners; you should be very experienced and prepared for any difficulty or failures.
Signup info:
At this point the ride is being developed. We have chosen the dates and have developed a draft plan of the routes and places to stay. We are working on the logistics. We have decided it is time to start a rider's interest list so if you are interested, you should add your name and info to the list. We will contact you when we have our plans complete.
I am interested in this ride! Add you name to the Rider's Interest List
View the ride maps
OK since many of you like to study more detail about the ride, below are the ride maps.
I put these ride maps on the web page because I know a few of you love looking at the ride detail and dreaming about the ride. At first glance these maps do not look so impressive, but they are way cool. If you start zooming in, you can see the ride in incredible detail. I have spent a ton of hours sorting through the details of the ride for each day, so for those of you that enjoy this sort of thing, well enjoy!
Ride Yoda's
Magic Yoda Roberto
Young Jedi Jeffrey
The Watercraft Backstory: How did we get here and where are we going?
Our desire here is to do big adventures on Personal Watercrafts. This comes from the fun we have had for years doing big motorcycle adventures. We have our eyes focused on riding down the Gulf of California in Baja Mexico from San Felipe to Cabo San Lucas. This plan will be a 2 week adventure in some very remote waters of the world. Our travels will take us over 1125 km. We are planning on staying partly in ports and partly camping. We will be running a support crew on land.
Our plan is to invite other capable riders but we all must prove that we are capable and would be able to help each other if necessary. So we are running several small pre-rides in order to test each other and prove our capability and readiness. Also, it is important to develop trusting long term friendships.
We invite you to join us on these smaller adventure to decide how it can work for you.
What are these Adventures like? These trips are designed along the theme of exploring the world. Rides are a mix of waterways and sometimes some surprises due to weather conditions. These trips are for experienced, well seasoned riders that are capable of turning a negative experience into just part of the day's fun. Riders should be comfortable with turning around when necessary and finding an alternative route around unexpected obstacles. These trips are not for new riders. As an experienced traveler, the tough part of having a great adventure is the routing and logistics. What routes do I take? Where do I stay? How do I find the best routes and places?
How does the navigation work?
This is a self-led GPS ride; all travel is on your own. You are responsible for your own travel. You will be given a GPS map file and instructions on how to use your Garmin GPS unit. You are not encouraged to travel alone. You are responsible for your own travel and yourself.
(see my ride Navigation Video)
Are you right for this ride?
When something goes wrong, would your friends say that you are more likely to need help or more likely to give help? You should be in the more likely to offer help camp. This adventure is filled with folks that are more likely to give help, so most of the time they never need help. Additionally there is all the normal stuff, come prepared to maintain your watercraft, fix your watercraft on the water, deal with bad weather and rain and make a joke or two.
How do I make the GPS stuff so easy?
I develop very high quality ride maps custom for our ride.
(See my Custom Ride Maps Video)
Note from me, gpsKevin
My goal for this trip is simple: great adventures. So you can count on great routes and places to travel.
But in addition, the trip is about discovering new places, meeting new friends, seeing new parts of the country.
Thanks
gpsKevin
FAQ's
Q; What do I do if I don't have a Garmin GPS?
A: Buy one, you need it, we will show you how to use it. You can get a great one for under $200 bucks. ( See gpsKevin's gps recommendations)
Q: Is the travel really on my own?
A: Yes, but almost everyone hooks up and travels with a friend, or a new friend or me.
Warning:
Any and all travel is on you own. Conditions change and routes may not be navigable.
Legal access can change and is not guaranteed. Riders must assess the local conditions.
Weather can make the routes impassable. Travelers must obey all local laws
gpsKevin assumes no liability for these trips or your actions.