Santa Fe is such a cute little city with so much character and charm. Neither Sue or I had been anywhere in New Mexico but we immediately fell in love. That allowed us to sleep in the next day and explore Santa Fe a little more. We just lost a day in Los Angeles which is no big deal since both of us had been before. Luckily we were able to switch hotels up and stay one extra day in Santa Fe. When we arrived in Santa Fe, New Mexico we were exhausted! Like barely can hold a fork up to my mouth but I’m so hungry, kind of tired. The river right road is washed out downstream of the 2nd canyon but can be accessed by vehicle via a bridge located a few km upstream of Thompson falls.We had a change of plans to our original travel itinerary. If you need to hike out between the 2 canyons either side of the river will work, however river right is closer to a road. Alternatively, it is possible to kayak down through the 1st section and then scramble up to scout the 2nd canyon during the run. The 2nd canyon can be scouted by following the Thompson Falls trail downstream from Thompson Falls for a bit less than a kilometer and then dropping down through the forest to the canyon rim. Below this the 1st canyon opens up and it is possible to scramble up to the canyon rim on either side of the river before committing to the 2nd canyon. The critical spot to look at is a pinch that narrows to about 4 feet wide. Scout the 1st by following the canyon rim on river left downstream of Thompson Falls. Luckily it is not too difficult to scout either canyon.

A full scout of both canyons is required unless you have good quality information from a recent descent. The biggest problem is the amount of wood that moves around on this river. After this there is some fun class 3 boogie before the river mellows out and a short section of 'BC flatwater' brings you to the takeout where you can head back up for more laps, continue on downstream for some woody braided channels that lead to a lovely set of class 2+ canyons, or call it a day. When the canyon walls go vertical again you are treated to a short, ultra-continuous class 5 canyon. A brief break in the canyon walls signals the beginning of the whitewater. The run starts off with a ferry and a portage around a beautiful waterfall before seal launching into a gorgeous class 2 canyon. Proximity to town, ease of access, beautiful canyons, stunning water color and exciting whitewater combine to create a classic section of river. The canyons below Thompson Falls are a great addition to the low water, late season runs around Golden.

The narrowest part of the 1st canyon (facing upstream).

White water slot canyon