The Founder of South by Southwest Adventures, Dylan Anderson, talks about the Verde River and Verde River Adventure Center. According to Anderson the Verde River had been one of seven year-round rivers Arizona once had. The Verde continues to have the most active sections and in a somewhat natural and wild state. He refers to it as a last battleground of preserving anything thing that is wild and free in Arizona.
Anderson explains South by Southwest is an outfitter and adventure company to promote outdoor travel by way of guided tours, classes and rentals. The average depth of the areas of the river South by Southwest takes kayakers on is only 18 inches. He says it is a desert river; shallow, rocky and most of the time easy to stand up in.
Verde River Adventures currently offers six varieties of kayaking tours; Water to Wine, Standard Adventure Tour and The Full Monty are three of the tours. Some tours are longer and offer beginner rapids for the adrenaline seekers.
Anderson says people who spend time on the river say it changes them. They come away relaxed and can reset emotionally. He says he can do 42 tours in a month and never see the same thing twice. For Anderson the magic is always in those moments that can’t be planed or predicted.
