Santa Elena Canyon, downstream, is the most popular overnight or three day trip, not only because the put-in and take-out are easily accessed by car, but because it is often considered the most dramatically beautiful. Santa Elena has the tallest cliffs forming the canyon wall—up to 1,500 feet.
The first 13 meandering miles from the put-in at Lajitas give you a good look at the contrast between the riparian and desert ecosystem. The river becomes more technical in the last seven miles when you have entered the actual canyon. Two miles into the canyon, the largest rapid, the Rock Slide is classified as a Class IV rapid at certain water levels.
An enjoyable day trip consists of paddling upstream, from the Santa Elena Canyon Trailhead, a few miles into the canyon, and then returning back downstream (also known as a "boomerang" trip). If the water level is low, you do not have to fight the current much going upstream, making this trip quite leisurely. It is an ideal trip if you only have one vehicle, or if you do not want to pay for a shuttle back to your starting point. A backcountry use permit is required for all river trips; no fee is charged for day-use trips.
想到能走一個需要溯溪的Trail，有別於以往的經歷，心中不免有些小激動！
所以當我千里迢迢的開在Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive上，當然心情激動不已！而眼前的高大山牆只讓我覺得興奮，怎麼有這麼奇怪的大山牆擋在這裡呀？
去看了下路，好像這裡就是終點呀？怎麼辦？難道是這幾天下午後雷陣雨把路給封住了！
看著另一個墨西哥裔的家庭也在停車場和河邊晃著，我們只好失望的往回開。因為之前看的旅遊資料有提及，如果下雨河水暴漲，這條Trail是會被封閉的。
為了寫這篇遊記，我拿著我們的相片和旅遊資料細細比對。突然發覺我們應該還是走錯了路，並沒有真正的來到終點，也就是Santa Elena Canyon Trailhead，因此而錯過了許多網路上都看得到的標準Canyon景點！好可惜呀，但現在才知道也毫無意義了，真不知還會有機會再去一次嗎？下次要選冬天，不下雨的季節才能朔溪呀！
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