Rio Marañon #2: Near Disaster at the Start
Rigging with unfamiliar equipment takes a while. But 12 out of 13 of our group are experienced rafters, so we’ve got this. The folks who rode to the put-in with the gear truck already had the boats blown up and the gear unloaded when the rest of us arrived from the airport. So we all jumped in and finished the work in a matter of a few hours. It was warm on the open rocky beach, but cloudy, so the temperature was very tolerable. We decided to assign boats to people for the trip so that everyone would be responsible for rigging a particular boat each day. Joe and I took the green boat, because our Colorado rafting company has green boats. Our sons, Ben and Ethan took the orange boat, Glenn, Jane and Larry took the yellow boat, Steve and his girlfriend Rachel took the red cataraft, Hal and Dude took the blue boat, and Glenn volunteered to rig the blue paddle boat. Will and Chris, who would kayak, jumped in and helped where needed. Steve and Chris already had dysentery from something they ate or drank in Trujillo, and both were clearly feeling very poorly. Joe and I felt glad that Glenn was at least somewhat familiar with catarafts and could help Steve rig. We didn’t request a cataraft for the trip and were a bit surprised that we were given one by the outfitter, SierraRios. Anyway, rigging went fairly smoothly, and shortly after lunch we were loaded and ready to launch. This was a special group of old and new friends from all corners of the U.S., plus our two Peruvian kayaker guides, Pedro and Freddy, who we already could tell were going to be excellent. Pedro had somewhere around 15 Rio Marañon trips under his belt and knew the river, its issues and its people well. He also spoke English well and was a very likeable person. Freddy was an expert kayaker, but only 18 years old, with no English at all. But our group had four fluent Spanish speakers, Ben, Will, Larry, and Rachel. Ben, Will and Ethan, our youngest group members at 22, 20, and 19, bonded quickly with Freddy, and he worked his way into the rest of our hearts in short order. It was a momentous thing to launch our outfitted private trip on the Rio Marañon. This wasn’t just any trip—this was the primary source of the Amazon River! In Peru! In the wilderness! We all had silly grins plastered on our faces, and felt giddy with the excitement of it. We were about to become a floating community, together for better or for worse for two entire weeks. As we pushed the boats off from the shore, we merged with the river in a physical and an emotional way. So began the trip of a lifetime!! I had chosen to start off in the paddle boat. It felt good to pull my paddle through the silty gray-brown water in concert with the others. We launched last, after the cataraft, knowing we would float faster than the oar boats and catch up quickly. The breeze in our faces, the strong current carrying us…perfect… Suddenly a rafter’s whistle cut shrilly through the air. A whistle? We’d only been on the river for less than a minute—what, somebody fell out? Tree across the river? We looked around frantically for the source of the whistle. It was the cataraft. Steve was blowing his whistle insistently. He was sinking! The cataraft was sinking! Steve is tall and very strong. At another time it might have been comical to see him waist deep in the river with his Tully-hatted head bobbing well below the handles of the oars. But in this case, it was a true emergency. His boat was falling apart and there was absolutely nothing he could do about it. He was carrying all the safety, first aid and repair gear, as well as two huge coolers full of food and several river bags full of personal gear. The group sprang into action. Our paddle crew paddled hard toward him, but he was floating downstream fast, his boat sunk deep in the current. We could see him struggling bravely to try to control the floundering craft, but with little success. To compound his troubles, a rapid was coming up fast. The rapid was along the right side of the river on a left-hand bend. The current pushed into the shore. Steve was helpless. Slowly we were gaining on him in the paddle boat, but not fast enough. Joe, in the green raft, was downstream of Steve’s cataraft. He slowed down and positioned himself between Steve and the shore as the current accelerated into the rapid. Joe pulled away from the shore directly in front of the cataraft, so that the sinking red craft ran into Joe’s stern, and he was able to hold the cataraft off the shore. After the rapid, which was relatively small by big volume river standards, Pedro climbed aboard Joe’s raft, pulled his kayak on board after him and caught a rope thrown by Rachel from Steve’s boat. With Joe rowing frantically, they attempted to pull the cataraft into the eddy on the left side of the river. Our paddle boat caught up to the scene just at the end of the rapid and paddled hard into the cataraft, pushing it toward the eddy as Pedro and Joe pulled. The other boats had eddied out and members of the group ran upstream to help catch Joe’s boat and the cataraft. In probably five minutes, it was over, and the boats were safely ashore, but it was a close call. Our adrenaline was pumping, and we all immediately jumped in to figure out what had happened and to fix the cataraft. What had happened was a silly mistake, which is all it takes to cause disaster on a river trip. While rigging the boats at the put-in, group members had
Rio Marañon #1: The Plane Ride to the Put-in at Chagual
It was still dark when the alarm began to buzz. But I was already awake. My excitement for the day ahead had make it hard to sleep. I jumped out of bed and was dressed in minutes. Joe knocked on the boys’ door, next to ours in the Hostel Colonial in Trujillo, Peru, and they were already up, too: our two boys, Ben and Ethan, joining us for their winter break from college, and their college friend, Will. It wasn’t long until we were climbing into our pre-arranged taxi outside the hostel, and driving through the dark to the Trujillo airport. When we arrived, we were the first ones there—even before the airport workers! Ah, well. Better than being late.We set up camp on the few chairs along the hallway, next to the ticket counter for domestic flights, which consisted of two airlines. Larry, a trauma surgeon and river rafter in his sixties arrived a few minutes later. He had been struggling to get to Peru for nearly a week, fighting cancelled flights and lost luggage due to a LAN airlines strike. Another member of our group, Glenn, had also lost his luggage because of the LAN strike. Glenn, Jane, Chris, and Hal had gone to the river put-in by truck yesterday with our Peruvian guides, Pedro and Freddy, to begin the rigging for the trip. Glenn had pieced together enough borrowed gear to get by for our 14-day trip, but it had been a big distraction and stressor for him. Larry, fortunately, had received Glenn’s luggage at his hostel at 1:00am the night before, so we celebrated how happy Glenn was going to be when we arrived at the put in with his gear. Less fortunate was Larry himself, whose luggage was now lost, as well. Soon the other three members of our group, Steve, Rachel and The Dude, arrived at the airport, and after hugs and greetings, we got in line at the ticket counter. SierraRios had arranged our flight to Chagual, near the put in for the Grand Canyon section of the Rio Marañon. The original plan was for our group of nine to fly in together on the first flight of the morning. But by the time we realized we needed to get in line at the ticket counter, there were already five local people in line ahead of us. As a result, we had to split our group into two flights. We four Greiners took the first flight with half of Glenn’s luggage, and the other five would take the second flight one hour later with the rest of Glenn’s gear.The plane took off smoothly into the morning coastal clouds, which we broke through in short order, and then we banked toward the Andes, which towered to the east. The little plane was as full as it could be and labored higher and higher as the mountains loomed close. We cleared the first range with at least a thousand feet to spare, and climbed for about another 10-15 minutes as we soared over range after range, many mostly obscured by clouds. Jagged peaks poked out of cottony cloud banks in the distance. Shades of blue and gray and white and shadow surrounded us, with occasional green and brown when the sun managed to reach through the clouds to the ground. And then the descent began. The clouds loomed closer and closer and then we were inside them. All those mountains all around but we couldn’t see a thing! I fervently hoped the pilot had a very good sense of where he was. A few tense moments later, we broke through the clouds and got our first view of the Rio Marañon, stretching out below. We were already in the canyon, still high, but dropping steadily. The little plane floated smoothly, not a bobble. But my heart pounded. In the next few minutes our little plane would execute what was reported to be one of the most dangerous approaches and landings in the world. Gulp. And yet, my heart soared, too. It was beautiful. Stark, desert beauty, for there is no jungle this far up the river drainage. Steep brown and blue-green slopes and crags surrounded a wide brown river dotted by large sand bars. We dropped still more. Then the plane banked into a smooth, wide turn, straight toward a sloping mountain. We soared close over the top of it, still banking until 360 degrees had been achieved, then leveling out. We could feel the engine slowing still more…and then the decisive drop toward the runway, which had just magically appeared in front of us—right in front of us. Mountains to either side, cross the river, and there began the impossibly short runway. And yet, the pilot brought the plane down smoothly, with barely a bump, and slowed to a serene stop before the embankment that signaled the runway’s end. Wow! What a thrill, and yet, what a gorgeous trip. And here we were, at the river. We had been warned about the no-see-um gnats in this river canyon: that we wouldn’t feel them biting, but we would get red welts. Being particularly susceptible to swelling and itching from such bites, I made sure I was covered from head to foot with permethrin (insect repellent)-coated clothing, including socks, gloves and bandana. The others sprayed themselves with DEET within minutes of our exit from the plane. We hung out by the tarmac for a few minutes. The temperature was pleasant and a thin layer of cloud helped keep the equatorial sun from feeling too hot. A few minutes later a black pickup truck pulled up and the driver said he was our ride to the put-in. Never mind that we had never seen the man before and that we were in the middle of nowhere. We clambered aboard and he drove us up a dirt road for a couple of miles, where the river and a colorful array of boats and river gear lay splayed
Hidden Jewel: Rafting Peru’s Rio Marañon, the Primary Source of the Amazon
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1516920280751{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]This 10-part series documents a two week trip down the Rio Marañon that Wilderness Aware’s owners, Joe and Sue Greiner, their two sons, and nine friends took from December 22, 2015 through January 4, 2016. The Rio Marañon is the primary source by volume of the mighty Amazon River. It starts high in the Peruvian Andes and flows down through a desert canyon that has been dubbed by river enthusiasts “The Grand Canyon of the Marañon”. It is the longest free-flowing river in the world. However, 20 proposed dam projects may destroy this amazing river, its ecosystems, and would displace the Peruvian villagers who have long called its shores home. Written by Sue Greiner, this blog series documents our trip, and shines a light on this spectacular river in the hopes of raising awareness about the Rio Marañon so that it can be saved for Peru and the world. Join our adventure of a lifetime by following our blog series, which will post every week from March through mid-May, 2016. To raft and/or help protect the Rio Marañon, contact SierraRios at sierrarios.org.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1516920862337{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”] Rio Marañon #1: The Plane Ride to the Put-in at Chagual It was still dark when the alarm began to buzz. But I was already awake. My excite… [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1516921764590{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”] Rio Marañon #2: Near Disaster at the Start Rigging with unfamiliar equipment takes a while. But 12 out of 13 of our group… [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1516922254962{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”] Rio Marañon #3: Christmas Day Our trip on the Rio Marañon was over Christmas break so that our college student kids… [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1516920923605{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”] Rio Marañon #4: Buying a Paddle Joe and the boys and I have a tradition that started on our first overseas trip as a family… [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1516920938470{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”] Rio Marañon #5: Rapids and Eddies A truly free flowing river has a unique character. Those of us from the United States… [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1516920956968{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”] Rio Marañon #6: Tupén Grande We had spent the first half of the day blasting through huge standing waves in rapid after rapid… [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1516920975209{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”] Rio Marañon #7: The Pachamanca We hiked from our camp on the beach back to the village at Tupén Grande for the evening… [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1516920988946{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”] Rio Marañon #8: Pools and Waterfalls The river was coming up again. The morning we left Tupén Grande the water… [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1516921007835{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”] Rio Marañon #9: The Jungle and Tutumberos January 1, 2016 was our last day in the Grand Canyon of the Marañon. The original plan was… [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1516921047301{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”] Rio Marañon #10: Dams and Regrets Mid-morning on New Year’s Day, we arrived at Amazon Cavern, which is reminiscent of… [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][/vc_column][/vc_row]
Staying Warm Outdoors – Infographic
You can buy all the fancy warm clothes you want, but if you aren’t wearing them in the right combination, it can be near impossible to staying warm outdoors on cold days and nights. There’s actually a specific way to layer your clothes for optimal warmth that is also still comfortable for outdoor activities. Find out whether or not you’re doing it right below and what pieces you should pick up on your next trip to the store. What are your favorite layering tips or articles of clothing to stay warm outdoors? Tell us in the comments below! At Wilderness Aware Rafting, we love whitewater rafting and spending time outdoors, even when it’s cold. Rated #1 on TripAdvisor, we offer whitewater rafting trips, horseback rides, zip line tours, and many raft trip packages. Contact us or request a brochure to plan your Colorado trip today.
Experience the Best of Colorado
Colorado, the mile high state, is home to 5.2 million people and there are many reasons why people choose to move here, stay here, or stop by for a while. Although some people have lived here all their lives, it can be difficult to experience the best that Colorado has to offer, simply because there’s so much to do. Nicknamed the, “Centennial State,” Colorado has the Southern Rocky Mountains, Colorado Plateau, the Great Plains, Colorado River, and plenty of wilderness for miles on end. Don’t be surprised if most of the people you meet here are obsessed with the outdoors. There’s more to do here than just skiing and snowboarding. If you want to get the most of your time in Colorado, try to knock these exciting activities off your list. Hiking If you’re standing 5,280 miles above sea level, it doesn’t quite count as hiking, especially when there are plenty of mountains nearby to climb. While there are 53 fourteeners you can hike, which can take a 3-12 hours to climb each one, there are many other winding options into the peaks. It’s definitely worth taking a couple hours out to wander through the quiet forest and take in the view at the top of a trail where you can see for miles around. Whitewater Rafting Colorado has many expert rafting guides and professional rafting teams because of the wide range of class levels available plus 18 different rivers to hit. The most popular is the Arkansas River, which has jaw-dropping views of scenic canyons with geological landscapes. This is the place for white water rafting trips. Backpacking & Camping There’s something about getting back to nature and making a campfire that is so Colorado. Whether you’re backpacking or car camping, getting away from the city and away from technology is refreshing for the heart and soul. There’s saying that goes, “There is no Wi-Fi in the forest, but I promise you will find a better connection.” Once you experience camping in Colorado or Arizona, you’ll know what it means. We can’t forget to mention how fun it is to roast marshmallows over the open flame too. Rock Climbing With so many mountains and canyons, Colorado is a great place to go rock climbing. If you’re not ready for outdoor climbing, there are plenty of indoor gyms. Outside, it’s best to go with a legitimate guide who can make sure you are safe and understands your ability. When it comes to climbing rocks, there’s no room for messing around. The thrill of climbing is indescribable but let’s say it’s like nature’s jungle gym. Eldorado Canyon, Black Canyon, and Ouray are popular places to go to get your climb on. Horseback Riding Horseback riding in Colorado is one of the most popular outdoor activities to do. It is a great way to experience the West like the cowboys and pioneers once did. Riding through nature on horseback is fun and gives way to wildlife sightseeing. Make sure you find a place that offers excellent horseback rides in Colorado. Fishing Fishing in Colorado brings in many visitors because of the 6,000 miles of rivers, 2,000 lakes, and 35 different types of cold and warm-water fish that live here. Like many states, an affordable fishing license is required. Catch yourself some rainbow trout and walleye on the water. Zip-Lining Find yourself in one of our Colorado zip line tours and parks and fly through the trees for an amazing and thrilling view of the landscape and wildlife below. People of all ages can easily participate in zip-lining and adjust the speed as they feel comfortable. These aerial playgrounds started as a way to access remote areas but now they are also a fun way to spend time with family and friends on vacation. Hot Air Ballooning Colorado is a launchpad for many hot air balloons. These colorful aircrafts are the oldest type of flight technology in human history. The Colorado Balloon Classic is the largest air show and festival in the state, which takes place in Memorial Park, in Colorado Springs. As one of the “Top 100 Special Events in North America,” it’s definitely a sight to see and a unique mode of sightseeing. At Wilderness Aware Rafting, we love being outdoors and whitewater rafting. Rated #1 on TripAdvisor, we offer whitewater rafting trips, horseback rides, zip line tours, and many raft trip packages. Contact us or request a brochure to plan your Colorado trip today.
Spend Your Honeymoon in the Wilderness
If you’re planning your honeymoon and not really interested in a typical one on the beach, then consider a week in the wilderness instead. An unconventional honeymoon is memorable and unique compared to the traditional trip to paradise. It’s actually more like a fairy tale waking up in the woods and exploring the outdoors like our Once Upon a Time friends. After all the work spent planning a wedding, take it easy while an outdoor adventure company organizes the trips for you. Not only is it budget-friendly but wilderness honeymoons provide personal experiences you’ll never forget. Multi-Day White Water Rafting If you and your beau are thrill seekers, a multi-day rafting trip is for you. We offer tent camping or inn-to-inn trips. Imagine having a continental breakfast in the mountains, spending a half day on the river and taking in the beautiful scenery around you, then going horseback riding or mountain biking afterwards. If you are staying inn-to-inn, dinner will be at a local restaurant and if you are in a tent, our guides will cook gourmet meals for you. The next couple days will be full days on the river and evenings walking in downtown Salida or under the stars around a campfire. We provide professional photography during your trip so you don’t miss those special moments. Just can pick up your picture cd on your last day with us. Rafting Packages Interested in spending more time away from people and more time together? We have one and two day rafting packages for people to do a half day of rafting and another activity. Paddle-N-Saddle tours offer half or full day rafting and a horseback trip. Raft-N- Zip is for those wanting more adrenaline rushes with our zip lining tour. Love mountain biking? Then the Paddle-N-Peddle is just for you and your love. These shorter packages offer a day of fun during your honeymoon with the freedom to spend the rest of your week with hikes, fishing, camping, and more. Let us help you start planning your honeymoon in the wilderness today. Contact us or Request a Brochure for more information on white water rafting and our other adventures.
The Colorado Bucket List – INFOGRAPHIC
Colorado is known for being beautiful and full of adventure. Whether you live in Colorado or are visiting, there’s so many places to check out that even a lifetime in this state wouldn’t get you to all the places you could go. If you want to hit up some of the most popular places and really get a feel of that Colorado culture, then this bucket list is the way to go. Which of these have you done? Which ones would you add to the list? At Wilderness Aware Rafting, our passion is white water rafting and enjoying the outdoors. We offer white water rafting trips, horseback riding trips, and zip-lining tours. Contact us for more information or check out our brochure.
Zip-Lining for Family Get Togethers
When relatives come to visit you, there’s a moment of panic of what you’re going to take them to do during their stay but also of excitement and an excuse to get out there to explore. While shopping and eating out are fun, those events tend to blur together over time. If you want your loved ones to remember you as, “Awesome Aunt Mary,” or “Best-Cousin-Ever Rick,” then thinking outside the box will get you on a quick route there. Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. With humans, the act of exploring together through journeys is one of the common ways that people bond. Think about family vacations, you go somewhere new together and explore with the intent of finding joy in the unknown and making memories. So go ahead, take a vacation day or two from work and bring your relatives zip-lining. They say taking regular vacations makes a more productive and happy employee anyway. Zip-Line Tours Zip-lining is a thrilling and fun event for people of all ages and an increasingly popular outdoor activity of choice. With safe technology and equipment, people can soar through the tree tops and enjoy a bird’s eye view of the sky. The guides are there to keep you safe while teaching you about the environment surrounding the zip-lines for a greater appreciation of nature. If you have a need for speed, or aren’t sure if you like to go past the speed limit, zip-lining will remind you of the excitement of going fast. Don’t worry, if you want to slow down, there’s a brake rope to make you more comfortable. Each person goes one at a time 10,000 – 11,500 feet above sea level down five different zip lines. Glide along the tree tops for 400 to 800 feet and wave hello to your family zipping down next to you. Maybe you’ll catch a glimpse of a hawk, eagle, or the Colorado State Bird—the Lark bunting. Zip-lining is a fun and easy activity for out of town relatives and your relatives down the street. Prepare for lots of laughing, pictures, and life-long memories and you’ll have a great time. Wilderness Aware Rafting offers Zip Line Tours year round near Leadville, CO, with five different and thrilling zip lines. For more information, Contact Us online or call us at 1-800-462-7238.
Understanding Horse Behavior for Horseback Riding
Horseback riding is one of the most popular outdoor activities to enjoy because it’s a great way to explore nature while bonding people and animals. Before you head off to your next horseback riding trip, it’s important to understand how horses communicate and what their behavior is like. When humans and animals understand each other, the bond and experience of horseback riding is even greater and more memorable. Horse Culture Horses are highly social herd animals that have a dominance hierarchy, or a pecking order. Usually, a herd of horses has one dominant mare that leads the herd and gets first dibs on resources and a lead stallion that stays on the outside of the herd in order to fight off predators or other males. When not guarding, stallions drive up the rear when travelling to move stragglers forward. The pecking order helps all the horses to know how they relate to the others and they often travel in rank order. They have a strong fight or flight instinct. When they are frightened, usually their first instinct is to escape and survive. If they can’t escape, then they resort to biting, kicking, rearing, or striking to protect themselves. Horse Communication and Body Language Before approaching a horse, it’s good to stand near and observe the way they communicate with each other. Animals are constantly showing how they are feeling through their body language. With horses, they have four common ways of communicating—vocalizing, touching, smelling, and body language. These are examples of what that looks like: Vocalize: nicker, squeal, whinny Touch: groom, nuzzle Smell Body Language: ear position, neck & head height, movement, foot stomping, tail swishing With the pecking order, horses will discipline one another when they are out of line by first showing body language, then biting, kicking, or nudging the other horse. A lot of a horse’s body language is similar to those of dogs and cats. The horse’s ears swivel towards what they are focusing their attention on, and can listen to sounds coming from in front and behind them at the same time. Keep an eye out for these indicators and what they mean: Whites of the eyes and ears flattened to back of head = fear or anger, pain Strong swishing tail and stamping hooves = fear anger Tail tucked in = cold or pain Raised tail = tension or excitement Flaring nostrils and snorting with intent eyes and ears = concern Bared teeth = anger about to bite Chewing motion with no food in mouth = self-soothing Extend upper lip when scratched = “Ohh, that’s a good spot” Meeting the Horse Keep in mind that as herd animals, horses view humans as predators. People tend to use operant conditioning to gain the trust of the horse and learn its body language. Remember that you are the horse’s leader, not a dictator. Keeping the horse’s feelings in mind will go a long way to building a strong bond between the two of you. If you are afraid of the horse, it will see this as human submission, which generally leads the horse into being more dominant and aggressive. The approach to meeting a horse is similar to the appropriate manner to greet a dog and how dogs greet each other. Approach the horse on its left side in an arc instead of walking straight on. This tells the horse that you are not aggressive and would like to meet it in a friendly manner. Horses favor their left eye due to their rapid reaction eye and they prefer to keep people in their left line of vision. It is very important to always approach the horse from the front and to the side and NOT from behind, where you put yourself at risk of startling the horse and getting kicked. Once you are next to the horse, off the back of your hand for her to smell and then pet her body. Once you are ready to mount the horse, do so on the left side as well. Your horseback riding trail guide should’ve instructed you on how to sit on and communicate with the horse as well as how far to keep your horse from the other ones for healthy personal boundaries. If you’d like to explore the woods on horseback, check out the horseback riding trips we have available. At Wilderness Aware Rafting we love white water rafting and enjoying the great outdoors on horseback, mountain bikes, zip-lining, and camping. We have many exciting Salt River whitewater rafting or Colorado water rafting trips available. Want more adventure? We also have many other fun outdoor trips available.
Tips for Rafting Heavy Rivers
One of the best parts of Colorado white water rafting is gaining the ability to raft harder and more exciting rivers. We love taking on Mother Nature and the various challenges she throws our way. Even if you raft the same river year after year, it’s never quite the same. The various levels of water and time of year changes the shape of the river bends, the currents, and the obstacles. A significant contribution to the water level is the snow we get each winter in Colorado, so pray for snow! In the spring, it melts off the mountains and the runoff feeds into the rivers below. Depending on how quickly the snow melts, June will see heavy waters. If it melts gradually, then the rivers will flow pretty consistently but with a gradual increase, usually peaking in July and low enough to end the rafting season by Labor Day. When it comes to rafting high water, it can mean many things, but essentially, it means deeper water, faster currents, and higher risk. Keep your head in the game at all times. There’s a reason most of the country’s best white water rafters live in Colorado. Maneuvering You would think that with high water levels come more splash zones as you paddle downriver. However, high water usually covers up the boulders and rocks that the water splashes off of, thereby washing it out and creating big hydraulics but each wave is different. The parts of the river that are usually calm end up with new rapids. Faster currents makes maneuvering between each stroke more difficult as you are traveling quickly and will shorten your rafting trip. Sticking with a guide with many years of experience is your best bet at getting the team to be where you want them to be and avoid anybody falling out. They will know how sharp to turn the raft and the best parts to float over. Safety Higher water levels means faster currents and an increased safety risk. Be sure that your life vest is on you tightly, your helmet is covering your forehead, and you have the proper shoes to protect your feet if you were to fall in. It is even more crucial than usual that you get your feet pointed down river and floating on your back while guiding yourself to the nearest shoreline. The swift speed at which you are flowing downriver may lead to an increased recovery time by your raft mates to come rescue you too. If you are paddling with more than one boat, it’s better to stick closer together in case one needs to help the other. It also goes without saying but don’t drink alcohol before or during the rafting trip. Save the brewskies for celebrating afterwards. At Wilderness Aware Rafting we love white water rafting and enjoying the great outdoors. If you’re interested in rafting, check out the Salt River whitewater rafting or Colorado water rafting trips we have available. Want more adventure? We also have many other fun outdoor trips available.
