Thank You Wilderness Aware Rafting!
“WHAT? WHAT? YOU ARE KIDDING, RIGHT? OH MY GOSH, SARA, WHAT ARE WE DOING NOW?!?!?!? THAT IS AWESOME!!!!!” ~Sara Kranz, Fantastic Facebook 2-Day Giveaway Winner Enlarge the font by a thousand, bold it, put about a million exclamation marks next to each sentence, and then turn your volume up to high. THAT is how we all sounded when we heard the news that we won the Colorado white water rafting trip! I, Sara, put our names in for the rafting trip without telling my girlfriends about it (ok, I finally let on a short time later…they were stoked, but realized that we were up against so many other worthy groups!) That is not atypical for us, actually. We enjoy pushing each other to “new extremes” and getting each other out of our “comfort zones.” When I found out that we did win (realize I have never won anything in my life), I was beside myself! The reactions from my friends? They were beyond excited! Here is “our history in short form:” Andrea, Stefanie (Suds, Sudsy, Stef), Kim (Kimmers) and I have been lifelong friends. Andrea and I met when I was 2 years old, she 3 years old. Suds, Kimmers and we became friends in high school. Though Kimmers and we lost touch for a time when she left for CA, we reconnected a few years ago and it seems as though time stood still for those years that lapsed. Though we live across the states, we still see each other as often as possible and we get together as a group at least once a year. The last time was to do a half-marathon on Santa Catalina Island off of CA (another “out of the box” moment for most of us!) I’m sure that we had more fun than anyone else there!!! This Colorado rafting trip is a milestone of sorts for us. First off, we are all turning 40 years old in the next year or two. But most importantly, Andrea and Kimmers are cancer survivors. Kimmers had an extremely rare form of cancer and it’s a medical miracle that she is here with us today. This is her 10 year of being cancer free. Andrea as well is a cancer survivor and the very day that I called her to tell her that I put our name in for the trip is the day that she found out that she as well is 5 years cancer free. We feel blessed to have each other in our lives, and therefore, when we are together, there is nothing but laughs, jokes, some serious conversation, but really just a lot of amazing, fun times! THANK YOU, Wilderness Aware, for adding to our memories!
White Water Rafting Trip Spotlight: Colorado’s Gunnison River
Just below the dams of the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, where Colorado’s Gunnison River drops into pools and a foaming rapids between spectacular black granite cliffs, lies some of the most secluded, exciting, and visually stunning white water rafting in the world. Simply put, our favorite Colorado rafting trips are those that wind through the narrow canyon of the Gunnison River between the end of the Chukar Trail and Hotchkiss. What makes a Gunnison River rafting trip the best white water experience in Colorado are four things. First, the water itself, which is an ideal combination of challenging drops and stretches of lazy floating which allows rafters to quietly enjoy the breathtaking natural scenery. Rapids in the Gunnison Gorge area range from Class II to Class IV, which means rafting trips can be adapted to fit the needs of both intermediate and experienced skill levels. Second, the scenery, which is among the most beautiful in Colorado. The Gunnison River runs through one of the longest, deepest, and narrowest gorges in the world, and its remote, protected location, along with the limited number of trips allowed on the river in any given day, ensures a pristine, natural setting. The scenery and geology of the Gunnison Gorge resembles that of the Grand Canyon. This visual experience extends to the drive and hike to the river. Third, the fishing and hiking. While a Gunnison River white water rafting adventure is an incredible experience in itself, a rafting trip to the Gunnison can be tailored to include world-class hiking and some of the best trout fishing in the world. This 14-mile stretch of the Gunnison River has been nominated for “Wild and Scenic River” status, and is world-famous for its German brown and rainbow trout fishing. Visitors can have a world-class white water rafting experience one day and a world-class trout fishing experience the next. Fourth, the secluded nature of the area. To reach the Gunnison Gorge area, one must make a scenic, back-road drive through clay hills and over the edge of the canyon. Then, guests hike another mile down the canyon to the river, while their food and rafts are brought down by horseback. Additionally, only two trips containing 12 guests are allowed on the river per day, which along with the remote location, ensures a level of pristine solitude that is unavailable on many other rivers. Wilderness Aware offers two ways to go exploring the Gunnison Gorge Area: a full day Gunnison River rafting trip, or a two day Gunnison River rafting trip. The full day trip begins above the Chukar rapid and ends near the inflow of the North Fork of the Gunnison, and combines exciting drops with quiet floating time, including the “Grand Finale Rapid.” On our two-day trip, we mix rafting with optional hiking and fishing, and camp along the banks of the river. Our inexpensive two or three days fishing trips will save you hundreds of dollars, and our expert rafting guides will put you exactly where you want on the river.
Whitewater Rafting with the Denver Rescue Mission
For the past ten years, Wilderness Aware Rafting has partnered with the Denver Rescue Mission to provide Colorado rafting trips to members of the Denver Rescue Mission’s New Life Program, which is why last week 40 members of the New Life Program found themselves navigating white water rapids while rafting through Brown’s Canyon on Colorado’s Arkansas River. The bumping, jostling, and sudden starts and stops that they experienced on the river were nothing compared to the the bumps, twists, and turns that many of the men and women participating in the event have experienced in their own lives. The New Life Program provides a community-oriented environment for Denver Rescue Mission program participants to gain the skills, stability and self-esteem necessary to become productive, self-sufficient members of society. It integrates spiritual and emotional counseling, life skills, education, Bible study, and work therapy, and has become a national model for long-term rehabilitation programs. For Wilderness Aware Rafting, the trip is a the kick-off to their summer rafting season. For New Life Program members its an opportunity to to set and achieve goals, in this case rafting down a river filled with rapids. The beautiful scenery and relaxing environment, away from their usual surroundings provides release and holistic therapy. It was also a chance to relax and have fun. “The guides were helpful and we learned a lot, mostly how not to drown. It was nice to get out of our structured schedule for the day and do something new for a change. I took a lot of pictures, even the drive was beautiful” said program participant Abraham Wilson. “Everything about the trip was fun and the weather was great.” For more information about the Denver Rescue Mission, or to make a donation, please visit here.
Our Operation Manager’s Perspective on Rafting, the Arizona Drought, and the Changing Seasons
By: Jack Gunckle – Operations Manager As Wilderness Aware’s river operation manager I am back in the office after an all too short visit to the Salt River in Arizona last month. In early Spring I normally find myself sleeping under the stars in the Sonoran desert for a month at the start of the Salt River commercial rafting season, but this year is a little different. As much as I enjoy Colorado winters, I can’t wait for the river season(and all it entails) to be a part of my everyday life again as the snow melts and the sun shines for a little longer each day. Unfortunately, due to strong La Nina conditions in the Southwest, Arizona is an even drier place than usual this year. The Upper Salt River is a wild river, which means there are no dams to control the flow of the river; it is entirely up to Mother Nature and the snow she deposits on Arizona’s White Mountains. Without enough snowfall the river does not flow high enough to take our guests rafting, and that is the case this year. After months of watching weather forecasts, snowpack reports, and crunching the snowpack and river flow numbers, it became clear (not quite crystal) that a commercial rafting season would not be viable on the Salt River this year. It was not an easy call to make as we have worked hard to establish ourselves in Arizona and we enjoy rafting with our guests as much as our guests look forward to rafting with us. Escaping the heat and the hustle and bustle of the city, even for just a ½ or full day of rafting can be the highlight of the year for our guests. Don’t worry everyone; we’ll be back next year! So, in early March when I am normally helping set up our commercial operation at the bottom of the Salt River Canyon, I found myself driving south with a much slimmer agenda… to hire new raft guides. On our first day in Arizona, before heading to Phoenix to pick up our 11 candidates for our traditional on-river 5-day interview trip, Joe, Brad, Jimbo and I ran the Upper Canyon of the Salt River in inflatable kayaks. The river was flowing only at about 200cfs. That’s not much water considering we need about 500 cfs float rafts on the upper canyon, but the sun was shining and the river was calling our name! It didn’t take long to feel back at home on the Salt River. With the low, crystal clear water we noticed that we were outnumbered by carp, the now abundant year-round inhabitants of the river. Around the next bend we kept our eyes out for the peregrine falcons that are known to patrol the cliffs below Grumman Rapid, but they eluded us on this trip. It’s always great to see the river at different flows, even this low flow. After last year’s epically high water, it was interesting to see the rocks that are normally just under the surface and create such amazing rapids. It was a fun day of boating and a great welcome back to Arizona. On our second day in Arizona after picking up our interviewees at the Phoenix airport, it was back to the Salt for some rafting. We launched our five day interview trip from Gleason Flats instead of our normal spot that is 14 miles upriver. The river had come up just enough for us to navigate with relative ease. We were not able to run a couple of my favorite rapids, Black Rock or Corkscrew, with our gear-laden boats, but that really just added to the adventure. Fortunately, with a little creativity, we were able to line/heave the boats around, over, and through the rocks without unloading them. Thanks to the help from our 11 aspiring river guides! Despite the low water, the trip was a blast with plenty of time in camp each night for fun and games, exploring the desert, and good food. We even had time to do a side hike up Hess Canyon. Even though we didn’t have a season on the Salt this year it was great to get down to AZ and get on the river. I think the trip will hold me over until May when the summer rafting season starts on the Arkansas River in Colorado.
A friendly fox at our Buena Vista, CO rafting office
During the summer months at our whitewater rafting office in Buena Vista, Colorado there is non-stop activity nearly 24 hours a day, seven days a week. There are rafting customers coming in and out of the front doors, guides loading boats in the backyard, music playing over the loud speakers, and rafting buses loaded with boats and guests pulling in and out of the parking lot. During this time we don’t get much in the way of visiting critters, with the exception of the mysterious and little seen raccoon that thinks our trash can is an all-you-can-eat buffet. During the winter, it is much different. No rafting guests, very few cars in the parking lot, and a handful of staff in the office. Needless to say, our outdoor friends are not as shy. This winter we had a one visitor in particular that made his presence known. As we were sitting in the main office, we looked out and saw a full size fox taking his time roaming around the landscaping right outside the windows. As quickly as we could, we grabbed the camera and snapped a few photos of our new friend. As we took photos, the fox would not look at the camera…but then he jumped up on the wall just outside the front doors, gracefully sat down, and posed for the camera. The next moment, he stood, jumped down and ran out of sight. Since that day, he hasn’t come so close, though we catch an occasional glimpse of him under the boat trailers at the back of the property. We don’t know what possessed him to show off for us the day he did, but we are grateful for his visit because it makes us stop for a moment and be thankful that we live and work in the beautiful Colorado high country…amongst the skunks, rabbits, deer and occasional friendly fox.
