introduction to White Water Rafting
Excellent, thorough, well-written article for novices planning to take a raft trip with a commercial outfitter. The author covers A to Z about white water rafting.
The strength of the article are the questions listed beneath “What makes a good outfitter?” But going over the website with a fine-tooth comb is not going to guarantee a first-class outfitter. Websites, after all, are little more than glossy, slick online brochures that the owner — in some cases — has spent advertising money to polish and stuff with hyperbolic statements and flat out falsehoods.
Beware the outfitter that claims to be #1 in anything, or rated the Best of anything, or claims to have more than 40 years of experience (since commercial rafting was not even in its infancy in most states in 1970).
The one thing I would add is that a website surely speaks volumes about the quality of the company, and paying attention to the content of the website, whether or not employees are displayed, and checking for mentions of certifications and permits, are all observations the customer should take into consideration, but, without speaking personally with the office staff of the outfitter, you are not covering all of your bases.
Use this list of questions in a phone call, or a list of your own concerns about whitewater rafting, and you will come away with a much better profile of the business than just depending on information off of a stunning website. http://orionexp.com
in reference to:
“Introduction to Whitewater Rafting”
- http://www.whitewater.com/whitewaterrafting.html (view on Google Sidewiki)
River Rafting | Ultimate Vacation
More from the internet echo chamber and recycled info, but this article is right on in regards to river rafting being one of the ultimate vacations for relaxation and pleasure. Sign on for a multi-day river rafting trip of almost any length, though the longer, the better, and what you get is an unadulterated period of time where you don’t need to reach for your wallet. (This is not to say you haven’t shelled out quite a bit in advance.)
Your accommodations, your meals, your itinerary, your transportation and, in many cases, your cocktails and hors douvres are taken care of by a staff of guides and their assistants. Your only job is to let your hair down, cast away your worries and, depending on the river, unwind in a hot spring, or concentrate on your next cast.
Leave your electronics behind because the last thing you want to have happen, in the event cellphone coverage reaches into whatever portion of wilderness you might be floating through, is to hear the tinny or melodic sound of somebody from work trying to reach you. There is no better way to spoil a vacation.
River trips are an excellent way to get away from it all and, if only for a moment, get back to basics. http://orionexp.com
in reference to:
“What better way to do that than by trying out whitewater rafting?”
- Utah Whitewater’s And The Things You Must Know About It | Island Trend (view on Google Sidewiki)
River Rafting: Perfect for the Whole Family!?
Not all river trips are “perfect for the whole family”. In some cases, it is caveat emptor for the purchaser of any river trip. But there is also an onus on the river trip organizer to be be forthcoming about the group they are signing on to a raft adventure.
The buyer needs to provide the details of the make-up of their group or family when talking to a river outfitter about the best river rafting option available. An organizer of a river trip needs to be completely honest about the ages, abilities and physical condition of their group in order to be matched with the most suitable white water river trip.
Asking the right questions is also key to selecting a river your family or group will enjoy, because if a provider only rafts one river they might be less inclined to dissuade a potential client from making the purchase. A familiarity with the classification of rivers would be helpful, as well as an understanding of when your region experiences high water, when rivers are sucked dry or whether certain rivers are dam-controlled.
In the Pacific Northwest, a day trip suitable for almost any age is the Skagit River in North Cascades National Park. An overnight river trip perfect for the whole family is the Deschutes River in north central Oregon. http://orionexp.com
in reference to:
“Whitewater Rafting Tours: Perfect for the Whole Family!”
- Whitewater Rafting Tours: Perfect for the Whole Family! | artbydarran.com (view on Google Sidewiki)
River Rafting in Turkey
In the early 90s a team of paddlers from Orion River Rafting http://orionexp.com traveled to Turkey to participate in Project RAFT’s white water competition and river symposium. We arrived in Istanbul, convened and mingled with the organizers and the dozens of other teams from every continent, and then traveled overland to the Black Sea region.
The white water competition centered on various stretches of the Coruh River. Class II, III and IV rapids, though some of the rapids might have been viewed as Class V considering the remoteness of the river canyon. The Coruh was a pretty, large volume river with turquoise color. The surrounding countryside was stark, very mountainous and devoid of vegetation.
We rafted more than 20 miles of the Coruh over the course of the competition, passing several mountainside villages, but the river ran for hundreds of miles upstream and donwstream — it emptied into the Black Sea.
For river trips in Turkey, contact Alternatif http://www.alternatifraft.com/
in reference to:
“River Rafting may not sound an immediate attraction for a holiday in Turkey”
- The Best Activities in Turkey | Just Scuba Diving (view on Google Sidewiki)
River Rafting in the West
Since this is another automated regurgitation of barely coherent keywords and keyword phrases, I will attempt to supply some content to the gibberish.
The best white water rafting companies in the West by reputation, resilience and respect around the industry are: O.A.R.S., Whitewater Voyages, Noahs Rafting, Echo, Ouzel, ROW Adventures, AZRA, ARTA, Canyons, Inc, Grand Canyon Dories and Rocky Mountain River Tours.
Legendary stretches of white water in the West, every river aficionado should want to check off their ‘bucket’ list include: Westwater Canyon, Cataract Canyon, Grand Canyon, Middle Fork Salmon, Yampa, Royal Gorge of the Arkansas, Taos Box of the Rio Grande, Forks of the Kern, Rogue, Tuolomne, Selway and the Illinois. http://orionexp.com
The best week long river rafting trip in the world is the Middle Fork of the Salmon in Idaho. The best 14 day+ river trip in the world is the Colorado River through Grand Canyon National Park. But, it is always true that the best river trip is the one you are currently on.
in reference to:
“Whitewater rafting trips”
- The Best Whitewater Rafting Trip Around Colorado | girlmusic (view on Google Sidewiki)
Paddling Tumwater Canyon
The description of Tumwater Canyon — a seven-mile stretch of white water on the Wenatchee River above the town of Leavenworth — appears to be somewhat understated.
The author of this section glosses over Tumwater’s tumultuous rapids and ends the brief paragraph with, “If you want excitement, this is the section for you.”
My suggestion would be, if you are an expert river runner with top-of-the-line equipment and you have a partner similarly geared and experienced AND you are unfazed by incredibly powerful waves and hydraulics, you might want the personal challenge of Tumwater Canyon at high water.
It is NOT commonly rafted by commercial rafting companies — at least, not the stretch from the foot of Exit Drop Rapid and upstream. With the advent of Creature Craft, perhaps some rafting entrepreneur will believe it is commercially viable. Even so, I would not suggest the Tumwater Canyon section of the Wenatchee for anyone other than very experienced river runners. http://orionexp.com/leavenworth_wenatchee_whitewater_river_rafting.html
in reference to:
“If you want excitement, this is the section for you.”
- Rafting the Wenatchee River (view on Google Sidewiki)
Sauk River Rafting
The stretch of the federally-designated Wild & Scenic Sauk River rafted commercially is between Whitechuck Creek and Bachman County Park. The mileage on this portion of the river is closer to 9 miles, although if you continued all the way to the confluence of the Suiattle River it might be 16 miles.
Even though the white water is predominantly Class III, I would be hesitant to describe the Sauk “ideal for families and beginners”. Even the stretch from Darrington to the Suiattle confluence can be congested with logjams and sweepers.
Competent kayakers and rafters can tackle the Whitechuck to Bachman run, but they should be aware of the possibility of wood in the channel and, if possible, contact outfitters or other boaters who have been on the river after spring flooding.
The Sauk River is a four-star white water river adventure close to metropolitan Seattle and suitable for beginners if they are with a professional or experienced guide. The four companies that provide river rafting trips on the Sauk from May through early August are: Orion River Rafting http://orionexp.com, North Cascades River Expeditions, Downstream River Runners and Wild & Scenic River Tours.
in reference to: http://gorptravel.away.com/rafting-guide/washington/sauk-river.html?gclid=CMCYg6XUtKACFQQTawod_CH2Sw (view on Google Sidewiki)
Leavenworth Washington River Rafting
“Most popular river trip in the western half of Washington”, “rambunctious white water”, “ideal beginning rafter and kayaker river”, “great family trip in the summer”, “best weather you will find river rafting in Washington”, “great inner tubing river once the snow melt is gone and the sun high” — all of these are excellent descriptors of the Wenatchee River out of the tourist destination and Bavarian Village of Leavenworth, Washington.
What makes the Wenatchee River the perfect mini-vacation getaway is the plethora of other activities and amenities available in the Wenatchee Valley. Hiking, wine-tasting. fishing, rock-climbing, mountain biking, shopping, beer gardens, amusement centers, etc
Commercial rafting companies include: Orion River Rafting http://orionexp.com, Wildwater River Tours www.wildwater-river.com, North Cascades River Expeditions http://www.riverexpeditions.com/ and dozens more. For inner tubing, check out TubeLeavenworth http://www.letsgotubing.com/.
in reference to:
“Commercial rafting companies operate on the river in the spring and summer.”
- Leavenworth WA | Wenatchee River (view on Google Sidewiki)
Early Season River Rafting Deals
The massive snowfall back East — even as recently as a few weeks ago — augur a spectacular run-off in the rivers around the region and a very long, prosperous river rafting season for commercial outfitters. However, inexpensive trips coupled with rivers exploding out of their banks may also lead to numerous white water safety scenarios if thousands of newcomers jump on the deals and go rafting while the rivers are flooding and frigid.
Eastern outfitters should provide wetsuits for the icebreaker Weekend, but private boaters should definitely wear neoprene in the sort of hypothermic conditions they are certain to encounter. Washington State outfitters have been providing and requiring neoprene on their river trips ever since a company called Whitewater Tuxedo was established in the early 1980s. Whitewater Tuxedo rented wetsuits and boots to the guests of every rafting company operating out of Seattle.
in reference to:
“Prices for this weekend’s day trips are discounted”
- Eastern Blizzards Bring Spectacular Spring Whitewater Rafting Trips (view on Google Sidewiki)
Wenatchee River Rafting and Kayaking
Nice blog entry on paddling the Wenatchee River and a couple of tributaries but aimed specifically at kayakers. The description of the Wenatchee River from Leavenworth to Cashmere is thorough and informative, and would be a useful reference for novice boaters.
The author seems to take a slightly cavalier attitude about the two more challenging stretches of river mentioned in the posting — Tumwater and Icicle Creek — though I am completely aware that not being a kayaker and coming from a more conservative attitude about river running, I might be mis-reading this.
I think I would use a more cautionary framing when suggesting either stretch of white water since anyone who isn’t an expert should not come anywhere near those two runs.
Other river rafting outfitters on the Wenatchee, besides Osprey are: Orion River Rafting http://orionexp.com, Wildwater River Tours http://www.wildwater-river.com/, North Cascades River Expeditions http://www.riverexpeditions.com/
in reference to:
“Wenatchee River from Leavenworth to Cashmere”
- » our rivers Paddle the Wenatchee (view on Google Sidewiki)
