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Over 200 people have arrived for the half day trip, so we're glad we
showed up a few minutes early, signed the liability agreement which lists
a hundred reasons why the rafting outfit is not responsible if we get
injured, get lost or die, and have a few minutes to choke down some lunch
while the others check in.
Eventually we are herded into a bus with seats so close together that
our knees are touching our chins. Mike, one of guides, is
giving the safety talk and has a big squirt gun which he shoots off if we
don't say we understand loud enough. Just before we reach Bighorn
Sheep Canyon, our jumping off site, we are assigned guides and we are glad
that Mike is our leader, because he seems to know what to do if
things get out of hand.
Bighorn Sheep Canyon, a mild stretch of river surrounded by deep rock
mountains, winds 9 miles before reaching the famed Royal Gorge, where wild
rides speak to the adventure in you and result in constant screaming
and laughing. We'll do that next time! For now we climb into
our raft and when all the vessels are filled with six or seven
people and we've all launched, the mood changes and the fun
begins.
We chosen to paddle, although we could have taken the OAR boat and let
the guide do all the work while we sit back and enjoy the scenery.
Mike gives us a short lesson in paddling and makes a big point about the
importance of making our strokes together which we all seem to forget when
we face even the smallest whitewater rapid. But paddling is easy and
Mike tells us when to stroke, how often to do it, and if we should go
backwards or forwards. He is an expert in maneuvering and rolls us
over the few rough spots smoothly.
It's a beautiful stretch and while we float along the peaceful water,
feeling completely relaxed and wondering why the safety lesson was even
necessary, Mike alerts us to watch for Bighorn Sheep and gives a little
history lesson.
Like so much of Colorado's history, many came to find their fortunes in
gold and silver. One of the most popular stretches on the Arkansas is
Browns Canyon, named after one of the lucky fortune seekers. The
pools in Browns Canyon are 'pool-drop', meaning that each rapid is
followed by a pool where rafters regain their composure before plunging
into the next one.
Brown, with others, built grand houses and towns and soon the railroad,
which we can see from our raft, was built to transport people and
supplies. Union Pacific Railway plans to abandon the track and it is
expected to become a hiking and biking path path in the
future.
Tourism is now the backbone of the economy and river rafting is the
biggest single attraction. Referred to as the 'Banana Belt' of
Colorado, the area has sunshine almost every day of the year and averages
only 9.8 inches of rain.
Mike decides we need a little more excitement and begins to prepare us
for a 'high side'. "You get one chance to move", he warns,
"so when I yell 'high side', stop paddling and move to the high
side! Otherwise, 'we're all going for a swim!" At that
point, one of the rafters offered, it's up to Mike to get us out,
As he explains the mechanics of high siding, I'm starting to feel
unnerved again. I hear words like rock, hydraulic pull, flip over if
we don't. . ., paddle toward the rock, dip into the suck hole.
All of sudden, we're there and we all begin paddling wildly toward the
rock with white water spilling and splashing over its top. In an
instant, we are spinning into the suction of the hole at the bottom and
the raft begins to tip to one side. Mike yells 'high side' and we
all instinctively move to the high side of the raft. Like magic we
are righted and moving languidly forward away from the rock.
The whole thing lasted less than 10 seconds, was a rush of excitement
and once again, I felt appreciation for Mike's expertise.
After two and a half hours, our trip is over, we climb back into the
bus and head back with new memories and a little more appreciation for
this beautiful state that we live in. We've also decided that next
time we'll do the Royal Gorge!
Our trip was a Class I and II. Most of the water at this level is
very mellow. The few rapids are bumps in the 'road' and add a few
laughs and a little excitement. It is a great trip for
families. If you want something even more relaxed, ask for a Class
I. If you decide to go rafting when you are in Colorado, please check out
our links page.
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