Colorado River Rafting Trips, Book Yours Now!

Thinking about taking a Colorado River rafting trip? There are so many outfitters all over the state, make sure that you research the area and outfitter you decide to use. Once you find that perfect fit, read more articles in this blog about whitewater rafting. I am a rafting enthusiast and if you can't tell I would like everyone to experience a rafting trip!

More helpful resources: Breckenridge Rafting | Royal Gorge Rafting

Whitewater Rafting - Thrills, Chills, and Affordable

By Jarrard Keenson

Doesn't matter if you are by yourself or if you have a large group of 200, finding an excursion that is enjoyable and affordable for everyone can be a daunting task. It can be difficult to plan a great trip in light of bankrupt airlines, high fuel prices, and increases in the day-to-day cost of living. Many citizens in the United States don't have quite the amazing opportunities that Californians do when it comes to getting out and doing something that is new, exciting, and affordable. This may be the reason why 36,500,000 citizens make California their residence.

Within only a day's drive from any of the beautiful borders of California is the graceful South Fork of the American River, a breathtaking 21-mile stretch of class III whitewater. Gold was discovered here, and it is the home of the great migration westward. Groups ranging in size from one to two hundred can come together for up to three days of fun, great food, and quiet nights around the bonfire.

Your choice of trip can be an all inclusive 3-day 2-night sleepover or a 1 day trip that gives you the freedom to hop on the river and raft for a few hours. During the three day trip, you can experience two different lengths of beautiful river and all your meals and travel are included.

Your daytime camping guide will often prepare and serve you a wonderful dinner if you are participating in an overnight trip. Evening chats around the campfire and sleeping in a tent under the clear starlit skies of the Sierra Nevada Foothills is what you can expect. When you wake your breakfast will be waiting on you, again prepared for you by our hospitable staff and, as with all our delicious meals, vegetarians and meat lovers alike will find an expansive choice at our impressive morning buffet.

Your trip leader will give you directions for your exciting day of whitewater rafting. As you float down the river, expect to see historical artifacts, animals, and plants you won't see anywhere else. You might even see some rare wildlife such as the river otter. You'll need to participate in some light rowing activity, paddling together with other crew members in order to navigate the river under the supervision of your guide. But being a body builder is not required.

The lovely American River South Fork has some of the most well known rapids in the world, including the Meat Grinder, Trouble Maker, and Satan's Cesspool and Hospital Bar. You can hang on during the big rapids and enjoy their power while having fun! If you choose a three-day adventure, you will spend the third day visiting the Middle Ford of the American, where there are larger Class IV rapids that require paddling.

You will want to prove to others that you survived the class IV rapids while whitewater rafting, so make certain that you go to the photo shop when you arrive back at base camp. You won't want your time to end, so you can spend your last minutes of this fantastic getaway with all your new-found friends, exchanging e-mails and promising to reunite next year. That's why this is the site of one of the most affordable, accessible, and exciting vacations you will ever experience.

As a father and scout leader, Jarrard Keenson is constantly trying to find fun, outdoor, family-friendly activities. The best summer activities he found is American river whitewater rafting, an over-night excursion that includes a whitewater rafting trip down the American river south fork. The American river whitewater rafting prices are reasonable and adventurous.

What to bring on your Whitewater Rafting trip

(Source: RaftInfo.com)

Whitewater rafting is a hugely popular sport, and it should come as no surprise to anyone who has felt the addiction that the rapids holds that there are more people discovering the thrill of whitewater every year. There are many companies that provide excursions down rivers across the world, and the United States and Canada are no exception.

The number of river rafting outfitters out there means that rafters have a lot of option when it comes to what they would like to do for their trip. A casual float down Class III rapids or a wild contest with Class Vs are available in almost every state and province. Every outfitter offers at least a five hour trip, with many offering anywhere up to week-long excursions to really explore the rivers across this continent. No matter how long a trip you are planning for, there are some essential items that you need to bring along in order to have the best experience possible.

Protection from the sun
Whether you are embarking on a trip that can be measured in hours or in days, the most important equipment to bring along are items that can protect you from the sun’s rays. Remember, you will be out on open water, and even though you may not feel the heat, there is little protection out there from the sun.

"Most of your efforts go into protecting yourself from the sun," states Michael, a guide with Holiday Expeditions, which runs rafting trips in Idaho on the Colorado, Green, Yampa, and San Juan Rivers and the Snake and Salmon Rivers . To that extent, he always tells rafters to make sure to bring along good sunscreen, a water bottle, and sunglasses.

Virtually every company we talked to agreed that the battle with the sun was the most crucial in deciding what to bring along. Jeff Proctor, of Jeff Proctor Class VI River Runners (which runs river trips down the New and Gauley Rivers of West Virginia, concurs with the basic list set out by Michael, and also adds that other weather considerations are crucial.

"For the shoulder season (when the weather begins to turn), bring a wet suit or paddling jacket."

Longer Trips
Both outfitters provide trips that will last for longer than one day, and for these trips some additional thought is needed when preparing your gear.

Proctor points out that foot gear is important. "Folks should come dressed for the river, with a shoe or sandal that can get wet and stay on your feet. You should still feel comfortable walking around on a sandy beach."

Sandy beaches are part of what makes packing for a two-day trip down the Holiday runs a lot easier; "With warm sandy beaches to camp on, you don't need much gear. A light weight tent, a basic sleeping bag and pad is all that you need," states Michael.

As for other equipment, well, both outfitters want to make sure that you always remember the trip, so in the words of Michael “Don’t forget your camera!”

What if you forget?
If you forget something on your checklist, or fail to make a checklist at all, there is no need to panic. Most rafting outfitters have stores at their expedition start-outs where they sell or rent out any equipment that rafters may need.

There is nothing quite like getting out and taking on nature in one of its most powerful forms, so make sure that before you hit the river you prepare for the trip. It’s guaranteed that your first time will not be your last!

MORE Rafting Info: Colorado River Rafting Outfitters | Whitewater Rafting Termonology | Home

Benefits of Heart Rate Training

recently I reverted to some training strategies that I used while racing slalom.
While I am no longer striving to be the best slalom boater that I can possibly be,
I remember the overall benefits that training gave my creeking and freestyle boating.
A large part of it was using a heart rate monitor to train within certain ranges.
It's something that applies to every sport, and every level of fitness, with incredible benefits.

The main idea is to build a strong aerobic base, upon which you can build a larger capacity for work.
In whitewater, that means that you have the strenght to pull off the more difficult moves and the health to keep doing it.
There is in incredible amount of information on the internet and in books about his subject, so worth doing your own research. But, as a very quick introduction, consider these links.

Start with 220, then subtract your age, you'll get a good estimate of your max heart rate, which is how you then calculate your exercise zones

after you have copied your excercise zones down, you are ready to compare them to the chart that will help you figure out your exercise targets, which include ways to gain general fitness or peak conditioning.

if all that is too much, and you have never done any kind of focused training, try a couple of weeks training in the "moderate daily activity" and "weight management" zones. That will give you a healthy base upon which to build.

If you are an athlete, but have not paid attention to your HR, consider alternating days of Aerobic Training and the Anearobic Threshold training.

In addition to following doctors' advice, I have found that the best trick to making sure that I was not over working, and ready for more intense workouts, is by taking my heart rate every morning when I first woke. If it's faster than normal, then I need more rest and will modify my workout. If it's normal or getting a little bit slower, then I can keep working hard.

disclaimer: this is all based on my own experience. Everyone is different. Talk to a doctor before you go and workout.
(Source: Total Whitewater Fun)

Rafting Basics & Tips

By Eugene Buchanan

Rafting
Can You Handle It?
Rafting’s a sport accomplished while sitting down. But don’t confuse it with couch surfing. If you’re in a paddleboat, the guide relies on you for power, meaning forward and reverse strokes on a moment’s notice. And the strokes have to count--you can’t be lazy when things get rough. Since rafts don’t have guardrails (or the ability to right themselves), swimming--while restricted with lifejacket and in current--is also a real possibility.

Essential Skills
Under the guidance of professionals, you’ll learn the difference between paddle and oar rafts, and such techniques as highsiding (jumping to the high side of the raft to avoid flipping), keeping the boat straight and rigging flip lines to right the boat in the event of a capsize. Your best bet: Sign up for a multiday trip, where you'll also learn the basics of river camping, including the age-old art of setting up the river toilet.

Gear Up 
Tour operators usually provide everything you need, including wetsuits, lifejackets, paddles, and rafts. Don’t become a private river runner unless you have ample space to store your gear and the towing capacity (truck and/or trailer) to get it to the river. Aside from the raft and paddles (or frame and oars), other essentials include a pump, patch kit, and a throw rope and lifejackets for every participants. Other frills include coolers, cargo nets, and drybags.

Speak the Language
Class I-VI: An international scale of difficulty for rating rapids, with I being the easiest and VI being technically unrunnable. 
Highside: Jumping to the "high" side of the raft to level it out and prevent capsizing when it's pinned against a rock or stuck in a hydraulic.
Self-bailer: A modern line of raft with an inflatable floor, allowing water that comes in to flow back out without the need for bailing.

Kayaking
Can You Handle It?
You don’t have to be in top-notch shape to kayak. After all, it’s a sport you do while sitting down. But you should have adequate upper-arm and shoulder strength (best accomplished with pull- and push-ups) and be able to hold your breath for the time it takes you to either roll or bail out. Other muscle groups to develop include the abdomen and lower back; during an average day, you’ll lean forward and backward more than you ever did as a kid on a seesaw.

Essential Skills
Few sports subject newcomers to the school of hard knocks more than whitewater kayaking. Unless you want to spend most of the day swimming, sign up for a lesson. The first day or two should be spent in a lake or pool, without any current, to introduce you to the underworld. Here you’ll learn such concepts as bracing, rolling, and most important, wet exiting. Once you have these basics under your belt, you graduate to moving water, where you’ll learn such techniques as eddy turns, peel outs, ferrying, and surfing.

Gear Up
Whitewater kayaking is gear intensive. The basic checklist reads: boat, paddle, sprayskirt, helmet and lifejacket. Then come the frills, including wetsuit, drytop, booties, pogies (gloves for cold weather), float bags (to displace water in case of a swim), throw ropes, and finally, a large net bag to store it all. Once you’ve acquired this mound of gear, it should last for years without the need for repairs or upgrades.

Speak the Language
Cartwheel: A new-school freestyle maneuver in which your boat rotates end-over-end while remaining in a hydraulic. 
Eddy turn: Finding momentary sanctuary in the river’s slack water (usually found behind an obstacle). 
Eskimo roll: Combining leverage from your paddle with a strong hip-snap to right yourself after capsizing. 
Ferry: Making your way across the river while facing upstream, without losing any ground (often used for catching waves). 
Peel-out: Coming out of an eddy back into the main current.

More Articles on: Whitewater Rafting Termonology | 10 Places to Whitewater Raft