During these chilly days of winter, it is fun to look forwards and backwards to fun in the sun!
As we drove up the windy road of the Poudre Canyon, it occurred to me that with the recent river related tragedies, river rafting was certainly not the safest choice. It was a sunny Saturday and three other of my local lady friends and I decided to take on the Poudre River on a rubber raft. Not by ourselves, mind you, we are not experts by any means. We chose to go down the river with a local raft company on their Taste of Whitewater trip. With a mixed group in terms of rafting experience, we decided the class two and three rapids were the right choice for us.
After a bit of trial and error choosing a helmet, and a safety video and discussion with our guide, we found ourselves in life jackets, paddle in hand, by the edge of the Poudre. After a few test paddles — the movement is a bit counter intuitive — we hopped in, and down the river we went.
The first rapid was a bit of a shock to my system. I’ve been rafting a few times before, though never in the Fort Collins area. I dug my feet under the seat of the raft, desperately afraid of falling out into the river, and kept paddling. Our group worked like a unit, the guide gave directions and we made it happen. On the calm stretches our guide pointed out bird nests and joked about his love of butterflies.
The trip was the perfect mix of adrenaline pumping whitewater and calm water, allowing us to enjoy a unique view of the Poudre Canyon. The guide was both adept and entertaining. If you and your friends are looking for a more adventures alternative for ladies night, I highly suggest you substitute night for afternoon, and cocktails for paddles.
Check out some of these materials to help you look forward to your summer river adventures!
Running the Rapids: White-water rafting, canoeing, and kayaking / Jeff C. Young
White Water / S.L. Hamilton
River Safety : a floater’s guide / Stan Bradshaw