If you've visited the Colorado high country in the summer more than once to recreate, chances are pretty good that you've put your behind into a rubber floating device and floated down a river. Lots of companies provided guided raft tours. But, when I was younger, I and my friends revelled in doing it on our own. When I lived in Steamboat Springs, one day I got a knock on the door, and a friend announced that he'd just been to Denver and bought a raft. "Let's go try it out," he beckoned. So, without a second thought, 4 of us went the two blocks from our condo to the Yampa River and, accompanied by a six-pack and little else, launched. You may wonder if we scouted the river first. Are you kidding? That would have taken too much planning - and time. We were good to go! Our first somewhat surprise was when we approached the first bridge (the river, you see, goes through town). It was a railroad bridge, and the bottom horizontal beam was something like three feet off the water. "Hit the deck!" was the call, and we simply aimed for the approximate middle of two uprights and ducked. A moment later we were through and laughing. Now we were more prepared - guessing what the next bridge would be like. I think we went under seven of them before coming to the last bridge in town. This one had a webbed design, with the lowest horizontal member barely a foot off the water. We were going to beach it and carry the raft over the road to the other side when our point man said, "No, there is an open space on the left." So, brave and gullible, we aimed for that narrow space between the end of the horizontal member and the concreat abutment on the left side of the river. Halfway through, the raft turned a bit, caught the edge of the metal and got ripped commpletely along the right side. In a trice, two guys jumped to the bridge and climbed up, one went bobbing down the river, and I hung onto the raft (it had two air compartments and I was holding to the one that was not damaged). I watched as our six-pack floated alongside. We did patch the raft, but every time we floated it after that, it leaked slowly, once leaving us dangerously close to the middle of Steamboat Lake. So, eventually, I learned. A few years later, I went rafting with friends on a guided tour down the Crystal, into the Roaring Fork and finally into the Colorado as the two merged at Glenwood Springs. What seemed like a very short ways after that merger, we came to some rapids. All of us listened to the raft guide on how to maneuver and got psyched for a good ride. On the first roll, I was thrown out. Of course, we were wearing life jackets this time, but the first word I heard from the raft was the guide saying, "Don't lose the paddle!" Hmmph! I was close to drowning, don't you know, but I dutifully clung to that piece of plastic. I drifted further from the raft as we both navigated the rapids, and it took some time and energy to swim back to it once we were through. As I approached the raft, the guide said, "Hand up the paddle!" Well, damn, can't you see that I'm in distress here? But I eventually got back aboard, shivering like crazy and was offered wine in a box to warm up. At the end, it was suggested that I get a T-shirt that said, "I swam the South Canyon Rapids." Never did, but the memories last longer, anyway. So, this is a long way to say that rafting should be terrific this year. Heavier than normal snow pack will keep the rivers and streams in high water throughout the summer. And least, that is the prediction. And the rafting companies, which have had to weather 2-3 years of low water, are psyched. It should be a good business year. And that is only because it will be year that offers much more fun for visitors. If you visit Summit County, you can have plenty of water thrills by day and still have a great dinner and luxury digs at night. Come try it. |
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