White Water Rafting: An Exciting Vacation Adventure

 by: Peter Shannon

Webmaster comments in bold red

White water rafting is a great way to take a family on an adventure.  It's got a real pucker factor but on the whole is very safe - the best of both worlds. This article give some sound basic information about rafting and some good places to do it. Many guide outfits have got special things they do along the way.  For instance, on the lower Youghiogheny River in south central Pennsylvania, they eat lunch on a big rock/small cliff that juts out into the water called Jump Rock.  Why do they call it that?  Because everyone is challenged to jump off of it. It's probably no more than 15 feet high but it looks like a mile from the top.  Me, my son and daughter jumped off together three years ago.  They still talk about it. 

White water rafting is an adventure that can be loads of fun. But as with any activity involving the raw power of nature, you must be prepared. Don’t worry if you are a beginner. Every expert rafter had a first-time experience.

There are excellent places all over the globe for white water rafting and everyone of them is different. Even the same spot is often a completely different experience depending on the season and the weather. So, before you get in the water, it’s important to know your capabilities and the current conditions.

White water rafting rapids are rated in terms of difficulty.

Class 1 –Beginner, Class 2 –Intermediate, Class 3 –Moderate, Class 4 –Difficult, Class 5 –Advanced

(These rankings are not just based on the size and speed of the water.  A lot of it has to do with the technical difficulty of the rapids.  The rocks, swirls and eddies can create situations that require special knowledge or technique, like heading straight for a rock and letting the current grab you and spit you out the other side. This is where a guide comes in. They know the river. If you raft or kayak on your own, you must be able to read the river.  It's always a good idea to gather some information before you go and/or pull over and scout the rapids on foot.)

Unless you have a lot experience and know your rafting spot well, it is always a good idea to go out on the rapids with a guide. Many outfitters provide both a guide for steering at the back of the raft as well as a spotter/observer up front.

Some rafting spots have really exceptional waves and you need to navigate them on a raft equipped with a motor. An example would be Arizona’s Colorado River at the Grand Canyon or the Cataract Canyon. Many of these white water rafting spots are Class 5 so you better have a guide. You are not doing the actual paddling but the excitement is still there. It all depends on what you want out of the experience.

(There is only one outfit that offers one day Grand Canyon rafting trips - Hualapai River Runners. This is the real deal.  You are on the Colorado River at the bottom of the western end of the Grand Canyon - not some tributary in a side canyon. They use motorized pontoon rafts to take you down some of the biggest water on the Colorado River.  Along the way, you stop for lunch at a waterfall that will take your breath away.  At the end of the trip, you fly out of the canyon in a helicopter to a waiting bus. Very cool.)

There are other sections of the Colorado River, like Westwater Canyon or Cataract Canyon in Utah, that have rapids more suited for the novice. This is also a great way to enjoy that spectacular southwestern desert scenery.

If you want to do the paddling, these are a few examples of some excellent white water rafting spots. The Gauley River in West Virginia.... California’s America River and Kern River....the Arkansas River in Colorado....Idaho’s Lochsa River and Snake River...the Housatonic River in Connecticut.

You can find some more milder Class 3 rapids on the Red Deer River in Alberta. Late May or early June in Canada is when the glaciers are melting and the water is really moving fast. This is the best time to go for the most white water action. Kicking Horse River in Golden British Columbia has some great Class 4 and 5 rapids.

When you investigate and sign up with a white water rafting company, be honest about your experience level. It’s not unusual for the less experienced guides to be assigned to the more experienced rafters. As a beginner or novice level rafter you will want to have the most experienced guide possible.

If white water rafting is your idea of an exciting vacation experience then by all means, go for it. But learn as much as you can about it before you go. Pick your rafting spot and your guide carefully. Learn the safety procedures if you go overboard. Be prepared and then let loose and have fun!

About The Author: Peter Shannon is a writer and author of  http://www.1001VacationIdeas.com.