As we were passing through Glenwood Springs, we found ourselves with a free afternoon and Paul mentioned rafting -- my favorite thing to do in the world! Sure enough, a highly rated outfit had room on its early afternoon trip. Paul decided he would hang out with Bebop instead of coming along, so I was solo for this adventure.
There was one complicating factor: mudslides. A year or two ago, there were massive wildfires in the area above Glenwood Springs, so when they got record rains this summer, the denuded mountainsides just flowed onto the highways, into the rivers, and all over. The interstate highway through Glenwood Canyon is closed, and Hanging Lake was badly damaged. For the rafting outfits, what this meant was that they couldn't drive upriver to do their usual half-day trip. Instead, they were offering a shorter trip through Class III-and-under rapids. The person who took my reservation said, "You could go on the raft, or you could take one of our inflatable kayaks" (aka "duckies"). I wasn't confident enough of my skills to go in a ducky, though.
Then, as we were getting ready, my guide Thomas said, "Everyone else is going in the kayaks. The two of us can still take a raft, or there's a two-person inflatable kayak."
A double ducky? I had no idea they existed. All the extra fun of being lower in the water and more maneuverable, without the fear that I'd get caught in an eddy or dumped by a standing wave? Sign me up!
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| Not me - but this is a double ducky. Photo (c) Whitewater Rafting LLC https://www.coloradowhitewaterrafting.com/rentals |
Best. Day. Ever.
The sections of rapids were just far enough apart that there was float-and-relax time but we never dried out or got hot. The rapids were splashy and fun. We even saw a bald eagle!
I was also amused by a group of cows standing on the riverbanks. They were, of course, just chewing grass and watching the boats go by. I kept thinking of this Far Side cartoon:
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| (c) Gary Larson, https://www.thefarside.com/ |
What if they're really pirate cows, secretly plotting how to steal a raft? They could cool off in the river, charge other cows for raft trips ... man, they'd be the Jerseys from hell.
All in all, a delightful day. No one tipped over, we all had a great time, and I give a big Bebop-two-paws-up to Whitewater Rafting, LLC, in Glenwood Springs.
-Elena
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