Adventure: White Water Rafting

I survived. No, better than that, I thrived!

Trepidation came over me as we boarded our air filled raft. Air filled? What about the rocks? Won’t it tear? What if I fall out? How can I stay in the boat if I’m sitting on the edge paddling?

By the end of the 8-mile journey, I was hooked. I want to go again! Too bad I live in the land of flat…or does that just mean I have another reason for a trip?

Mad River Boat Trips in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, served up the perfect trip for this newbie. Our guide, Fitz for short, was fantastic. He’s been working on the Snake River in Wyoming for three of the past four summer seasons and had worked other locations before that.

Due to the cooler late Summer weather and even colder water temperatures at 56 degrees, our entire crew were outfitted with wetsuits. Only one person felt it necessary to don an additional splash guard on our raft. My husband and I protected our heads with booney hats, and our guide had on a hoodie. Oh, and we can’t forget the essential PFDs. I learned that means Personal Flotation Device….go me.

Fitz and the entire crew from Mad River walked us through safety guidelines, how to board, sit, and paddle the boat, along with what to do should we fall in to the water unexpectedly. Two of the other boats on our trip probably needed the falling into the water advise more than our crew…picture it, 18 high school seniors battling it out on the rapids… oh they were a site to see!

Our boat had a family of 7, my husband and me, and Fitz, our guide. As we boarded, we learned the center seats were for the princesses of our crew….and while my husband was more than happy to sit in the middle and enjoy the ride, I proclaimed that he may be the princess, but I’m the queen so I’d paddle. What, no laugh? I thought it was great!

In the latter half of the trip, we easily navigated the Little Kahuna, a brief class 2 rapid, only to be faced with our biggest challenge…the Big Kahuna. This and its accompanying rapid, the Lunch Counter, switch being Class 2 and Class 3 rapids depending on the time of the season. During our trip, the Big Kahuna earned its name and was running at a Class 3. Our raft pitched through the waves and everyone was soaked by the time we reached the other side. It was a blast!

We primarily encountered smooth waters and a variety of rapids on the trip. My favorite section was called the Cottonfields, a long section of class 1 rapids where we had to keep paddling through. It was very pretty to look at as we approached, and I thought really helped our crew to get settled in how to paddle together.

Our total trip was about an hour and a half, plus a bus ride 30 minutes each way. I understand the season on this portion of the Snake River ends just after Labor Day, and they open up once the river is at the right levels in late spring or early summer, so it’s best to check ahead when planning your trip.