Whitewater Rafting on the Colorado River

Colorado’s rivers are exceptional for whitewater rafting.  When you’re visiting Vail Village, you’ll notice there aren’t really any opportunities for sporting activities, aside from mountain climbing and bike riding, so you’ll need to look a little bit further for any whitewater rafting locations.

When we visited Vail, we went whitewater rafting about forty miles outside the village on the Colorado River near Eagle, Colorado.  We started our excursion right after we went horseback riding, and as the rafting was provided through the same company as the trail ride, we thought we’d have an easier time hooking up with the rafting crew.  Not quite. 

In Colorado, things are done a little differently.  The rafting company’s van was supposed to pick us up near the interstate after the horse rides.  Little did we know there wouldn’t be a parking lot near the pickup location, so we had to park in a rather grassy area, with the closest intelligent life being the posh golf course/suburbia housing a few miles up the road.  There was virtually no one around to give directions or lend help should we have needed to, and there was no way of calling the river guides on the cell phone.  When they were late, we got a little worried.  Had they forgotten us?  Had they failed to schedule us into their books completely? 

Finally, our guides showed up.  Yes, we had to leave our vehicle and belongings behind in that desolate parking area beside the interstate.   Any belongings pertaining to our rafting trip we took in the rafting van. 

Our first stop was the rafting station, where we picked up all the raft gear.  And no, you don’t just sit back and watch the guides haul the raft and lifejackets onto the van – you have to help.  If you’re unable to help, you better stay home.  Unfortunately three-fourths of the party not related to my family was “unable” to help, and we had to flex most of the muscle throughout the journey. 

After we hauled all the gear into the van and made one of the riders get rid of her smokes, we were on our way to the Colorado River.  Our driver drove at a pretty good clip, but it seemed as though we’d never reach our destination.  The other guide, who was a bit of a comedian, rehearsed an entire list of the risks of whitewater rafting, including mental incapacitation, getting trapped underwater while still attached somehow to the raft, loss of limbs, the threat of heads being bashed against one of the Colorado River’s mighty rocks, and of course, death.  As it turned out, our level whitewater ride (which was somewhere between a II and III) was hardly threatening whatsoever.

Upon reaching the river entrance, we piled out of the van and trekked the raft to the river banks.  It’s amazing how heavy the raft was, especially when a third of the party didn’t help carry it.  Once in the water, we were on our way towards the bulk of the waves. 

As we reached the first crest, we all braced ourselves for a wet, sloppy Colorado River kiss.  But, it never came.  We paddled right through it.  Three of the party members, the raspy-voiced “elderly” lady, and her two young granddaughters (whose mother was the only “working” member of their party) didn’t make things easy for us.  When the next wave approached, we got soaked, and the two little kiddies fell backwards in the raft.  It was amusing the first time.  However, they thought it was absolutely hilarious, so they made it a habit.  Every time we hit a wave, they’d purposely fall backwards – and make us pull them back up, while trying to keep the raft afloat by paddling in synch.  This was not easy, as they were both a little overweight for their age. Their grandmother simply looked on and chuckled a hoarse, smoke-heavy cackle.  We’d be receiving no help from her, we could tell.

The girls almost started behaving once the fun part was all over.  At the level whitewater rafting we were riding, there aren’t too many waves.  Had we gone up one more level to level IV, the waves would have been so much rougher we couldn’t travel them without having had previous experience (which we all lacked).  So the remaining hour of our ride was spent on a relatively calm portion of the Colorado River.

This wasn’t a big problem, however, for the structure surrounding the Colorado River was exquisite.  From built-in caverns to Rocky Mountain cliffs, the landscapes around the river were one-of-a-kind.  Our guide was plenty congenial and tied in some historical background and a little folklore into our ride, telling us of the background behind many of the vistas as we encountered them. 

One of the highlights of our trip was a visit to the hot springs, much like the famed hot springs in Glenwood, Colorado.  We got to experience them firsthand.  My legs had never felt such a burning, bubbly sensation.  Couple boiling water with the strong, eggy smell that is sulfur, and you’ve got one unforgettable experience.  The water was so searing we couldn’t stay in for too long or we’d boil to a crisp. 

As our ride came to a close, we paddled to the location where our driver would pick us up.  We hauled the raft out of the water, helped the guides attach it to the van, and dried off a little bit.  The guides had brought some snacks along for us, which we found to be quite refreshing.  Then, before we knew it, we were on our way back to our original pickup spot. 

Here's some tips for thought before you plan your whitewater rafting adventure...