Alex
06-30-2007, 06:21 PM
I decided to start getting my kid getting used to white water and what a perfect place to do it, the Provo River. We went out today out there, rented a 4 man raft from the High Country (http://www.highcountryrafting.com/) outfitters ($60) and floated the river.
The river is a great start for any beginner and/or family trips. You get splashed, you get a couple of rapids which might qualify as class II, but you get to play with the current and navigational skills. My kid had a riot, once even almost fell in when we bumped a rock hard. :eek2:
I think anyone can really do it, even if you have never been on a river before. If you don't feel confident, you can get guided tours, or just invite me :2thumbs:
FYI, a "4 man raft" that they rent out, is actually a paddle boat and requires at a minimum 4 paddlers. I didn't know that, so I was a little surprised. They tried to talk me out of the trip (after I paid the cash), since I only had my wife and my kido. It was a little tricky to get my wife up to speed to paddling, but by the end we were an unstoppable family of 2.5 on a 4 man paddle raft. woot!
If you do get to go down this river they will tell you to stay away from a pillar bridge and carry the boat around. This part is not bad at all. If you have had any river experience, just hug the right side, line up and go on the 1st or 2nd opening from the river right. If you are doing an unguided float and never have been on the river, it might be best to walk around. This bridge is the only questionable spot and might qualify as a class 2 rapid because of the semi technical navigation and a squeeze.
It took us exactly 4 hours from the time we left our SLC house to the time we got back (we stopped for lunch as well). Bring lots of water and sunscreen. Booties help to keep the feet warm, the water is very cold.
The river is a great start for any beginner and/or family trips. You get splashed, you get a couple of rapids which might qualify as class II, but you get to play with the current and navigational skills. My kid had a riot, once even almost fell in when we bumped a rock hard. :eek2:
I think anyone can really do it, even if you have never been on a river before. If you don't feel confident, you can get guided tours, or just invite me :2thumbs:
FYI, a "4 man raft" that they rent out, is actually a paddle boat and requires at a minimum 4 paddlers. I didn't know that, so I was a little surprised. They tried to talk me out of the trip (after I paid the cash), since I only had my wife and my kido. It was a little tricky to get my wife up to speed to paddling, but by the end we were an unstoppable family of 2.5 on a 4 man paddle raft. woot!
If you do get to go down this river they will tell you to stay away from a pillar bridge and carry the boat around. This part is not bad at all. If you have had any river experience, just hug the right side, line up and go on the 1st or 2nd opening from the river right. If you are doing an unguided float and never have been on the river, it might be best to walk around. This bridge is the only questionable spot and might qualify as a class 2 rapid because of the semi technical navigation and a squeeze.
It took us exactly 4 hours from the time we left our SLC house to the time we got back (we stopped for lunch as well). Bring lots of water and sunscreen. Booties help to keep the feet warm, the water is very cold.