Travel Blog


Gorge Rafting Royal whitewater

August 7th, 2017 ernie Posted in Colorado No Comments »

The Royal Gorge is one of the best white water rafting trips in Colorado and world renowned. Experience the most amazing scenery of the sheer 1100′ cliff walls that surround you. Rafting beneath the worlds highest suspension bridge.

You will challenge class IV, V rapids such as Sunshine Falls, Sledgehammer and the Narrows just to name a few. This section is suitable for first time rafters that are looking for an exciting challenge & experienced paddlers alike. Good physical condition is recommended at high water and the minimum age is dependent upon the varied water levels.

There are specialty trips also available that include a popular Water 2 Wine Heli Tour. Soak up the sun, fun and some of Colorado’s finest wine from the award winning Vineyard at the Holy Cross Abbey. This intoxicating tour operates every week Monday through Thursday.

Your adventure begins in white water rafting Colorado’s famous Royal Gorge section of the Arkansas River.

After your tour of the vineyard get ready to fly through the amazing scenery of the Royal Gorge past the famous Royal Gorge Bridge, up over the rim of the Gorge to land gently back at Royal Gorge Rafting!

Gorge Rafting Royal whitewater

Enjoy a 24-mile journey through the world famous Royal Gorge on the Historic Royal Gorge Route Railway. The Royal Gorge route is celebrated as the “Scenic Line of the World”. Pairing this tour with a Colorado White Water Rafting trip on America’s most popular river, the Arkansas, makes for an amazing event for the entire family!

Tour operators offer promotions that include both royal gorge whitewater rafting and the Historic Royal Gorge Route Railroad. You may choose which comes first, the Rafting or the Railway

You have the option to raft one day and ride the train the next day. Or experience both outstanding rides in a day?s time. Choose from any trip the Royal Gorge Route Railway offers. Pair it up with a Royal Gorge Rafting Adventure of your choice. Railway departure times are the 9:30 am, 3:30 pm or the 7:00 pm departures from the Santa Fe Depot in Ca?n City.

For more information about Gorge Rafting Royal whitewater and Colorado white water rafting, click here.

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Colorado Rafting River whitewater

February 21st, 2017 ernie Posted in Colorado No Comments »

Colorado Rafting River whitewaterColorado is home to some of the most scenic and exhilarating whitewater river rafting in the United States.  It can provide the basis for a fun and memorable vacation. On river rafting trips you will meet other people who enjoy being outdoors under the Colorado sky. Bask in the splendor of the Rocky Mountain scenery, lay your head back and watch the clouds drift by. Enjoy a Colorado river rafting whitewater adventure.

Rafters can choose from family rafting excursions on Class one or two whitewater trips that last for a half a day. Also multi-day Class 5 trips that offer the adventure tour junky an exhilarating ride down one of many Colorado Whitewater rafting river runs.

Colorado Rafting River whitewater

Where ever you go whitewater river rafting, whether it is in Colorado or one of the other popular whitewater rafting locations across the USA, always investigate and confirm the experience of the guides. Consequently check the quality of the equipment and the maintenance of the equipment. Most companies are excellent in this regard. However you are taking an adventure tour and safety must be a prime concern.

Class 1 and 2 whitewater rapids in Colorado are usually ok for beginners, children and seniors. Class 3, 4 & 5 are progressively more difficult and require increased levels of physical ability including being a strong swimmer. If you are taking a class 5 whitewater rafting tour, always make sure that you are up to being able to swim in the rapids. For example make sure you have been trained in the ability to swim out of a whitewater rapids river.

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Aspen Colorado Camping

November 25th, 2016 ernie Posted in Colorado No Comments »

Aspen Colorado CampingAspen, Colorado is more than just a skier’s paradise—it’s also an ideal spot for camping. The beauty of the mountains and forest surrounding it give it, its well-deserved reputation as a first-rate camping area. From all over the world, people pour in to get a taste of this exciting and unique experience. Aspen Colorado Camping is the kind of place you’ll never get enough of and will come back again and again.

Some campgrounds in Aspen, Colorado are beginning to open their gates earlier every year. Among them is the Aspen-Basalt Campground. This is an especially beautiful place that can offer much in the way of natural scenery to the visitor. It is an Aspen, Colorado landmark that’s well-known as a great place for almost any kind of outdoor enthusiast or camper. People often speak of its fantastic offerings to all stripes of nature lovers. It has something for everyone, and you’d be hard-pressed not to enjoy yourself here.

The Aspen-Basalt grounds are in the Colorado Rockies. You’ll be within easy reach—200 feet—of the Roaring Fork River. It has its own private waterfront area and you can take advantage of the great fishing opportunities that the River offers. You also are not be far from some other big attractions in the area. Near the Aspen-Basalt Campground, almost right next door, is the Cedar Brook Lake. You can also find the Elk Mountain towers nearby. Besides these attractions, there’s the Toner Creek stream, something you’ll probably see during your stay at the campground.

Aspen Colorado Camping

It’s interesting to note that the Aspen-Basalt Campground, provides excellent sites for RVs. You’ll get sites that are level and come with shade, and most of them are pull-throughs. And another thing to keep in mind is that the campground has 50 amp service at 43 of their RV sites. They also have space for slide-outs, and they measure at least 45 ft. in length. This makes them a very comfortable campsite, the best in Aspen, Colorado.

In the Aspen-Basalt Campground you can also find excellent quality restrooms, as well as a heated pool that’s open during the summer, a game room, a spa, payphones, a grocery store, a place to do laundry, and all sorts of other amenities. This is what you should expect from this incredible Aspen, Colorado campground. Don’t forget either that you’ll be right beside some fishing as it’s located right in front of the Roaring Fork River. If you prefer, there’s also the Frying Pan River, renowned for its big brown trout and rainbow trout.

This river starts in Basalt and flows in from the Ruedi Reservoir, yet another place to enjoy great fishing. During your thrilling Aspen, Colorado trip, you’ll also be well-poised to take advantage of the cycling and hiking opportunities at Maroon Bell Peaks, a mere few meters from the ground.

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Colorado Rafting Whitewater

November 21st, 2016 ernie Posted in Colorado No Comments »

Colorado is home to some of the most scenic and exhilarating rafting whitewater excursions in the United States. A great whitewater rafting river trip in Colorado can be combined with any of the area’s many outdoor activities. As a result they provide the basis for a fun and a memorable vacation. On Colorado Rafting Whitewater rafting trips you will meet other people who enjoy being outdoors under the Colorado sky. Certainly enjoy basking in the splendor of the Rocky Mountain scenery. Lay your head back and watch the clouds drift by. Above all enjoy a Colorado river rafting whitewater adventure.

Rafters can choose from family rafting excursions on Class one or two whitewater trips. These typically last for a half a day. Or they can try multi-day Class 5 trips that offer the adventure tour junky an exhilarating ride down one of many Colorado rafting whitewater river runs.

Colorado Rafting Whitewater

Where ever you go whitewater river rafting, whether it is in Colorado or one of the other popular whitewater rafting locations across the USA. Always investigate and confirm the experience of the guides. For example verify the quality of the equipment and the maintenance of the equipment. Most companies are excellent in this regard. However you are taking an adventure tour and safety must be a prime concern.

Class 1 and 2 whitewater rapids in Colorado are usually ok for beginners, children and seniors. Class 3, 4 & 5 are progressively more difficult and require increased levels of physical ability. This includes being a strong swimmer. If you are taking a class 5 whitewater rafting tour, always make sure that you are  able to swim in the rapids. You need to have been trained in the ability to swim out of a whitewater rapids river.

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Colorado Rafting

May 21st, 2013 ernie Posted in Colorado No Comments »

colorado raftingWould you go on a Colorado rafting trip and not follow the instructions of the rafting guide? Probably not but according to one Colorado rafting guide we talked to, some people will do just that. Occasionally they end up dead because they failed to follow the instructions their guide gave them. Some guides are not forceful enough. Although they will tell their customers not to go swimming in the fast cold water of the Colorado, they will not enforce this rule.

As a result some people will have a little too much to drink. Or just ignore what they have been told. They go swimming in the water which is ice cold. It is melt water from the mountain snows. Next thing you know they are experiencing hypothermia. They may fall into the water and get swept away by the fast flowing water.

Colorado Rafting – Use a Guide

Colorado rafting can be a lot of fun especially if you follow the guidelines laid out by an experienced guide. Avoid drinking a lot, follow the rules for camp that your guide provides. Avoid going into the water unless it is specifically approved by the guide and you have someone with you who can swim and rescue you quickly.

A guide we talked to said that if his guests would not follow his directions, he would call in a helicopter and have them taken out at their expense. He would rather have a mad customer than a dead one. Which is exactly what would happen if they went into the water in places where it was really unsafe.

Some guides are young and although experienced on the river are not experienced in handling people. In situations like this when older adults who should know better start talking down to the guide and use their older adult influence, the guide may give in. This is the worst thing that can happen for everyone concerned. If you end up in the water you are going to get hypothermia very quickly and you may not even realize what is happening to you until it is too late.

Falling down in the water only makes it worse and if your body is dashed against rocks in the fast flowing water you will have little chance of getting out alive. Follow your guides instructions, they know what they are doing and what is safe for them and their guests. This is so important and it could be your life that you save simply by following your guides instructions.

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Rafting in Colorado

May 7th, 2013 ernie Posted in Colorado No Comments »

rafting in coloradoWe were out hiking not too long ago and had the fortunate experience to meet a man who used to be a white water river rafting guide on the Colorado river. He is now retired. However he used to take tourists rafting in Colorado on the Colorado river. This was in the Grand Canyon area of Arizona and Nevada.

They would go on one week as well as two week excursions. Camping every night and navigating the river during the day. They would stop along various scenic places for picture taking. He would explain the many natural formations that you see along the river. This guy was still really fit. He could hike the trails with no problem at all and he was approaching 70 years old!

There were some pretty strong rapids to navigate as well providing thrills for the guide and his guests. He thoroughly enjoyed most of the time that he spent on the river and guiding  people while rafting on the Colorado river. Apparently there were some not so good times as well.

Rafting in Colorado – Accidents

Once of the things we asked him was whether he ever had any accidents. Or if anyone ever dies while on some of these trips. His surprising answer was yes, several times which really surprised us. We asked him to explain how some of these accidents happened. What he would have to do when this happened.

One of the problems is that some people would ignore the guides rules and common sense. They might have too much to drink. They would take chances that they might not have taken if they had not been drinking around camp at night. The river runs very cold due to the fact that the water comes from snow melt far up in the Colorado mountains. Anyone in the water for more than three or four minutes can end up with hypothermia. It also runs very fast. If you lose your footing, you are quickly swept away down river to either be dashed on rocks or suffer from hypothermia. Not a fun way to die.

Even though these people were told what would happen, they would go swimming at night. They would experience hypothermia. Before they knew what was happening would be swept away by the very strong current to their death. Their bodies would be found some time later further along the river. Pay attention to what your guide is telling you when you go rafting on the Colorado river or any other river for that matter.

 

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Rafting Colorado

March 7th, 2013 ernie Posted in Colorado No Comments »

Rafting ColoradoRafting Colorado tours are some of the most exhilarating and exciting white water tours available. In the spring the snow melt cascades down the mountain streams to collect in the tributaries of the Colorado River. There are some really interesting and challenging tours available. Anyone planning to book one of these tours should do their homework. Read up on the rivers, their rating levels, the associated requirements and the planned trips offered by various tour companies.

River Ratings Change with the Season

River ratings can change depending on the season and the amount of water that is melting from the winter snows, storms in the area up-stream. Even water allowed through dams that are managing the water levels of lakes above them. If you are a novice or someone concerned about the skill level required for a particular rafting trip, call ahead to confirm. There is no sense booking a trip and then deciding not to go. Or worse not being allowed to go on the trip because you do not qualify for the river level rating.

The water can be very cold, especially in the spring with the air temperature is still cool. The spring runoff temperature is near freezing. Hypothermia can set in easily. All rafters are encouraged to wear wet suits to protect them from the extreme cold of the water. Some companies will provide wet suits as part of the package. Always bring extra clothes to change into in case everything gets wet from your trip.

Preparing For Your Rafting Trip

The rafting Colorado tour guide will provide you with a list of things to bring with you for your trip. These items will be transported to the landing point where you finish your trip to change into warm clothes. These are exciting excursions and everyone can find a rafting trip in Colorado to meet their skill levels as well as wait for warmer temperatures in the summer time.

Your guides have been down the river many times and know the dangerous points to be careful around and those that are safe. They also know how quickly the river can cause a person to have hypothermia. If your guide tells you to not go swimming in the evening or to stay out of the water, there is a really good reason why you should follow their advice.  People have died because they did not follow the directions of their river guides. They know what they are talking about and should always be listened to. In fact the guide may have you evicted from the trip rather than risk someone dieing on his watch.

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Arkansas Bighorn Sheep Canyon

June 21st, 2012 ernie Posted in Colorado 2 Comments »

Along the Arkansas river there is an area called the Bighorn Sheep Canyon Arkansas Bighorn Sheep Canyonarea. It furnishes a class 3 set of rapids and rafters can enjoy a 38 mile or 61 kilometer trip. The rafting season typically lasts from May though August, however as with all rivers, you should call ahead to make sure that the river is suitable for rafting at the time of year you are planning. Also you might need to make reservations, so always call ahead.

Although this river is called the Arkansas, it is actually located in the state of Colorado in the United States.

The Best Rapids

The best rapids along the Arkansas River include the following:

  • Badger Creek,
  • Tin Cup,
  • Spider,
  • Maytag,
  • Devils Hole,
  • Cottonwood,
  • Texas Creek

This is a long section of river that is 38 miles in length and there are various alternatives for white water rafters, such as day trips, overnight trips and multi day trips that can including camping.

There are also various trips offered by a variety of companies that include all or a portion of this 38 mile river trip.  Some trips are as short as 5 miles while other half day trips can be 10 miles in length. Discuss your skill level with your guide and select the right trip for you and your group based on the lowest skill level of the group.

Arkansas Bighorn Sheep Canyon – Multi Day Trips

Arkansas Bighorn Sheep CanyonThere  is the Arkansas Royal Gorge, the Browns Canyon and several multi day trips that can be booked.

This area is also known for the bighorn sheep that abound in the area.  It can be very exciting to catch a glimpse of these animals while on a rafting trip.

There is no guarantee that you will actually be able to see any of these sheep that dwell in the area. Keep your eyes peeled for them on the cliffs as you drift down the river.

They are often out in the early morning hours and the late evening hours. You can see them easily along some of the cliffs that border the river. It is always a fantastic site to see these wild animals in the wild. don’t forget to protect the environment and take everything out with you that you brought along with you on your trip.

Your guides will be responsible for all of your gear and ensure that you are able to maximize opportunities to see these beautiful animals along the Arkansas bighorn sheep canyon white water rafting trip.

Comments are welcome. Let us know what you think about this particular white water rafting opportunity.

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