In fact, all his words amount to encouragement if you’re on the fence considering whether or not you’ll like a wilderness rafting trip.

You might be worried about this or that, but you needn’t worry at all, says Michael Lanning.

“The main reason is, in rafting, there are a number of options,” Lanning says. “You can really make it your trip.”

Mr. Lanning knows what he’s talking about. Last summer, he ran the Tuolumne River with his family. Shortly thereafter, he celebrated his 80th birthday.

“I even took my wife along,” he explains. “She’s 83.”

Lanning took his first whitewater river trip in 1966, in old Navy “crash” boats down the Salmon River. He’s kept at it ever since, ticking off rivers throughout the West.

He’s organized trips for church youth groups and Boy Scouts, introducing thousands of people to the joys of river travel and camping.

It doesn’t have to be crazy, he assures.

“One can really exert oneself, be in a paddle boat and be in on the action and thrill,” Lanning says. “Or you can be in an oar boat and be a tourist, taking pictures.”

The 4 other areas of concern that Lanning has heard over the years? He’s got thoughts on each:

Getting out of the boat

For older travelers, he says, footing is the biggest concern. “You’re not as sure of yourself,” he says. But, that’s what guides are there for, to help. They expect to do it. And, for the most part, the sandy beaches where raft trips stop are pretty easy to get around.

Staying clean

“You’re clean all the time — it’s not like camping,” Lanning says. “You’re constantly clean, because you’re on the river.” He also believes people are pleasantly surprised by bathroom etiquette on river trips. “I tell them the restrooms are extremely clean and very handy,” he says. “They get a kick out of it.”

Sleeping

On this most recent trip, Lanning learned that two twenty-somethings had never slept in a sleeping bag. “Some folks have no experience getting a little primitive, and this can be a worry,” he says. “Usually, they find they sleep better than they do at home.” For himself, Lanning even prefers to shun the tent in favor of a night’s rest beneath the stars, noting there are few insects to be found along the sandy beaches.

The food

You don’t get to the age of 80 without being health-conscious, and that goes for diet, too. Lanning says people are shocked at what fare is possible on a river trip. “You’re eating fresh food the whole time,” he says. “It’s very nutritious, and there’s amazing variety, including the desserts. It’s one of the things the guides are proudest of.”

If that’s still not enough to persuade a would-be river traveler, Lanning appeals to your sense of exclusivity and history. How would you like to stand where no one’s stood since Native Americans passed through? How about a hike that only a couple dozen people see in any year? How about camping on a sandy beach reserved just for your group?

“And just the sound of the water,” he says, “and the sound of the trees, and the clear, clear skies.”

What keeps you from venturing out on a wilderness river trip? Got advice from your own rafting experiences? Let us know in the comments below.

The post Don’t Let This 80-Year-Old Call You A Wimp appeared first on River Currents.

It can, friends. Oh, it can, and it does.

You might be an aficionado of brightly colored Hypalon rubber — how the waves lapping against it turn it into a drum, how it feels cushy on your bum.

(Yeah, that was supposed to rhyme. Sorry.)

But, there is an entirely different world, my river running people.

Open your mind, your heart, and be converted to the fandom of the dory.

What’s a dory? Well, first of all, fun with a capital “F.”

Even if you’ve experienced whitewater rapids from a perch in an inflatable raft, you should consider taking a river trip in a dory.

It’s a bucking bronco in the rapids. In the flatwater, it’s sleek and graceful.

Consider these common questions:

What is a dory?

It’s a hard-hulled boat, usually about 17 feet long. It gives you the authentic feel of an explorer from days of yore.

How many people does it hold?

Usually 4 passengers, plus the guide who rows from the center of the dory.

Is it comfortable?

Even though it’s hard-hulled, there’s a pad in a cut-out seat for each crew person.

Why this design?

Dories are based on the traditional wooden boats that explorer John Wesley Powell first took down the Grand Canyon. Fun, and history.

How’s the ride?

Did I mention fun? Dories give you a serious roller coaster ride. And this is a participatory deal: You’ll be challenged with helping the dory punch through waves by shifting your body weight.

Kids love riding in dories. If you’re really after a “classic” river experience, this is the way to go — the complete antithesis of a motorized boat. A lot of folks who try out dories never go back to their rubber cousins.

If this sounds intriguing, you should know dory trips can be had on almost every O.A.R.S. trip in Idaho and some in Cataract Canyon, in addition to the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon.

Have you had the pleasure of a dory ride? Tell these folks about it in the comments below.

The post How To End Up A Dory Convert appeared first on River Currents.

They fear beans and weenies. 

They think, “What has modern science learned to freeze dry lately?”

They expect cold cuts. For breakfast.

I have yet to talk to an O.A.R.S. guest, however, who doesn’t mention the over-the-top quality of meals.

Multiple times.

How good can it be, you ask?

First, you should know the guides shop before each trip, and they try to get the freshest, most locally-sourced, and even organic goods they can.

Know that they’re packing up stoves, real silverware, and jamming coolers full of ice. So, you’re getting fresh produce, cold juice, prime cuts of meat, and eating doesn’t feel like an elementary school picnic.

Need some examples, try these:

Breakfast

How about Eggs Benedict, or French toast, or pancakes with sausage, or egg, cheese and sausage burritos, all served with fruit, yogurt and cereal?

Lunch

Pulled pork sandwiches, anyone? How about chicken Caesar salad wraps? We’ve got bagels and lox and cream cheese. Or tuna salad. All of it’s garnished with veggies, dips, chips, crackers and cookies.

Dinner

This is where your mind gets blown: cheese, grape and wine appetizers to start. Salmon with couscous. Asparagus. Spinach salad with hazelnuts and blueberries. Strawberry shortcake. That’s one meal folks.

Another: Caprese bruschetta apps, then tri-tip beef or halibut, with corn on the cob, mashed potatoes and homemade coleslaw. Ever had brownies from a Dutch oven for dessert? You will.

Culinary Adventures

If you’re a real foodie, like, a serious gourmet, or if you just like to eat like royalty, there are some specialty trips you should check out. Join executive chefs, brewmasters and vintners who help us put on floating feasts that combine incredible culinary concoctions with amazing libations.

Example: Andouille sausage, shrimp and crawfish fritter with cilantro remoulade paired with Pinot Noir. Then a charcuterie platter, with a Roussanne. Those are the appetizers. Then a farm cabbage salad, with lemon tarragon vinaigrette, paired with a Viognier. Follow with a Chicken Viogneir entree with morel mushrooms, white truffle grits and micro mustard green salad. Mate that with a Syrah. Top it off with “Downtown” s’mores — chocolate ganache and toasted marshmallows, with a Port from Woodridge Creek Winery.

That’s just 1 meal from this year’s Wine Tasting Trip on the Rogue River in Oregon.

Mouth watering yet? And all that, while you squish your toes into a sandy beach, beside a pristine wilderness river.

Let’s meet for dinner, why don’t we? 

The post The Meals You Won’t Believe We Serve On River Trips appeared first on River Currents.

Let’s start by noting that, if you’re hesitant to try an outdoor vacation, you’re about to hear about a 4-year-old and 8-year-old that kayaked Grand Teton.

If you’re a parent itching for this kind of trip, but wondering if it’s a good idea, what with your kids and all, let this suffice as a, “Yes, you can.”

Nicolas Zibell and his family had never experienced the U.S.’s western national parks, but he wanted to open his daughters’ eyes to their grandeur.

Clara, 8 years old, and Chloe, 4, were excited about the trip from the get-go, Nicolas says.

“It was new, it was beautiful,” he says. “They actually thought it was fun.”

The Zibell family — Nicolas, his wife, and daughters — joined an O.A.R.S. crew on a Jackson Lake kayaking trip in Grand Teton National Park. It was 2 days of paddling and hiking, plus a night of camping.

The highlights according to Nicolas:

• Incredible scenery

• Surprisingly gourmet meals

• Surprisingly comfortable camp set-up

• Beautiful moments around the campfire

• Two young girls hooked on active, outdoor adventures

“When they wanted to paddle, they could paddle,” Nicolas says, describing how he and his wife took a daughter each in their tandem kayaks. “Sometimes they didn’t help — they actually paddled backwards. They also wanted to compete and finish before the other.”

The family even experienced one of the ever-present worries of outdoor trips: a rain storm. But, he says, the girls took it all in stride.

“It’s an adventure, but it’s very comfortable,” Nicolas says. “Even if you don’t know anything about [kayaking and camping], there’s no reason you can’t do it.”

With his busy business life, Nicolas says he appreciated the chance to get out of cell phone service and spend quality time with his daughters.

“It’s the perfect way to reconnect with the kids,” he says.

And the next day, his oldest daughter asked to go whitewater rafting. 

The wildlife, looking at the stars at night, the fog lifting off the lake in the morning, the hike over wooden bridges, bear scratches on a tree — it all had a big impact on them all.

“The kids still remember it,” he says.

 The Zibells will be joining the O.A.R.S. family again this summer, for a taste of whitewater on the Lower Klamath River in California.

Does you have a great family vacation story from an outdoor adventure? Feel free to share it in the comments below!

The post Is Our Youngest Paddler Tougher Than You? appeared first on River Currents.

They have the incredible ability to make you forget anything that might have been bothering you back in the “real” world.

They offer you an opportunity to rethink, to reinvent yourself.

People toss around the expression, “You’re only as old as you think/feel,” and a river trip will make you a believer.

Just in case you need some tips to coax yourself out of fogey-dom, here are some things that will help leave your “old fart” self behind.

1. Laugh at everything. You might be the type that would frown when your burger falls off the plate into the sand. You might quietly curse the teen-ager who points out your black socks look awful with your tennis shoes. You might look at whitewater rapids with trepidation. Laugh at them all. Out loud.

2. DO NOT get up early. There are guides to do everything, including make the coffee and get your kids up. In fact, ask the guides to be sure to rouse your kids, while you sleep later than you did as a teen-ager.

3. Say yes to every question. Wanna have a splash fight? Would you like to hike a mile to a waterfall? Does anyone like to dance without music? Who wants to play horseshoes? You’ll be asked these questions and more. There is only one correct answer, and it’s not a curmudgeonly “no.”

4. Complete a daily check-list: Give out at least one high-five, give one hug, have a who-can-make-a-sillier-face contest with a stranger, eat one food item with your hands (that shouldn’t be), make up a new river name for yourself and survey the rest of the crew as to its appropriateness. Do each of these every day, and it will roll back your age 20 years.

It has been clinically verified in Swiss labs that doing all of the above makes it 99% impossible to feel like an old fart. 

I double-dog dare you to find out.

Got any tricks of your own for keeping your Scrooge-side at bay? Let us hear about in the comments.

The post How To Not Feel Like An ‘Old Fart’ On A River Trip appeared first on River Currents.

And, to pitch a tent there — or better yet, just to sprawl out and slumber beneath the stars — is soul food of a sort you never forget.

Take this photo above, as our first example. 

Join us on the Tatshenshini River for 11 nights just like this: snow-capped peaks, glacial blue waters burbling not far from your bed. How many friends would perk up as you began to recount camping on a river beach in Alaska?

On the Grand Canyon, there are almost too many marvelous campsites to pick a winner. But, if you get a chance to spend the night at Pancho’s Kitchen, you won’t soon forget it. This geological feature is a curious sight, to say the least.

Campsites with incredible vistas aren’t limited to rivers in the U.S. Take a trip down to Chile’s Rio Futaleufu. Yes, those would be Andean peaks within view of the riverside hot tub.

The Lower Salmon River in Idaho is probably the perfect family-friendly rafting trip — just the right amount of whitewater, the perfect helping of floating, swimming and playing. Not uncommon to throw up a volleyball net at the campsites here, as there are football field-sized beaches everywhere.

We’re all guilty of forgetting to look up often enough and soak up the starlight. You can’t miss it, though, on the clear nights you spend on the beach along the Yampa River. You’ll wonder if the giant lizards that give Dinosaur National Monument its name paused to consider this beautiful universe, too.

Where is your favorite campsite? Got a photo of your own to share? Drop us a note in the comments below.

The post 5 Of The Best River Campsites In The World appeared first on River Currents.

Things that made me blink in disbelief, things that stiffened my spine in shock, and things that doubled me over, crippled by laughter.

And that’s just from the river trips.

It’s this last part that deserves our attention. If you like to laugh, you’ll find a wealth of it on the river. 

Consider these examples:

1. Where else will you see a grown man put on a lifejacket like a diaper so he can float and take in the scenery? Absurd.

2. The lumberjack’s log-rolling competition, carried out on the back of an inflatable kayak, is pretty high on this list. You will never tire of watching mom best her son in this king-of-the-mountain competition, silly as it is.

3. Not everyone can pull themselves back into the raft after hopping out for a swim. Not everyone makes sure their board shorts are tight and secure around the waist before they hop in. Not everyone realizes their shorts are approaching their knees as family members haul them back in. Enough said, perhaps. Certainly absurd.

4. No one looks dashing and sophisticated when they fall asleep sitting up in a chair. It’s cute when the kids do it, hilarious when it’s dad, zonked out in his camp chair beside the fire, before twilight has even faded, and he wakes himself up with his own snoring to find the rest of the crew having a chuckle. 

5. Is there anything more absurd than a splash fight, really? You’ll have more of these on a rafting trip than you’ve had thus far in your life.

6. People in costume, in the middle of nowhere: River trips often feature at least one night of dress-up fun. I urge you to be the one that offers the idea. Pack some spandex. Bring a wig. Wear a leisure suit. Feather boas pack light. It will be the best absurd memory you made happen.

And there will be more and different moments that can only be categorized as wacky.

Go forth. Seek them out.

What would a day be without them?

Have an absurd memory from a river trip? Share it with your fellow adventurers in the comments below.

The post 6 Absurd Things You Will *Only* See On A Rafting Trip appeared first on River Currents.

But, I’m not.

A Syrah goes exceptionally well with whitewater, particularly when it’s paired with Chicken Viognier with morel mushrooms, white truffle grits and micro mustard green salad.

Just as an example off the top of my head. (Sort of.)

The fresh air of pristine rivers is certainly complemented by the bouquet of a Cabernet Franc. Pair this with a Dungeness crab-crusted fillet with Creole Hollandaise, potato hash and grilled asparagus salad, and what rafter wouldn’t call the day complete?

Maybe a chardonnay is more your style, you say, as its body and clarity go so well with the bubble of rapids and eddies. In that case, let us sup on pink sea salt-crusted sockeye salmon, say, with a sweet dill vinaigrette, garden vegetable and smoked Gouda risotto, and a citrus jicama slaw.

But, wait! We’ve forgotten the wines to pair with appetizers. And desserts! (How could we forget dessert?)

What goes well with lemon streusel-topped, white chocolate creme anglaise-dashed raspberry tart and oar rigs? Well, the Roxy Ann Winery’s Late Harvest Rielsing comes to mind.

As I sink my toes into untouched beach sand riverside, I often find myself craving a Pinot Noir to tie together the flavors in an andouille sausage, shrimp and crawfish fritter with cilantro remoulade.

And, of course, we’ll be having s’mores at the campfire. You might like a Port from Woolridge Creek Winery to go with them, and the sight of stars reflecting on ripples in the river.

OK, so I sort of cheated. I didn’t think this up at all. But it might surprise you to know this is all off the menu of a single trip earlier this year — a Rogue River Wine Trip.

Chef David Georgeson of the Ashland Springs Hotel put together this menu (and more), pairing up his favorite dishes with wines from Valley View Winery.

If gourmet is your thing, you should find out how heightened the sensitivity of your palate is after a day on the water, in some of the most beautiful places on earth.

Not only do O.A.R.S. guides know how to cook up a storm in their own right, but chefs are regularly invited along to share their epicurean creations on culinary whitewater adventures.

No beans and weenies here. Come find out.

What sort of food fantasies do you have when you’re off in the wilderness? Tell us your dream river meal in the comments below.

The post 6 Wines That Go Well With Whitewater appeared first on River Currents.

These souvenirs will be tucked into crevices you might have forgotten you had.

We all have these hidey-holes, flaps, cracks and nooks that will remind us, hopefully only as long after as our first shower back in civilization, just how far out in the wilds we traveled, and what good clean fun it was getting a little bit dirty.

You will find sand in:

1. Your hair. Unless you’re used to a large, granular form of dandruff, this will be noticeable, no doubt. Depending on the thickness, curliness and natural oiliness of your hair, this should come out in exactly 1.5 shampoos. We hear that Vidal Sassoon was working on a special variety of conditioner just for raft guides and their guests, right before his untimely passing. We fear this secret formula may have departed with him.

2. Your belly button. Like the cotton lint of new T-shirts and your pajamas (yes, we know you wear the ones with the footies), you’ll be mining sand out of here. Yes, we know. This is just weird. Belly buttons are weird. Let’s move on. Slight pause, as the “outies” shout “yes!” in triumph of not having to worry about this.

3. Your shoes. Lots of folks wear a pair of sneakers on river trips. This is fine, except the perhaps largest deficiency they have compared to a good pair of sandals becomes evident after the trip: They will never stop producing sand. You’ll shake and beat them. You’ll remove the insoles and brush them. You’ll wash them. And they will never stop producing sand, almost like dunking them in the river has turned them into magical, foot-borne sand factories.

4. Your tooth brush. Maybe this is just me, I don’t know. But, despite a tooth brush case, protected by a toiletry case, wrapped into a towel, inside a dry bag, I have at least one crunchy bicuspid-cleaning moment per river trip and find myself wondering why the CIA doesn’t use sand to infiltrate the headquarters of our enemies around the world.

5. Your ears. Yeah, I know, you’d think you’d feel this. You’d think it’d come out the first time you Q-tipped the heck out of them upon your return. This is a wonder worthy of a Nova episode, really, because incredibly, as much as a week later, you’ll feel a tickle tumbling out of your cochlea, and tilting your head into your cupped hand, there it will be: a silicon dioxide souvenir.

I once worked at a Japanese restaurant — don’t ask why; it was before I discovered whitewater — and I used to be amazed at the places I would find rice had worked its way into. And, I’m not talking about cracks in the soles of my shoes. I’m talking about places, I thought, that had been protected by layers and layers of clothing.

But, no, there it was, hours later, sticky proof of where I’d been and what I’d been doing.

I mention this not as a wacky aside, because I know it’s a little bit gross, but to paint a picture for those high on the hygiene-need scale that, while a little sand in places that never truly touched the beach might be nettlesome, it could be worse. Rafting is way more fun than a bowl of rice in your Fruit of the Looms.

Are you still finding sand in your river gear? Tell us about that trip, and any tips for dealing with such challenges in the comments below.

The post 5 Places You Won’t Believe You Find Sand After A River Trip appeared first on River Currents.

This is surprising, of course, to river guides, but even more so to the travelers themselves, who thought to ask about what to wear, what the rapids are like, what’s for dinner, where they’ll sleep, how the, uh, bathroom issues work out, and many other details that have far less to do with how they’re going to cover miles and miles of water over the span of days or weeks.

“Where do I sit?” some ask.

“Which end is the front?” others inquire.

“What if it gets a hole poked in here?” they wonder.

This is all quite natural, so don’t worry. And, there’s no test, obviously.

There are actually quite a lot of details about various river craft that determine how it performs, how comfortable it is, and so on. But, really, unless you’re driving, there are only a few things that should really concern you.

In fact, I’d say these are the only 3 differences you need to know about river boats:

Hard or soft?

Your boat is going to be inflatable, or not. Inflatable rafts are awesome because they’re big and roomy, and they’ll remind you of the bouncy-jumpy-playland fun of your youth. They’re also going to have self-bailing floors — and all you need to know about that is that you don’t have to scoop out the water that splashes into the boat every time you crash through a wave.

If your boat is hard, you’re likely riding in a dory. High-five, because you’re in for an incredible ride. You might be headed down the Grand Canyon, Cataract Canyon or on one of O.A.R.S.’s Idaho trips. These hard-hulled boats originated as ocean-going fishing boats, actually, but they slice up the Colorado like a Ginsu. They also float pretty high, so you get an awesome view from the top of those wave trains you’ll be roller-coastering down.

Oh, and just because you’re still wondering: Those inflatable boats can get punctured, but that rarely happens, and they’re multi-chambered so they’ll never lose all their air from one hole.

How’s it propelled?

You get out of a river trip what you put into it, I think, so the most satisfying boat is propelled by paddles. This means you’ve got the same tool the guide does, and we all work together to get the raft down the river. If this is the way you go, you’ll definitely be in an inflatable raft, as described above.

Want to paddle, but maybe want some help? There’s the oar raft with paddle-assist for this. In this setup, the guide will sit in the back of the raft with two large oars on either side. This gives your boat tons of maneuverability and plenty of power.

Lounging as you float is its own kind of therapy. To get some, climb aboard a full oar rig — probably the gear boat that’s accompanying your multi-day trip — and soak up some sun. Just don’t sleep through the rapids. But, don’t be fooled, even if it’s just the guide rowing, you’re going to have work to do: You’ll learn the art and science of weight management, as you shift around the boat as rapids demand. In a dory, you’ll be on bailing duty, too.

You also might end up on a motorized boat. If you join O.A.R.S. through Cataract Canyon, their 22-foot pontoon rig offers both wild and mild rides, depending on where you sit. This rig gets us into the whitewater in a timely fashion on the 4-day version of this trip.

How many people does it fit?

With any of the rafts or dories, you’re always going to have a guide in there with you. From there, it’s just a function of the size of the boat (or the size of your group, perhaps).

With a paddle crew or an oar raft with paddle assist, there will be at least 4 of you, but maybe up to 8.

On an oar rig or a dory, you’ll be a 3- to 5-person crew.

The motorized raft will fit up to 8 passengers.

If you’ve got an adventurous streak, you can also get some solo time down the river: Most trips bring along “duckies,” or inflatable kayaks, and stand-up paddleboards for you to try your hand at. And, don’t forget about the sea kayaking trips you could be taking, too.

Still have questions about the boats? Don’t hesitate to post them in the comments below.

The post The Only 3 Differences You Need To Know About River Boats appeared first on River Currents.