The kids were painting around the campfire—yes, painting, I tell you, with a small watercolors set I’d packed at the last minute—while Julie and I dawdled on the shores of Jackson Lake. The tents were pitched on Grassy Island, the sun setting behind the great bulk of Mount Moran. I could hear the chop of kitchen knives from somewhere in the pines. I could smell woodsmoke. And I was in an unfamiliar circumstance: I didn’t have anything to do.

On any other family camping trip, much less one that involved sea kayaks, backpacking tents, and a surprise birthday cake for my daughter, I would have been crazed with camp chores—chopping veggies, chopping firewood, sweating over a Dutch oven birthday cake, issuing orders to my loyal subjects. Instead, my son and daughter channeled Monet. My wife and I channeled hand-holding couples you see on sappy Valentine’s Day cards, walking in the sunset. Instead, a couple of whistle-while-they-work kayak guides dealt with the details.

Getting the main dish and the sides ready at the same time? Their problem.

Bear-proofing the kitchen? Their problem.

Fretting about the height of the firewood pile? Don’t look at me.

Hear me out: I absolutely enjoy putting together a big ol’ family camping trip. I enjoy the logistics, I love to cook, I like the feeling of doing it on my own, I get a lot of satisfaction from using my camping know-how to create great memories for the family.

But every now and then, I like to hand over the reins and outsource most aspects of a family camping trip except the family part. Hiring an outfitter to sweat the small stuff—and the big stuff and the medium-sized stuff—frees me up to worry more about the hand I’m dealt in a family game of fireside Crazy 8s than whether or not the pineapple upside down cake is burning in the fire.

Maybe it’s the easy way out. But we’re still in the back of beyond, together. We’re still a long ways from a hotel room and family night glued to Netflix. On Jackson Lake, we still paddled our own kayaks. We still set up our own tents and set up house just the way we liked it—one tent for the father and son, another for mother and daughter, facing each other so we could chat back and forth in the long twilight of the Grand Tetons.

But I didn’t have to think about what time we had to leave to catch our shuttle or whether I tied the boats up far enough from the water or what time I had to get up to get the coffee on.

On Grassy Island, I had time to help out with the the painted colors of a Jackson Lake sunset, instead of the baked-on aftermath of a pot of Dutch oven stew.

I’ll take that trade, every now and then.

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The post Effortless Camping for the Whole Family (Even Dad!) appeared first on River Currents.

There are only about 90 miles between Jackson Hole, WY, Grand Teton National Park and Yellowstone National Park, but you’ll want at least a week for exploring this stretch of scenic road.  Check out this ultimate road trip itinerary…

Starting point: Jackson Hole, Wyoming

With its proximity to two stunning National Parks, Jackson Hole is a great place to begin and end this once-in-a-lifetime drive. While you’re there, head over to Teton Village for an aerial tram ride with 360-degree panoramic views that offer a glimpse into your adventure ahead.

Jackson Hole to Grand Teton National Park

Five miles past the Jackson Hole Airport along US-191N/US-26E/US-89N you’ll find yourself at the entrance to Grand Teton National Park. Sure, you could skirt right through the park and take in the lakes and majestic peaks quickly, or you could head out on an overnight sea kayaking adventure to explore countless inlets and miles of shoreline on Jackson Lake. You’re not in a rush are you? Good. Then think about combining that kayaking trip with an ultra-scenic float down the Snake River through the heart of Grand Teton National Park.

Grand Teton National Park to Yellowstone National Park

Continue on US-191N/US-26E/US-89N toward Yellowstone for approximately 60 miles. As you drive to Yellowstone, enjoy the jagged glory of the 13,770-foot Grand Teton, and keep your eyes open for elk, moose, and bison. Ready to finally see Old Faithful and the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone? This impressive national park is your playground for as many days as you like. Want more paddling? Try out a half-day sea kayaking excursion on Yellowstone Lake, past the steaming and shimmering geothermal features of the West Thumb Geyser Basin. Or, opt for a guided trek into the backcountry with The Wildland Trekking Company.

Here’s the official route…

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The post Road Trip: Worth the Drive Wyoming appeared first on River Currents.

But their list got us thinking. What are our picks for top travel destinations this year?  So we threw the question out there to a few of our world-traveling guides and here’s what they said (no surprises here that most of their picks revolve around rafting):

“I would go to Nepal, and New Zealand. I’ve done a lot of rivers all over the world over nearly 40 years of boating, but for some strange reason hadn’t yet heard about the Tamur and Kanarli. I’m really keen to hike four days into a super remote Class IV river, see Everest and the Himal along the way, then go down a pristine river so far away from anything that if you went any farther, you’d be coming back!” ~Jeffe Aronson

“Regan and I are going back to do both the Rogue River (which is very unusual and technically fun whitewater). And the Tatshenshini in Alaska. Once is just not enough!” ~Ote Dale

“I’d like to go to Suriname. Because there are rivers there. Because I don’t know anyone who has been there. I have a lot more to learn about it before really considering going there. But the geography, location, cost of travel are all appealing. Also the lure of unknown rivers. There could be lots of first descents to be had…” ~Tom Patoff

“I would go back and explore more of Africa. I’d like to see the deserts and coast in Namibia. I’d also like to do the whole run on the Zambezi.” ~Kate Wollney

So whether you’re looking for a big whitewater rafting adventure or just want to getaway to somewhere new and exotic this year, we hope these destination picks help you plan an incredible vacation in 2013.

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The post Top Travel Destinations of 2013 appeared first on River Currents.

You’d be hard pressed to find a prettier campsite. We’re on a cobblestone beach on Jackson Lake in Grand Teton National Park. Rising behind our beached sea kayaks is 12,605-foot Mt. Moran, showing its might in 6,000 feet of relief rising straight overhead. We’re so close we have to raise our heads to take in both the Black Dike, a giant basalt intrusion scarring its massive face, as well as its towering summit. Book-ending the vista are Bivouac, Eagle’s Rest and Ranger peaks to the north, and the Middle and Grand Teton to the south. Like a backstage pass to a concert, we feel like we’re getting VIP treatment.

We’re here in the heart of one of America’s premier national parks thanks to a unique O.A.R.S. itinerary allowing first-time kayakers, families and more to sea kayak where few people get the chance. With more than 2.5 million visitors annually, the 24,000-acre park is one of the top 10 most popular parks in the nation. But while most visitors rely on drive-by vistas, we’re getting them from the seat of a kayak for two days before continuing on through Yellowstone.

We arrived at Jackson’s Snow King Resort the night before, just in time for a quick alpine slide, and an under-the-antler-arch photo and Western shoot-out reenactment at the town plaza. The next morning we met our guides, April Pocorus and Will Cushner, at the Signal Mountain boat ramp 45 minutes north. They gave us drybags filled with sleeping bags and camp pillows, to which we added our own apparel, as well as smaller personal drybags, PFDs, paddling tops and spray skirts. Then we adjusted the footpegs of two 17.5-foot Perception Carolina tandem kayaks so the sternsmen—my wife, Denise, and I—could steer them via retractable rudders. Our daughters, Casey, 10, and Brooke, 13, would command the bows.

A quick safety and basic skills talk saw us push off into semi-choppy water straight toward the spine of the Tetons, Will following in a motorized raft with the food and gear. Our destination: Grassy Island, about six miles away, at the foot of Mt. Moran.

“Whee, this is fun!” exclaimed Casey as we paddled into the chop. “It’s like a roller-coaster!”

An hour or so later, Casey giggling with each splash, we made landfall on tiny Marie Island for lunch. While the guides prepared our meal—fruit and vegetable appetizers with a scrumptious, build-your own sandwich buffet—we skipped rocks, explored the island and loosened our limbs for the next leg.

Putting back in and wavering our bows across the silhouette of Grassy Island in the distance, we marveled at our surroundings. The lake runs 15 miles long, paralleling the backbone of the Tetons. Paddling to O.A.R.S.’ secluded campsite, you head straight toward them, including Skillet Glacier clinging to the face of Moran.

Moran gobbling up more and more of the sky, soon we rounded a point and arrived at Grassy Island, named for a fire that deforested it a hundred years earlier. But now the Lodgepole Pines have regrown into a tight stand seemingly made for hammocks and, as Casey pointed out, Capture the Flag.

On longer trips—O.A.R.S. offers three- and five-day options as well—guests camp at different spots, hiking along the way on some of the park’s 200 miles of trails. One classic is Moran Canyon right across the bay from us. Now, however, its sheer walls are enveloped in clouds.

After relaxing for a spell, Brooke busying herself with a teenie-bop book and Casey balance-beaming on fallen logs, we head out for an evening paddle around the island. The water has turned mirror smooth, reflecting everything from our blades to the tops of the peaks. Back at camp, Will, soon heading to his fall job guiding elk hunting trips in Montana, has whipped up salmon with fresh dill, garlic-laced asparagus and artichoke-augmented salad. A short time later, a storm gathers intensity, causing us to batten down the hatches. Gathering our gear on the beach, I hold Casey up prone into the wind, where she flies as if she’s on the bow of the Titanic. Hot chocolate sees us to our tents, where the pitter-patter of rain lulls us asleep.

April’s 6:30 a.m. coffee call drags us from our cozy slumber to a breakfast of egg, cheese and Canadian bacon sandwiches. Then we pack our gear and head out, the peaks waking up behind us, rubbing their eyes to dissipate their shroud of clouds. We cross Bear Paw Bay, where an eagle traces our every stroke from his perch atop a fir, before stopping for a swim on an island littered with moose tracks.

Then we point our bows back toward Signal Mountain, craning our necks behind us for final views of the majestic range. “Too bad we don’t have rearview mirrors,” chimes in Casey from the bow. Indeed it is, I muse, happy that our rear-view memories of the trip will last a lifetime.

The post A Backstage Pass to America’s Premiere Park appeared first on River Currents.

Sometimes all you need are a few pieces of gear and a rugged landscape to escape and sometimes all you need is a sea kayak on the open water. Some of the most beautiful places on Earth are best seen from the quiet solitude of a kayak.

Whether it’s discovering a hidden cove, a secluded trailhead, or a secret river canyon, exploring by paddle can take you into areas that are often times inaccessible by land, and can offer you a true calmness that one finds only after a few disconnected days in the great outdoors.

Imagine yourself here…

You’ve just flown into some remote part of the world, or perhaps one of the most impressive National Parks known to man. You packed up everything you’d bring on a backpacking trip, but instead of throwing everything on your back and heading out on foot, you toss the gear into a boat so you can make your mileage by water.

Day one on the open water is spent unwinding. Yes, your arms have to work to move you along, but each stroke of the paddle takes you further and further into a meditative place where the burn doesn’t exist. Your arms quickly become a part of the boat and your mind begins to escape to the place where your body has already arrived.  You’re finally away from it all.

By day two, the sunrise is on your mind, not the to-do list you left behind. As you sip your morning coffee, or maybe tea, and stare out at those pristine waters watching the sun rise, you realize that you’re finally ready to take in everything that this trip has to offer—the spectacular scenery, the quietness, the wildlife. You’re determined to access that deep place you haven’t been able to get to lately while living on auto-pilot. You come out of your thoughts for a moment. Is that a moose off in the distance? Or perhaps it was a whale? (Depends on where you are.)

Three days in and your mind is wandering. You just pulled the kayak onto shore for a hike to a vantage point that very few people experience each year. When you reach the top, you can see a hundred miles around in every direction. Now you start to daydream about leaving the rat race and finding your roots again. Remember when you had time on the weekends to go for hikes? You need that back. But for now, you need to remember this moment and this amazing vista that you feel lucky to be seeing.

On day four, you’re feeling like a changed person. Your body is stronger, and paddling takes little effort. You could do this forever. And that’s not all, your head is clear too. This was exactly what was needed—deep meditation by kayak.

Unfortunately, it’s time to head back to reality. But not before seeing a few more rare birds and dipping into one more remote cove. The past few days will stick with you longer than you can imagine. And as you unload the kayak, you begin to start thinking about where you’ll head next time.

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The post Meditation by Kayak appeared first on River Currents.

Every once in a while, though, we get feedback from guests who describe the magic or transformation we hope to foster in words we wouldn’t have thought to use, in descriptions that surpass even our expectations.

Chris and Belinda Manuel, of Denver, CO, recently joined us on a Yellowstone-Grand Teton Explorer trip. They sent us a note following the trip that quickly got passed around the O.A.R.S. staff:

“At the end of the trip, on the drive back to the hotel, I remember looking at all the people parked on the side of the road or at the turn-offs taking pictures of the Grand Tetons. I remember feeling a little sorry for all of them because many of them were not ‘experiencing’ the park like we did. They were only going to capture a picture and then get back into the car. The park is so much more than a picture, and you get to appreciate this on your OARS adventure. Last year was our first O.A.R.S. trip. We enjoyed it so much that this year we are going with O.A.R.S. down the Colorado River to experience the Grand Canyon. We wanted more than a picture.”

Thank you, Chris and Belinda.

We can’t wait to see you on the Grand Canyon.

The post Guest Feedback: Yellowstone And Grand Teton National Parks appeared first on River Currents.

It only took ten minutes. Just out of Jackson, a moose and her calf graze at their breakfast, barely registering our presence as the van sped past toward Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks, a.k.a. “America’s Serengeti.”

The game, it seems, is afoot. Let the wild life begin.

We (myself and 5 other adventurers, plus Danny and Ali, our trusted guides) are heading into Wyoming’s wilderness for a week of solitude, sea kayaking and scenery. Everyone else is a seasoned outdoor-person. I, like Dave Barry, have always seen camping as nature’s way of promoting the motel industry. It promises to be an interesting week.

Passing Isa Lake, I crane my neck in hopes of spotting more animals. Choked with yellow water lilies, the lake straddles the Continental Divide, draining into both the Atlantic and the Pacific. Conversation in the van is centered around bears, who’ve been appearing in the headlines with alarming regularity this summer. Ali assures us that she’s never lost a guest to a grizzly. I resolve not to be the first.

Arriving At Yellowstone

The journey starts from the ground up at our arrival in Yellowstone. The ground, in this case, being Old Faithful, the most famous attraction in the world’s first national park. Wildfires engulfed much of the surrounding area in 1988. Charred trees near the sprawling Old Faithful Inn are a chilling reminder of how close the historic structure came to being destroyed.

Danny and Ali direct us down the slippery boardwalk, away from the crowds queuing at the “front” of Old Faithful. Just a few hundred feet away, there’s an unobstructed view of the eruption. The air is thick with sulphur and a boy walks by holding his nose. A hawk poses haughtily on a fossilized tree. Hoof prints inside the barriers mark where elk and bison have broken through the brittle igneous rock. The earth’s crust here is thin, the molten magma closer to the surface than any other place on the planet. Dragonflies flit among the fumerols, their rust color matching the reddish iron oxide deposits.

We bid goodbye to the geysers and head to Yellowstone Lake for a quick kayak introduction. Nicknamed “divorce boats,” tandem sea kayaks are nonetheless known for their stability. But wind has whipped up 4-foot whitecaps on the lake, so the paddle is postponed in favor of a trip to geothermal paint pots. Rain clears the modest crowds, who stream back to their cars as we make our way along the jewel-toned craters. Mayflies flutter, making the most of their 24 hours of life. Mud ponds belch “bloop bloop.” If a dinosaur appeared in the midst of this landscape, no one would be surprised.

Day Two: Breakfast & Bald Eagles

And no one is more surprised than me the next morning. Danny’s cry of “Good morning, campers! We’ve got coffee! We’ve got cocoa! We’ve got teas from around the world!” rouses me from a sound sleep. We’d camped at Grant Village, only to be immediately joined by a young elk who stretched out behind us, making her bed in a patch of wild strawberries. After dinner around the fire—pork loin and asparagus—I’d settled my sleeping bag atop a thick foam pad and had a five-star slumber. Surprise!

Refueled with bacon and blueberry pancakes, we make for Leeks Marina and make our first foray onto the water. Even in mid-August, the lake is numbingly cold, the kayaks’ stability reassuring. Ali heads off in the motorized support raft that holds our gear while we get to know the lake. Soon paddling basics have been mastered, and we skim smoothly across the clear waters, under the watchful Tetons. It’s like paddling in a postcard. Scenery: we’re soaking in it!

Two bald eagles monitor our approach to Colter Camp, on the lake’s western shore. We make camp in a flower-strewn clearing next to a small icy pond. After dinner, an animal approaches loudly through the brush. A small doe appears in the firelight. She circles the perimeter for most of the night, and well-guarded, I sleep.

Day Three: Kayaking & Surf-and-Turf

Morning comes with an osprey’s cry, and a hummingbird dive bombs the clearing as I’m folding the tent. The day’s paddle starts with a short detour north, where Ali guides us into the pond beside the campsite. A frigid stream burbles up to the surface. Heading south, glacier-fed waterfalls crash down to the lake. Ali stops and picks wild berries while telling tales of the area’s nature and history.

Heading across Moran Bay to Grassy Island, the wind picks up and the waves rise. Fighting our way across the water we arrive at Grassy Island, our base for two nights. Danny makes hot tea and cocoa while we hastily erect tents. When the rain stops, we feast on steak and salmon while mosquitoes make a meal out of me. The group takes turns testing insect repellents, and soon they’re (mostly) repelled.

Day Four: Hikes & Almost Bears

So far we’ve been traveling by paddle power, but the next morning it’s time to hike. Or bushwhack, actually, as Danny and Ali lead us up a steep trail that threads through dense undergrowth. I scramble over a freshly-fallen tree that is promptly named “Pants the Ripper.” A swift snowmelt-fed stream cascades besides the trail. This is prime bear territory (bearitory, if you will) so we make plenty of noise on the way to the summit. At the top, we’re rewarded with breathtaking views of the surrounding peaks.

After lunch, a quick paddle through Bearpaw Bay brings us to a trailhead leading to Leigh Lake, where we spot our first humans. Ranger Philips comes from his cabin to tell us about the black bear and 2 cubs he’d spotted shortly after dawn.

Leaving Leigh, we wander through a “Sound of Music” alpine meadow, laden with lupine and other alpine wildflowers, before returning to the island. Morning means saying goodbye to Grassy, as we head to the final campsite.

Day Five: Jaw-Dropping Views

Danny and Ali have saved the best for last. Spalding Bay is exceptional even in a jaw-dropping landscape, and my tent window faces what must be the most spectacular mountain view in North America. The site is littered with age-polished bones and eagle feathers, and watched over by 2 sandhill cranes. Tomorrow we’ll raft the Snake River, floating back to civilization. But today I can call this spot “home.”

This essay was originally created for the 2012 O.A.R.S. catalog. For more compelling stories from other renowned writers, request your catalog copy today!

The post Exploring Wyoming National Parks — An American Safari appeared first on River Currents.

Although Fiji was not in the budget at that time, the two adventurers settled on the Yellowstone & Grand Teton Explorer for their summer vacation. Why not take a trip to Wyoming and visit two national parks?

Perfect. Fiji could wait until another time.

During a hike to Bearpaw Bay and Trapper Lake the group crested a rise and was witness to a breathtaking view before them, which nearly brought tears to Erin’s eyes.

Someone called, “Hey, look at this dead crow!”

“Stop the celestial harp music,” Erin thought. “There goes my transcendent moment touched by the hand of God. I guess nature will be nature.”

The remainder of the trip was just the adventure they had hoped for, with stunning scenery, good company provided by the other guests, and guides in particular, with whom they felt an easy friendship, and an overall “it-feels-so-wonderful-to-get-away-from-it-all” theme.

Aaron says, “It was during this vacation that I decided I wanted to marry Erin.” In fact, they casually browsed for rings in Jackson Hole on their way out of town, and unbeknownst to Erin, he special-ordered her wedding ring and had it shipped to him once they returned home.

Once the engagement had been set, the two went about planning the details for the upcoming wedding.

One night over beers at a local watering hole, they were lamenting the fact that they wanted a small intimate wedding — which would for all intents and purposes eliminate Aaron’s rather large family — and their friend suggested they just elope. The thought was more than a little appealing and when they got home later that night they agreed that they would love to return to Wyoming and get married in the little meadow overlooking Trapper Lake.

In the back of his mind Aaron remembered that one of their guides from the Yellowstone/Grand Teton trip, Matt Parker, was an ordained minister of the Church of the Latter-Day Dude. He sent Matt an email who happily agreed to officiate the ceremony.

On July 7, 2011, after a 4-and-a-half-mile hike in, Aaron and Erin were officially married by Matt in front of 12 close friends and family on a little rock in the meadow, exactly one year after their first journey to Wyoming. A picnic lunch followed.

Afterward Mr. and Mrs. Sullivan and their guests hiked out for a small reception at Q Roadhouse in Jackson Hole.

Were you married in a national park? Are you looking for a super-special destination to tie the knot? Let us hear about it in the comments below!

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