Of course, women like me want to know what people mean when they refer to “a woman like me.” I know what I see and think when I look in the mirror. But other people’s perceptions are often a mixed bag. And his response was no exception.

“You know,” he said, “middle aged (gee, thanks), successful (not sure about that one), single (a fact) and attractive (wow, thanks!).”

His remarks immediately reminded me of the answer to his original question. There’s a reason why vacations are called “getaways.” We want to get away from reality—not just the chores and responsibilities of everyday life, but from the person that people expect us to be (for good or for bad)… including the person we expect ourselves to be.

Personally, I jump at every opportunity to leave my day-to-day persona behind. On a river trip, I leave it ALL behind: my trusty but ever-present iPhone, the inane Facebook posts I addictively check several times a day, workplace stress and a social life that sometimes has a drama of its own.

On the river I’m uncharacteristically low key, low maintenance, a bit unkempt and most importantly sans make-up. I don’t give a hoot about what I look like, how many days I’ve been wearing the same sweatshirt, the last time I used a razor or how many nails I’ve chipped. I’m so anti-Tricia, I’m not even sure if my coworkers would recognize me. (Thank you O.A.R.S. for not providing mirrors on the trip. So many other amenities, but not mirrors. But, I do have one confession: that “ChapStick” I keep in my duffle bag is really an $18 tube of Buxom Lip Plumper. A girl can only give up so much.)

So when friends ask to see pictures of my river trips, I usually say something casual like, “I wouldn’t want to bore you.” When I’m actually thinking, “There’s no way in hell will I let you see me like that.”

But that’s the beauty of the outdoors! I don’t go on a rafting vacation for the photos. I go for the complete and utter change of scenery, lifestyle, state of mind and the ever-elusive opportunity to not have to make decisions. I don’t have to think about what to wear, what’s for dinner, or who will be insulted if…

A woman like me spends a week on a river because, frankly, it’s hard to be me sometimes. And for a few days I get to trade in my mirror for the beauty of some magnificent outdoor setting, let the amazing river guides take care of me, and immerse myself in the bliss of carefree anonymity. And as I sit back and reflect on life, I try very hard to ignore the reflection smiling back at me on the water.

Related Articles:

Staying Afloat in Single Parenthood

Put a Cork In It

5 Things You Probably Don’t Know About a Rafting Trip

The post Leaving Behind the (Wo)Man in the Mirror appeared first on River Currents.

And the magical thing about feeling like a kid?

Time falls away and you are left with only the moment. It’s a vacation for the body AND the mind, which is something we all can use.

Here are ten ways river trips put you in the kid headset:

1. Fresh Air – Just like your mom always wanted. Breathe it in and savor it.

2. Boats! – Floating and bobbing, rowing or paddling, “nothing is half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats.” Lewis Carroll, he of Wind in the Willows fame, knew his stuff.

3. Fire – The smell. The heat. The comfort. From watching the embers dance to unwrapping your s’mores, we’ve been drawn to it from the beginning.

4. Rocks & Water – These are the core elements that make your trip possible, the distillation of your experience. From curving side canyons to mammoth boulders, it’s like a geological candy shop.

5. Games – Bocce, ladder golf and hacky sack–perfect before-dinner activities–take on a whole new flavor on the river bank.

6. Stories – Stay out on the river long enough and you’ll hear everything from ghost stories to guide’s tall tales to bonafide history.

7. Dessert – Cooking a tasty treat in a giant pan over hot coals brings the wonder back to something that’s already wonderful. How cool is that?

8. Hiking – Just getting out there and tromping along the trail, seeing the sights, getting the blood flowing. The only reason you do it is because you want to.

9. Music – From the humblest strumming to the voice of an angel, there’s something about music that slows time and engages us on a different sensory level.

10. Laughing – You awake to it. And fall asleep to it. Even the river laughs if you listen just right.

All it takes is one river trip to understand. And you’ll carry that feeling with you forever on the best river of all, the river of life.

The post 10 Awesome Ways River Trips Make You Feel Like a Kid appeared first on River Currents.

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.

Hi, O.A.R.S.,

I have taken 2 trips with you (the Tatshenshini River trip and the Chilco trip) and was last with you, on the Chilcotin, about 7 years ago. As then, I still have arthritis so am unable to paddle on a river trip, but the Grand Canyon trips always look wonderful from your pics and write-ups. I would especially like to go down that river in a dory.

Would that be possible for me? Would I be better suited, as I would have difficulty rowing, in a raft or is that, too, rather out of my capabilities?

Glad you are still taking people to these many places … Living where I do, in Nelson, BC, I have experienced much of the natural landscape so know how much these kind of offerings mean to an ever more human-imprinted world,

 — Cheers, Glenda

Dear Glenda,

The Tat and the Chilco/Chilcotin are 2 of the coolest rivers ever. The Colorado through the Grand Canyon is more than just an incredible river trip. It’s about the enchantment, being soaked in magic as well as cold water.

It’s just that good. You will love it, or I’ll eat my toque.

You don’t need to paddle, darlin’. Just dance with the water like you already have, and you’re in. I happened to pioneer Grand Canyon river trips for folks with disabilities, so I know what I’m talking about (for a change).

First off, dories are absolutely the most graceful and fun craft on the river. As Grand Canyon Dories’ founder Martin Litton once said: “They just BELONG!”.

There are plenty of places to hang on to in a dory (which is a good thing if I’m rowing), and they’re more comfy to sit in than most rafts. Padded seat. Wood handles. Backrest. Cup holder. Satellite radio. (Just kidding on those last 2).

I have to assume you have meds for your arthritis, and that all that rocking and rolling and leaning into the waves that your body hasn’t done in years is going to be OK after a pill and some sleep on a foam pad.

I also have to assume that you’ll be able to hold on in whitewater (like riding the hood of your car while going through the car wash), and if on the off-chance you end up in the drink, you can dog-paddle around in your life jacket until we pick your soggy behind up. Also that you can walk on sandy, sometimes rocky beaches at camp, just like on your previous rivers.

Riding in a dory is a bit more active than in a raft, since you have to keep the thing “trim” by leaning this way and that, and have to lean into the waves. I have taken some folks in dories that had a weaker grip on things. Come to think of it, I myself generally have a rather weak grip on things.

You just have to be honest with yourself, and with O.A.R.S., about your condition. I’d suggest a chat with Joy in the office, or she can direct you to my lovely wife, Carrie, who has joined me on several dory trips, as well as those original Jumping Mouse disabled trips. She’ll know the questions to ask, can help you evaluate whether you’ll be able to go or not, and whether or not you might consider bringing along a helper for camp.

If you end up going, the crew will need to be aware of your abilities and dis-abilities, so they’re prepared. They might want to put you in a bigger boat, or make sure the water levels will be right, or have a strong hand available to help out when needed.

I’m all about accessing the wilderness for all. I created and led the first Grand Canyon river trips for folks with disabilities, including paraplegic folks, people with M.S., M.D., C.P., all those acronyms. With a little pre-trip planning and thought, I’d say feed your soul.

(Come to think of it, I say that all the time).

— River God

The post Ask A River God: What If I Can’t Paddle? 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.

Soon I will embark on the 10-day trip down the Grand Canyon, a dream of a lifetime.

My question is this about back support: I’ve been whitewater rafting in the past and and, in the excitement, I never gave a second thought to back support. But those were 1-, 2-, and 3-day trips. Ten days will be a new experience. Is there any way to strap on something like an adjustable canoe seat? Or is there room enough on the bottom of the boat, in calm waters, to sit my fanny down and lean on the raft seat if my back needs a rest? I don’t have a back “condition” of any sort, just the groans of 55 years of gravity and bipedal locomotion.

Looking forward to your response.

— All the best, Martha Turner

Dear Martha,

My back also sucks, after 58 years of rowing and paddling and lifting. Pilates and keeping toned has saved my behind … so far.

Assuming from your question you’re on a raft and not a dory, I’d say this one is easy-peezy. Get yourself a Crazy Creek chair. It’ll pack light, clip on or slip under the frame pad for whitewater, provides an adjustable backrest, and because its small and easy to deal with, won’t tick off your guides. I had a client on my last trip that used one, but I forgot to steal it at the end of the trip. You can also take it to your camp for evening and morning use.

You won’t be comfortable sitting in the bilge. It’s wet, jiggles a lot, and probably harbors 24 people’s worth of foot fungus. As for your fanny, I married an Australian gal, and no longer use that term. It doesn’t mean the same thing Down Under!

I’m so glad you’re finally getting around to your dream. It was mine, too, 37 years ago. Only I just never woke up from that first magical time. A hundred and twenty-something times later, I’m still dreaming!

— River God

The post Ask A River God: Back Support 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.

Thanks for the opportunity to ask the guides (gods) a couple questions. My wife and I have a trip from Phantom Ranch to Whitmore Wash coming up at the end of July. I believe we’re ready as far as having all the items recommended on the packing list. My question is, as a guide what are some additional items have you seen travelers bring that made you say, “Wow, that was a great idea to bring?”

— Troy & Kathy Blair

Dear Troy & Kathy:

You’re going to have a ball. Show up in shorts, sneakers, sunhat and sunglasses, and the world will be your oar-ster. Don’t fret about what you’ll absolutely need or else. Once you’re down there, everything will drop away. €“I’ve even seen teenage girls forget about their cell phones.

O.A.R.S. has spent years putting together a great list of stuff. That said, some things you might never use (say, for example, your million-dollar Patagonia raincoat if there’s no rain on your trip). Some things might have been handy if we’d only known you like to crochet whilst listening to Beethoven running backwards.

What’s critical will be that you keep your eyes open, your spirit free, and your attitude ready to appreciate the most incredible place on the planet.

With those caveats, here’s some hints that might help you through:

• Imagine how many beers you might drink while barbecuing prawns on the barbie on a hot day. Multiply that by how many days you’ll be down there. Bring just a smidgen extra for the new friends you’re going to make. (Guides can be your friend, too!)
• Bring enough spare batteries for your camera, or even a cable and small backup/solar charger. Also enough memory on your flash card for a couple thousand photos. Seriously.
• July is monsoon season. It hasn’t hit yet this year, but if it does, you’ll be glad you didn’t ignore the part about bringing GOOD raingear. The K-Mart crap is just that, and will leave you wondering how you got hypothermia in the desert.
• I bring my Kindle, but any way you like to read, bring just one really good book each. Trade if you finish. You probably won’t. Check out the O.A.R.S. suggestions regarding the Grand Canyon.
• Bring some earplugs for the chopper.
• Bring extra medical scripts, just in case. If you tend to get “cold sores,” bring a lot of lysine (an amino acid available in the vitamin section). Pound it before and during. Your lips will thank you for this little miracle.
• Make sure all your eyeglasses and hats have a string or clip to attach to your life jacket. May the wind at your back not be your own.
• Bring face wash pads. Comes in handy for when you get in late to camp and don’t want to bathe in the beautiful, frigid Colorado. They’re not restricted to the face, if you know what I mean.
• DON’T bring extra snacks. We’re going to gorge you, and the ringtail cats and ravens just love to tear your tent or bag open when they smell that Ghirardelli’s chocolate. Then we get to patch your stuff, and stow your extras where we keep our dirty socks.
• If you’re knees are a bit fragile when pounding them with a hammer for 5 hours, consider walking sticks for the hike down. Takes 20% of the stress off your knees. You can stow them for the rest of the trip if you want. Eat calcium-magnesium tablets like candy for a week before your hike, and practice hiking downhill a lot. Then you won’t need as much Ibuprofen when you get to the bottom.

My best advice? It’ll be hot. Bring a good, Zen-like attitude. It’s the desert. Forget the rest of the world exists. They didn’t name it the Grand Canyon for nothing.

— River God

The post Ask A River God: Thoughts On Packing 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.