For my birthday the Bingmans gave me a trip down the Cabarton stretch of the North Fork of the Payette. Which, of course, meant they all HAD to come with me! Adventure gifts are really the greatest! Uncle Jim and Aunt Dee had never been rafting and Miss Jessie was fresh off her first trip. A Cabarton run seemed very appropriate for a boat-load of newbies who, well, weren't exactly sure they wanted to get WET! Besides one small little glitch (Dee inadvertently booked our trip with the wrong raft company--oops) our trip went off without a hitch. And another addict was born . . .
Our trip was booked with Bear Valley River Company. We discovered this AFTER showing up at Cascade Raft to find they didn't have our reservations! We hurried up the road a few more miles to Bear Valley where they were expecting us! Having never rafted with Bear Valley before, I wasn't really sure what to expect. They were fantastic guides, however, and are definitely my favorite river company now!
AS A KID I SPENT SO MUCH TIME AT THIS BRIDGE! MY SISTER AND I WOULD RIDE OUR BIKES HERE AND SPEND HOURS STARRING INTO THE WATERS BELOW. I LOVED BEING ABLE TO CLIMB INTO THE RAFT AND LET THE WATERS TAKE US AWAY!
DEE AND JESSIE
SPEAKING OF DEE, SHE IS NOT PARTICULARLY FOND OF THE WATER AND COMPLETELY HATES GETTING WATER ON HER FACE! THIS PHOTO WAS TAKEN JUST AFTER HER FIRST LITTLE SPLASHY ROLLER. SHE CERTAINLY WASN'T THRILLED BUT SHE WAS BRAVE AND BARELY UTTERED A PEEP OF COMPLAINT!
UNCLE JIM JUST BEFORE TRAIN TRESTLE.
THE CARBARTON STRETCH IS CONSIDERED A DAY TRIP SO THEY STOPPED AND FED US LUNCH. IT WAS SURPRISINGLY DELICIOUS! OF COURSE WE WERE OUR GOOFY SELVES THOUGH. FOR THE RECORD, IT IS OBVIOUS I INHERITED SOME OF MY . . .
GOOFINESS!
RAINBOW BRIDGE
OUR GUIDE WAS AN EXCELLENT GUIDE.
NOT SUCH A GREAT PHOTOGRAPHER THOUGH!
RAINBOW BRIDGE WAS FUN FOR ME TOO. AFTER HAVING DRIVEN OVER IT THOUSANDS OF TIMES, IT WAS NEAT TO SEE IT FROM THE RIVER!
HOWARD'S PLUNGE IS NOW . . .
JIMMY'S PLUNGE!
ANY GUESSES WHO THE NEWEST WHITEWATER JUNKIE IS???
JESSIE CHILLIN IN THE STRETCH JUST BEFORE TAKE-OUT.
MAKES FEET HAPPY!
THE TAKE-OUT AT SMITH'S FERRY WAS ALSO RATHER STRANGE FOR ME.
BACK IN MY HIGH SCHOOL DAYS I WORKED AT COUGAR MOUNTAIN AND WAITED ON RAFTERS SUMMER AFTER SUMMER. GOTTA SAY, IT SURE WAS NICER TO BE A RAFTER THAT AFTERNOON RATHER THAN A WAITRESS!
RAFTING SURE DOES MAKE SOME GIRLS TIRED!
(they are so going to love me for posting these!)
No comments:
Post a Comment