Waterfight  by B A Bowen Photography

It had always been a dream of mine to raft and camp along the Colorado River. My son was only twelve and was not old enough for those rough Class IV and Class V trips through the Grand Canyon. Last Spring I found this affordable family trip online offered by Western River Expeditions and I booked it for July 2009. I was also able to coerce my best friend from Ohio into joining us out there without much effort.  July in Moab can be as hot or hotter than Florida, but since we were going to be in the water, I was not concerned. The trip was part of a package that included a day/hiking tour through Arches National Park, an evening Hummer Ride in Hell’s Revenge, and a-two-days-one-night-rafting/camping trip down the Colorado River. I was glad to see there were several families with children of all ages and the trip leaders were great.

The first day of the rafting trip we convened at Western River Expeditions in the heart of Moab with our overnight bags excited about the upcoming adventure through the Canyon.  They shuttled us an hour north at the put-in where they assigned us our gear including: lifevests, paddle, and two dry bags for our belongings.  All of the luggage and camping gear was then piled high onto one raft. Our leaders took turns paddling this inflatable barge as it could be an exhausting task.  The rest of us split off into groups into separate rafts while the more adventurous chose the smaller inflatable Fun-yaks.  Since this was a family trip, this section of the river was fairly mild so my son and I opted for the smaller inflatable kayak.  We had fun spinning our rafts while we practiced obeying commands shouted out by our leaders “Paddle left, Paddle right…..your other right”.  Waterfights were started with our paddles when the command “Fire!” was bellowed in an attempt to drench the other raft until they retreat.  A good time was had by all as we travelled down this lazy river in Westwater Canyon.  Shortly we stopped for lunch on a small red sandy shoreline.  The kids took turns skipping the smooth river polished stones while the guides set out our lunch on an overturned raft.  I kept myself entertained snapping photos of wildflowers and the scenic red cliffs against the deep blue sky.  I sighed with delight as I thought “We could not have had better weather on this trip.”  As we all stood around munching on our sandwhiches and trail mix, a hummingbird paid us a by perching himself on a petite teen girl wearing a bright yellow top.  He must have thought she was a flower!  He sat there for several moments and the teen remained perfectly still so as not to upset the little bird.  She smiled shyly as we all gathered around in awe taking photos of this precious moment nature has just handed us.  Shortly thereafter we packed up our gear and were back in the rafts heading for our campsite a couple of hours out. 

The second half of the day proved to be a little more exciting as we ventured through two small stints of Class II rapids.  As the day went on the group grew more comfortable with the river and took to enjoying the water by jumping from the rafts for a refreshing swim.  The afternoon went fast and soon we arrived at the red sandy campsite along the riverbank.  The leaders wasted no time prepping for dinner as we explored the red riverside desert looking for the perfect spot to set up our cots for a night of sleep under the stars.  We chatted and explored the surroundings while others families engaged in a crafty game of ring toss.  We all quickly gathered around upon hearing a loud ringing of a frying pan beaten with a wooden spoon as one leader exhuberently shouted “Dinner is served!”  There was a modest but tasty buffet laid out on table cloth that graced two over turned rafts.  Grilled chicken and burgers were the choice of the main course with beans, fresh veggies and salad to round out the meal.  This was a welcomed warm meal after a day full of vigorous activity.  We all pitched in to help with clean up being careful to leave minimal impact on the desert land and river while washing dishes.  The leaders were quited skilled in keeping the group active and busy.  While the adults were taking care of the chores, the leaders had enticed the youngsters into the sport of toe fishing.  This activity served two purposes….one to keep the children occupied and two to get rid of the leftovers from dinner. Sqeals and giggles of delight could be heard from the shoreline as the catfish nibble the bits of leftover chicken from the childrens toes.  Out of curiosity, I decided to try this odd sport.  To my surprise, no tickles or nibbles for me….my catfish came in open mouth and chomped on the chicken scrap and my big toe simultaneously!  “Ouch” I cried…..there was blood on my toe…..”well that wasn’t supposed to happen…” the leader said to me with a huge grin.   “I guess toe-fishin isn’t my sport….” I thought to myself as I shrugged off the pain.  As the night settle in we all bonded and laughed around the cozy campfire as we listened to campfire stories and songs.  It was a beautiful night as the sky was clear with what seemed like thousands of stars twinkling on and off as if to put on a light show.

The next morning we wasted no time rolling up our sleeping bags and packing up our cots as we needed to get back on the river to be at our take-out be noon.  The day was overcast, althought the red cliffs of the canyon was still enchanting along Westwater Canyon.  We had to put our skills to use today paddling the rafts together as a team for the rapids were slightly rougher and encountered more often.  We arrived at the take-out with time to spare.   The guides set up a small lunch with snacks on an over turned raft as we sorted our gear and piled our paddles and life-vests for their return.  The leaders creatively kept the kids entertained by setting up an overturned raft near the shoreline, continuously dousing it with a bucket of water to replicate an inflatable waterslide.  They had fun as the adults took care of equipment and clean-up.  We thanked our leaders and said our goodbyes as we boarded the bus for our ride back to Moab.    On the trip home we were tired but the bus was filled with a buzz of light chatter as we shared our experiences with our new found friends. 

Click here for more photos on Rafting the Colorado River on flickr.

Chattooga River 7 ft Falls Rapid Class IV #1

Chattooga River 7 ft Falls Rapid Class IV #2

Ever since my son was two years old, he liked to fantasize that he was falling off the bed into whatever his imagination could come up with (pool of sharks, pool of alligators, etc.)  He would always yell “Moma SAVE me!!”  As any mother would do, I would always have to run into the bedroom and act out the drama  “I will save you!  Hold onto my hand and I will pull you back up!”

Chattooga River 7 ft Falls Rapid Class IV #3

Chattooga River 7 ft Falls Rapid - Safe At Last!

Rafting the Chattooga River 2008

White Water Rafting the Natahala River

    It is that time of year when those of us with families are starting to look for ideas for our summer family vacations. If you are moderately adventurous and haven’t been rafting yet, the Nantahala River is the perfect place for you!  This river is mostly Class II with the final drop (see photo above) being a Class III rapid.  Located at the foot of the river, the Nantahala Outdoor Center   (NOC) provides guided river tours with top notch guides.  NOC is world renown for their training for rafting and whitewater Kayaking.  They also boast two restaurants and one food outpost, so there is plenty of food and facilities for everyone.

The adventure is 8 miles long along this scenic mountain river with occasional stops to allow the visitors enjoy the water.  It is a cold 48 to 52 degrees in the summer but a refreshing swim on a hot summer day.  The grand finale is a 6 foot  drop over Nantahala falls.  If you have time to sit at the bottom and watch, it is funny to see some the rafts miss the running line and end up tipping.  We saw a boat load of young Girl Scouts get turned around and go down backwards.  They ended up laughing, screaming and tipping.  But it was all good FUN!  The river is calm after the falls and perfect for recovery if you do take a dip.  There is a lifeguard with a throw rope ready to rescue anyone who may need it.  They also have professional photographers that take photos at the falls all day long to ensure you can take your moment of excitement home with you.  Our guide told my son to look right and smile as we went over the falls as you can see in the photo. 

If you really enjoy the rafting, the Pigeon and the French Broad Rivers will be the next step up for excitement but still good for the whole family.  NOC also offers guided trips for these rivers.

If you have had enough and prefer to stay on land, my son and I took a ride on the Great Smokey Mountain Railroad located in Bryson City.  We also spent each afternoon Gem Mining at various mines around the area.  For a full list of gem mines the Franklin Chamber of Commerce has maps of each type of  mine.  The first year we found an fairly large Amethyst with nice color.  I took advantage and had a pair of earrings, a 4k ring and 6k pendant all made from the same stone.  I cannot say each time we were that lucky but you cannot win if you don’t play!

For those of you who enjoy the more active adventures, the area also has several hiking and mountain biking trails. The Appalachian trail is accessible from the NOC.  The Tsali mountain bike trail is also accessible from the NOC and they will rent mountain bikes to those who were not able to bring their own.

About the Author: Barbara is the owner of  an online store Riverbanks  Outdoor Store for two years and has frequently engaged in outdoor sports for years including camping, mountain biking, whitewater rating, kayaking, snorkeling, and hiking.    Barbara also hosts a blog Riverbanks Adventure Forum that focuses on product reviews and adventure vacations.