River Season

"We said there warn't no home like a raft, after all. Other places do seem so cramped up and smothery, but a raft don't. You feel mighty free and easy and comfortable on a raft."

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

Mark Twain

Well summer has finally hit, and in my world that means that it is time to go rafting. Its like a sickness, and addiction that takes hold demanding to go get on the water. Which is awesome. Unfortunately, it means that my schedule becomes some what more erratic. Some days I'll be to tired to read or on away trips, other days I will have the time to sit and read one or two books. I will try to be as reliable in my posting as I can.

With rafting season starting, I decided to read Breaking into the Current by Louise Teal. The rafting industry is still, if only slightly, male dominated, with 44% of guides on the Grand Canyon being women. This book consists of the stories of eleven women and how they became involved in boating on the Colorado river, some of them in a time when women only accepted in the kitchen or beds of the guides. These women broke that mold, and paved the way to a time where I would be accepted as a river guide. 

Starting with the story of Georgie White, who owned her own company back when there were no women guiding, and working closer to the present, these stories of how these women got into boating were inspiring and well written. I told of good times and bad times on the river, and how wild it is. It was a wonderful read to start the season.

This year will be a great season. Yesterday was a wonderful Needleton down trip on the Animas, and the hits won't stop there. If you want to go rafting, give Mountain Waters Rafting (http://durangorafting.com/)  a call. We would love to share what we love with you, and rafting is an awful lot of fun. 

"Well, I told them to hang on. They just don't make passengers like they used to."

Georgie White