Trip Report by Jamiel Yameen

Eighteen members of Troop 376 left Liberty at 5:00 AM on Saturday, June 7th for Salida, Colorado. The trip consisted of eleven Scouts and seven adults, including Mr. Dunfee who left a day early and rode his Harley to Colorado via New Mexico with a brief stop and shopping spree at Philmont High Adventure Base in Raton, New Mexico.

After pizza dinner in Buena Vista, CO on Saturday night, the participants settled down for a quite night, sleeping less than ten feet from the Arkansas River.

On Sunday our Outfitter, Black Diamond Expeditions, set everyone up with wet suits, spray jackets and neoprene booties. We had a safety talk about the river and set out for our first raft trip. Sunday included Class two and three water in Browns Canyon for a warm-up raft. Everyone had a great time including a trail side lunch prepared by Black Diamond. The six hours of rafting stopped for a little "rapid surfing" in our rafts and to jump off a cliff into very deep and very cold water. The average water temperature was reported to be 45 degrees, we believed them!! Sunday night dinner included cheeseburgers and ice cream for desert. We were all ready for sleep as soon as the sun dropped below the snow covered mountains.

According to the guides, who were great, we all did so well on Sunday that on Monday a fun section of the River was added to our trip known as "The Numbers", so called for the rapids that follow in such succession that they are simply numbered 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5, 3 -- 7. The Numbers are Class III and IV rapids, after that we entered The Narrows which include Class III and a Class IV+ rapid called the Silver Bullet. The Bullet includes a ten foot vertical drop. Troop 376 successfully completed the day, including the Silver Bullet, but the group behind us was not so lucky. We pulled all three of our rafts to the side as our river guides assisted in rescuing the rafters who rode under their raft for about 100 yards, after flipping in the Bullet.

Dinner on Monday included pork steaks, salad and a yummy chocolate moose dessert. We were also treated to a video of rafting on the Arkansas including some extremely dramatic flips and crashes; we were feeling pretty lucky seeing the trouble others have gotten into on the Arkansas.

Tuesday was the day we were waiting for a 1.5 hour bus ride down river to raft the "World Famous" Royal Gorge Class III-V water. It was almost non-stop fun!! When we arrived at the Gorge it was all it was reported to be. The rapids were fun, fast and furious. Once in the Gorge with the 1,000 foot walls on either side, our hearts were pumping, the guides yelling out orders over the roar of the river with onlookers from scenic overlooks and the bridge, 1,053 feet above us. Three days of rafting nearly 70 miles, how much fun are guys allowed to have?!

We concluded our trip with dinner at Pizza Hut, it was a quiet night. Wednesday started early with a 5:00 AM wake-up and on the road by 6:00 AM. Mixed feelings about being home, when can we go again?!