Fabulous weather coming

There have been several days out on the river lately. And with the weather forecast showing suns for the next week it is going to be another busy week.

The river is a milky color from the glacial melt that these warm temperatures bring. It makes the river a little harder for the guides to read but that is where the level of experience shows. You can’t see the rocks under the surface you have to read the texture of the water surface and see the flow path of the current.

Now that the river has dropped from the June high water, there is plenty of surfing going on. It takes practice to get the hang of it. You also have to learn when a wave is too big to surf! You learn real fast. Surfing is very fun – ask your guide to find some surfing waves. It might take a bit of work to get into it but it is worth it.

Looking in the rafting crystal ball

I see big waves and big smiles! They always go together.

We had a very nice sunny week of weather for the last week in February here in Sundre. The forecast ahead now shows several days of snow. Those bright sunny days always makes me think of all the times I have been rafting on the Red Deer River with high water and the sun streaming down. It was the perfect place to be when I look at some of the high-lights of my life of adventure. The days of sun at the end of February help with the blahs we all get every year. And thinking about rafting always helps with positive thoughts of the summer ahead too.

I’ve been watching the snow pack accumulate in the mountains and it’s looking Ok. We are pretty much at the same level as a year ago for the end of February. That’s looking good because we have several more weeks of dense snow to fall yet at the head waters of the Red Deer River.

If you are looking for an unforgettable day of adventure, plan your day of rafting now. We always book up for June first – people wanting to catch the high water. Bookings are starting to come in so you should be planning now.

Check out Brayden’s amazing surf!

Differences in rivers

A new white water canoeing course has been created for the upcoming Olympics, in Great Britain. It  is being used for a training ground for those interested in white water rafting.  It is opening up the sport to a whole new group of newbies.
The water course is geared to canoeists but is being used by rafters as well. Here is a video of paddling on the created course.

The water is pumped from a nearby lake and feeds into the water way at a constant 15 cms . By sculpting the channel a series of rapids and drops have been created to simulate a river. This controlled river would offer the competitors the same set of rapids all the time throughout their season. They will be able to reposition some of the rapids by introducing and removing obstacles.
Here in Alberta a similar river would be the dam controlled Kananaskiis River which always runs at the same rate, albeit at a higher rate of 34 cms. This is governed by Trans Alta Utilities for power generation reasons and is timed by power consumption needs. There is little variation in the river features trip to trip.
The Red Deer River, which is the river Otter Rafting Adventures paddles, is a wild river in that it is not dam controlled. Water volumes are dictated by the snow pack in the mountains and vary through out the season. This year the snow pack is above average for this time of year and if it continues, we can expect some high water again. Last year the flow rate peaked in the 200’s cms and this year, it is likely to be higher for a period of time.
Enjoy the video. What’s with lifting your paddles going through the rapids?? Notice the conveyer belt to take the rafts back up to the top? Imagine installing one of those at Cache Hill!

Moms out Rafting!

This trip was organized for some mom’s. They obviously had a blast. Father’s day is coming – plan something for him.

The Last Great Day of Summer!

After rafting season was over we had a lot of rain which brought our river up to high water again! The downside of it all was that high water occurred mid-week.

Not to be deterred – Sam and I went up river to Sbend and found ourselves all alone out on the river. The temperature was 26C ….the warmest it had been all summer! The trees were turning colour  and the smell of the Pine and Spruce trees gave me such peace.

I was driving shuttle and chasing Sam’s dogs while he had one last run of the year.

What an amazing day. One that will stay in my mind for a long time!

Just a Dip

It can be difficult to know when to be at the right place at the right time – but if you know where the right place is, and you know when the people will be there, you can get some great video. 

Take A Ride on The Fun Side

A Strip of Surfing For You

The Upper Red Deer River in Alberta has a section that is called ‘The S Bend’ where the river has eroded in a definite ‘S’ curve.

This video gives you an elongated view of going through the rapids in the ‘S’ and then the raft is turned upriver and they ‘surf’ the last rapid in the bend a couple of times.

For those of you who would rather watch people rafting then challenge the river themselves – the ‘S’ Bend is located approximately half-way along the length of river we raft and is where we offer our hot buffet riverside lunch. It is a beautiful place to relax beside a roaring fire while getting something hot into you and warming up.

The smell of the trees and the peaceful sound of the rapids in the background is occasionally interrupted with screams (of delight) as other rafters and kayakers go through the bend, giving you an idea of what is coming up soon after you down that last brownie.

Not all companies who run the Upper Red Deer River like to surf the rapids or even play as much as we do. That’s why we’re called ‘Otter Rafting’. Otters love to play in the river and our guides are just the same. Either that or we’re all waterlogged!

Upper Red Deer River Surfing All Stars!

White Board Comments

We would like to thank those who left us a parting comment on the boards about their day rafting with Otter Rafting Adventures.

June 5 was a cool day. In fact, for several days before this it hadn’t been very warm and the water levels were quite low. The way to offset this was to play in many of the features created by the water. We got in some incredible surfing at the S-Bends, something you can’t do at higher water levels. There were many takers at jumping rock – yes the water is cold but you tell people there is a hot springs feeding in from the bottom of the rock! More people get in on the fun that way.

Here’s what our guests had to say;

Swim at the Diagonal Ledge

Surfing the Diagonal Ledge on the Red Deer River at low water levels, can be ton’s of fun.

Of all the rapids on the Red Deer River, this is the one I have the most respect for. Here I have encountered the most ill prepared novice rafters, out for a day of fun, hesitating on whether to keep going downstream or getting off the river and walking for the road. It is also the only location where I have seen paddlers who had been on the river, not wearing helmets, hypothermic with blood on there faces. It is always important to think safety first which includes wearing the proper equipment and do some preparations.

At lower water and flow rates, this ledge also makes a thrilling place for playing in the small reversals formed as the water falls over the ledge (note - falls over, not flows over). My advice is don’t try this without someone who’s hasn’t done this before, as well as have your safety guy set up and maybe even a second one of them.

Here is a video of an exciting ride taken from the raft!

Now here are some photos of what this same surf looked like from shore. A few of these shots show the person holding the video camera. You can combine the two media to get a better idea of the experience. Doesn't this scream FUN!!

Some more cool surfing shots.