Last day of 2009

In the summer months I work on Otter Rafting Adventures and in the winter months, I work on Otter Pottery. This isn't a strict rule since on anyday they can both overlap. This does lead to something of an identity crisis. Some mornings I wake up and I have to decide what hat I'm going to wear today.


Last night I went to bed thinking "go to sleep and morning will be here sooner". I often think about the first day's cup of coffee the same way! It took a while to doze off but I woke up early very alert and excited. It's like today is Christmas - again! I put on the appropriate hat and raced into my kiln room and opened the kiln to see what was waiting in there for me.


A before and after picture of the can that I had put into the kiln.









On first look it didn't look like much, but that is what the wrapping looks like for these presents. I had placed this popcorn can into the kiln with the pottery inside the can surrounded by a variety of materials such as steel wool, copper, saw dust and ice melting salts. As the kiln heated up, inside the can the iron and copper oxidized, the saw dust burned up using up the oxygen in the can's atmosphere and taking some oxygen molecules from the previous oxides. The salt also evaporated, breaking into Sodium and Chlorine that then attacks everything including the clay. The can doesn't have a chance with this high heat and aggressive chemistry happening inside it.


Once I carefully ripped the can open - if that's possible - I pulled out these two new presents. With all the excitement and new pottery it is Christmas again - not the last day of the year.
























But, my delusions aside, tommorrow is the first day of 2010. Here's hoping the coming new year is exciting, prosperous and full of new challenges for you. Happy New Year.

There’s Still Time Before Xmas To Get a Gift!

With just over a week left before Christmas – there’s still time to get a gift from Otter Rafting Adventures or Otter Pottery.

You can give someone a Gift Certificate for a day filled with fun, thrills and adventure with a one day or half day trip with Otter Rafting Adventures. We can guarantee that it will be a gift they will always remember!

OR

You can give them an enduring piece of pottery from Otter Pottery. Have a look at some of the pieces on offer in the gallery at Otter Rafting Adventures. (Bet you didn’t know there was a gallery there too!)

The gift certificates or pottery can be shipped to you in time for you to wrap them up and put them under the tree!

If you don’t see anything that strikes your fancy in this album – go have a look at the Otter Store – you never know what you’ll find there!

View Full Album

Pottery and Rafting - What a mix!

Every winter while we are taking a break from rafting (there is no water just ice), I spend some time in my studio getting wet. Notice getting wet seems to be a theme going on around here? I try and keep busy by making pottery. But then, I've mentioned that in earlier blogs.



So here is an opportunity for me to show off some of the pieces I have made. If you see anything you like, contact me and we can arrange shipping for you in time for Christmas.


Stoneware - Pine Ash Glaze



I have experimented with Raku, Barrel firing and Stoneware with a wood ash glaze look. All of these methods rely on random effects to give you the end product. The ideas of random and entropy intrigue me. Also, any surface that has a liquid look or of something flowing over the surface catch my eye. ( another river theme I guess). I primarily use a wheel however in the last few weeks I have been doing slab work. It's nice to try something different and then go back to old ways with new ideas and attitudes. I hope you enjoy looking at these pieces.


Barrel Fired


















Raku-Crackle Glaze





Stoneware-Clay from the banks of the Red Deer River brushed on the surface of the pot.

Those white mountains

Every time I look out the window here at Otter Rafting Adventures, I can see the mountains and the bright white snow shimmering on them. I have always found the mountains a draw; for skiing, hiking, sightseeing, inspiration for the pottery I make in the winter (check out Otter Pottery), the creation of rivers that are nature's playground and a place to go just to look around in awe.

Just the act of looking up to the mountain peaks makes one compare to the religious experience of looking up to the heavens. But, I always think of these mountain peaks as a place where we get an unobstructed view of our world. Different feelings and thoughts are generated by the abruptly altered grasp of scale. With the altitude, the senses tingle in the light thin air and create an other world experience. This photo is of the Big Rock rapid from several hundred meters higher up. To identify it, it is the dot in the middle of the river where the river is at it's widest.

The building up of the snows in the mountains over the winter months is closely watched with anticipation of the coming summer and the rafting season. So when it's snowing and blowing out on the prairies, think of all the snow and the coming spring melt.

The other side of a whitewater rafting trip.

Here at Otter Rafting Adventures we take pride in our rafting trips and have for many years. These last video postings give you an insight into the preparation and care of that part of your day rafting. Sam gives you a humorous view into an unsung part of the lunch experience. For some, it should convince you to come out for a full day raft trip rather than squeeze a half day on the river into your summer.

We are finally slowing down around here now that the river has stopped flowing and we're finding some interesting footage and photos from the season to share on our blog. I hope you stay tuned as we keep in touch. If you watch close you might even find yourself in on some of the action!!

The Infamous Otter Lunch Aftermath

In a follow-up to our previous video, witness the aftermath…

The Infamous Otter Lunch

Here’s a look at the hot buffet lunch that patrons on Otter Rafting Adventures get to enjoy on a full day trip!

More writings on the wall

Here are more of the comments that our guests have left behind at Otter Rafting Adventures, on our comment boards.



We like that so many people enjoy rafting with us. At the end of the day all the staff check out the boards to see what is new and what has been written. When you come and visit us at Otter Rafting Adventures, be sure and leave your comments behind. You can also leave your comments on this blog!

Parting comments after a day of white water rafting.

After a day of white water rafting at Otter Rafting Adventures rafting center, everyone has a chance to express themselves on the marker boards in the washroom. Here are some of the comments.

Some from the ladies.

Some from the men.

Weather or not.

There was a rafting trip on Wednesday. The guests arrived and it was overcast and raining. Not exactly a day to make you look forward to a cool wet day on the river.

The rain was coming down as we dashed about getting equipped for the day trying to stay dry. At least it was cozy getting changed inside in the change rooms.

I tried to encourage everyone by saying, “Here it is raining but once we get up in the foothills it can be a different weather system”. I also used the “you get just as wet on a sunny day as on a rainy day. I got the usual looks of they weren’t buying it. Eventually everyone was ready and we loaded on the bus and headed up to the launch site on the Red Deer River.

When I asked everybody how they were doing making ready to get on the river, the one comment was - “my feet are cold”. This sounded very different than the usual comments of, this should be fun! or I’m really excited! or I can hardly wait to get to jumping rock!

It was a bit quiet as they pushed off into the light drizzle that eventually petered out during the day.

And that is the point. It was only a light drizzle – nothing compared to the downpour at the rafting centre in Sundre. So often I have seen one weather system at the office and then driven up into a different one at the put in point. On occasion it has even been more dramatic as rain at the lower elevation and sun at the upper elevation.

Recently we had a major storm system move through the province. I noted that at the take out point there were leaves and branches strewn around on the ground as well as some knocked over trees. Up at the put in point there was no evidence of such a storm – a scant 15 kms away and at a higher elevation.

So next time you are planning a river outing, no matter the weather system you are arriving in, it could be a better one up at the put in -- or not!!!!

While others are Rafting

Driving the shuttle bus for Otter Rafting Adventures and preparing the lunches is not near as exciting and glamorous as being a raft guide. But it has its rewards too. I get to spend time out in the foothills and see so many different interesting things.

While driving we see lots of deer, sometimes too close to the vehicles. Usually they are ahead of the vehicle crossing the road or grazing in the ditches. These last few trips, I’ve see a doe and fawns – always makes me feel good.

Something very unusual I saw the other day was a very large owl. Compare it to the size of the fence post it is resting on. It is a Great Gray Owl. It is the largest owl often measuring 24 to 33 inches ( 60 to 83 cms). When it took off in flight it was immense. It is considered rare and often hunts by day – glad I got to see it.

Making a river trip a safe and enjoyable experience.

Everyone who comes out on our rafting trip must wear a lifejacket or Personal Floatation Device (PFD). It is the most important piece of safety equipment we have. Another piece of safety gear, which we have but is rarely used, is the throw rope.

Our lifejackets are rated for 50-90 lbs and 90 lbs or more. More accurately, they are rated for persons with a chest size of 24” to 29” for the junior lifejacket and 30” to 52” for the adult. Since we come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes the chest measurement is the better measurement. Like most people I have a better idea of my weight than my chest measurement and so weight is commonly used.

Otter Rafting Adventures uses lifejackets that are U.S. Coast Guard approved, commercially rated, type V PFD that is suitable for whitewater conditions. Within the year we will switch to a Canadian approved lifejacket complying with the new Canadian regulations that are being introduced.

The lifejackets are designed such that being able to swim or not doesn’t matter much. A person floats laying on there back and there is a head rest on the neck of the jacket which floats lifting the head out of the water. Such a design makes a lifejacket difficult to swim in but perfect for river use where it is best to “Assume the position”. This position is laying on your back, with your legs pointing downstream from you, with a bend in them forming shock absorbers. Keep just the tip of your toes above water – that way your heels can feel any rocks under the surface of the water before your tailbone does. (grimace)

Most people rarely put on a lifejacket and wouldn’t know if it was adjusted properly for them. Always get the experienced guide to check your lifejacket’s fit for you. Once wet, it will loosen a bit, so make sure it fits snug.

Something else we carry is a throw rope. This is a 50 to 60 foot length of rope attached to a bag and then stuffed into it. When someone is floating along in the river and they can’t be reached by hand or by extending a paddle, the throw rope comes into action. The guide will yell your name and toss the bag at you while holding on to an end of the rope. Grab the rope which will tighten right away and let the guide pull you to the raft. Don’t grab the bag since all the rope would have to come out of the bag before the rope would tighten and then you could be pulled in. Remember to lie on your back, face up, and let them pull you in that way.

These two pieces of equipment should reassure you and help make your day on the river as much fun as possible.

The rewards of Rafting?

There are many reasons for people coming out on one of our tours. They expect the expertise we have will ensure that they will get the most out of the experience in a manner with safety and convenience in mind.

I have been in the rafting business with Otter Rafting Adventures for 30 or so years and have plenty of years of experience to teach from. But there is a reason I have stuck with it through all that time. I have found I enjoy making other people have fun and watching them having it. There are not many businesses that are all about fun and adventure. This one is the best there is!!

With many years of experience, I have seen the river at nearly every level from barely enough to float the raft, to the river was about to start floating the lodged trees on the waters edge and in log jambs (un-nerving). This is the knowledge I have and train staff for.

The staff consists of your trusted guides as well as the unseen ground support staff that is following your trip providing the equipment, the shuttle service and maybe a meal too.

Here are some ideas expressed from staff that are in their first year of guiding or being involved. From the guide applicants I found the talented potentials, hired them and then the real training began. You can read between the lines to see what makes them tick.

Katryna Says

"WHITE WATER RAFTING
Many people I ask to come out rafting for the day shudder and their eyes widen in fear as they shake their head saying, 'Oh no, no I don't think I would do THAT.' The fact is the fear you feel is natural because of the unfamiliarity with what you may be exposed to. You may even visualize yourself being put into an uncomfortable place and setting. This is understandable but that is exactly where many people miss out on an adventure in their life they wish they experienced sooner. As a guide, I see it in every single trip. There are some that not quite sure of their decision but, without fail, by the end of the day they are the wettest, most energized and most relieved of the group. How interesting! I hope everyone chooses to come out and have a grand adventure, one that YOU can make your own with lots of laughter."

And check out Devon’s thoughts at his blog:

A day on / in the water with Devon

Getting ready to be on the river.

Today, I was taking a group out rafting; I was the shuttle bus driver. After the heavy rain the roads kicked up little dust and it was a pleasure to drive through the foothills out to the base of the Rockies. There is always so much to see, the winding river below or the front range of the Rockies ahead. I wasn’t lucky enough to be going on the river while the water was higher and the skies were clear, but someone has to drive shuttle bus. For the bus ride to the raft launching site, the rafter’s excitement and anticipation becomes infectious. It makes me wish I was going too.

At the put-in point they listened to my safety talk and paddling instructions as well as they could, trying not to fidget, as their thoughts raced off into the dangerous situations I was describing for them. I know when I’m nervous I’m not a good listener, but who is when facing imminent, certain death? It’s hard to see the reality of the adventure when bombarded by the sensationalism that TV presents to you. No, we don’t carry guns on the river like shown on TV.

Thirty years of paddling has rewarded me with few battle scars to show for the dangerous life I’ve chosen. An injury I had, I blush to describe it, was I fell on some rocks and hurt my hip. I was not even on a raft yet. How can you brag about that? Another time I got hit with a paddle in the face requiring two stitches in the nose. At least that one I can attribute to my life of adventure and tell with some swagger.

But, at the end of the talk when I summarize my safety talk to my attentive listeners I remind them of the main three dangers that everyone is exposed to. The sun’s rays giving a bad sunburn or the opposite, a much more serious Hypothermia. Second - falling on the wet, round, river rocks as I know well. And thirdly, when you fall into the bottom of the boat, get up right away. You never know what the raft might run into that’s hidden under the waters surface or if others will unceremoniously fall and land on you. It’s not everyday that you might have a total stranger fall on you and laugh about it. It’s one of the ways to meet new people when you go rafting.

So you see, there is so much happening even before pushing the raft out into the raging river. In fact, it’s a day you’ll always remember just getting ready for the adventure.

The river is not a static thing

The Red Deer River is estimated to be about 10,000 years old. In the relatively few short years that Otter Rafting Adventures has been around - 30 years - one can see it is nothing compared to the life span of a river. When travelling down the river we can see the marks of wear on rocks that are easily 10 meters above the present river floor. One wonders how long it's taken to erode the river bottom down to its present level from up there. On the left side, half way up of the top picture, you can see how at one time the river was scouring the rock, eating in and down.

Erosion, while something that happens in a gradual manner, can also take place quite quickly over a matter of days. I have seen the river move 100 meters across the valley floor in 5 days. The new channel contained all the water flow while the old channel, not recognizable, was filled in with gravel that was 3 meters higher than what it had been only days before.

When we look at the river we only see that the water is flowing down hill. But there is also another flow that is happening. This is the movement of the solid materials down hill that are being swept along with the water. It is like sand blasting but using water as the carrier rather than air. Unlike sandblasting, it is made up of many different sizes of particles and different materials, from fine dust to boulders.

The amount of wearing down of the valley floor that is occurring can be seen by the color of the river water. There is the rushing, murky, chocolate colored water in the spring, flushing out the materials that have accumulated by the freeze and thaw of winter, to the clear water of mid summer when only the finest particles are being carried by the moving water. When I have been rafting in the spring, I have heard the sound of sand and grit, suspended in the water, striking the bottom of the raft. You also hear the clacking of rocks beneath the raft as they are rolling downstream, propelled by the water. All this moving material is breaking down into smaller pieces as well as chipping away at the river bottom.

And to where does all this lead? A lot of this erosion ends up being clay. Check out www.otterpottery.com for the results.

Seeing The Wild Horses of Alberta

On a rafting trip a couple weeks ago we spotted some wild horses. Wild horses in this area are not unusual but to see two separate herds in one day was a surprise.

As we were riding the shuttle bus to the put in point for the rafts we spotted the herds of wild horses alongside the road. Each group was made up of a stallion, several mares and foals. It’s easy to pick out the stallion – he’s the one stamping his foot, throwing his head up and down with his ears back and directing the herd into the bush.

We saw some foals running for their mom’s protection or just snoozing in the grass until we came along.

We see a variety of wildlife in the Red Deer River valley. It spills over from Banff National Park which borders the valley on the west side and holds the source of the Red Deer River. With limited development and unpaved roads only the venturous head out into these hills for a back to nature experience, aside from the logging and oilfield related vehicles. We hope further development takes a long time in coming here.

Can you imagine a better day?

Yesterday, Saturday June 20, was a wonderful day. The combination of events and situations made for a memorable time.

There were five rafts on the river with a bunch of fun loving people. Most of these people were guests from previous years. The six different groups in the five rafts made for a great combination and they were all eager to battle the river!

Late Friday night, Brayden’s (a great guide by the way) son was rushed into intensive care and Brayden had to head home. Luckily good-hearted Randy stepped in at the very last moment - taking Brayden’s place and making sure his crew had a fun day. (the little guys ok btw)

It was an exceptional day too - bright sunshine and challenging water - who could ask for more?!

The water level is a little lower than average for this time of year because of our cooler weather, but it made it so that we could play with the river and not just run with it. We stayed and played at two different locations - Diagonal ledge and the Haystack. They both showed a different characteristic of moving water and the power of it. Some people set new records for the number of times they leapt off Jumping Rock, repeating it several times before the cold water told them - enough! - as they stood there shivering and happy.

All the rafts got into the water fights at some time or other during the day – there was no clear winner to the fight, everyone got wet, but then the rapids made sure we all got wet anyway so maybe the river won!

Truly - a wonderful day for all. As the bus pulled into the parking lot, the round of applause for the staff showed how thrilled and satisfied everyone was with their day.

Can I imagine a better day than this? Never! Great guests - great staff - great water! Wow! I love having fun!

DIG !!

Dig is a word that I've heard a lot of in the last half of my life. It's not like I work for a construction company or a cemetery or do a lot of gardening. Dig is the word used to describe the act of paddling your raft forward. And that is significant because I've operated a rafting company for 30 years. It's called Otter Rafting Adventures and has a site http://www.otterrafting.com/ to promote it.

For nearly every weekend of our short summers, I have spent it outdoors showing people how much fun they can have playing on the whitewater of the Red Deer River. I've spent a lot of that time playing with them too - a lot of time. There are also the other tasks such as driving the tour bus full of laughing, nervous people or later preparing lunches for the ravenous happy people, to watching the same tired people try not to nod off on the bus ride back to Sundre. Sundre is the small town in central Alberta where Otter Rafting Adventures is located.

I am fortunate to have a wonderful job being around people enjoying themselves. The buoyant affect of this enjoyment raises the spirits of everyone around. A rising tide lifts all rafts! I know that that's why I have been working at building up this business, for all the pleasure everyone gets as well as myself.

It seems that there is always something different happening. The crowd's dynamics changes with each group as well. It's great to meet so many different people and get an inkling of how they spend their time. Venturing off into the foothills for a day of rafting one never knows what one can encounter. I've seen plenty of wildlife over the years. Deer, elk, moose - babies for all plus coyotes, foxes, pack rats, mink, wolves , bears, beavers, wild horses and cougars - almost everything except otters.

With so many different forces affecting how the day will evolve there is a constant excitement felt. The action on the river, the tremendous exhilaration of rising up to challenge one's fears, the people trying to contain their nervousness and the discovery of something new on the drive up into the foothills. The rising crescendo of effects that leaves one with a sense of - what a wonderful day! Can you dig it?

So check out http://www.otterrafting.com/ and see what the ground work for this adventure is like.

Watch this space!

Otters holding hands - YouTube