It was a busy weekend on the river. The water is high, the sun was out – what more could you want for a day of white water rafting. And with good conditions come happy people. Check out the comments on our white boards.
Well – most comments are about a fabulous day rafting!
We are always trying to improve the rafting experience for our guests, and to do that we have upgraded some of our equipment. And what do you purchase first? Safety equipment. Our new lifejackets are commercially and white water rated, Coast Guard approved and now Canadian Department of Transport Approved. The new design gives one more mobility and feel less restrictive – a step up in comfort as far as lifejackets go.
The rafting Diva’s from Wetaskiwin were down rafting again this last weekend. They always have a great time in spite of the weather and over the years they have seen weather in all forms. And this day was no different. We had sunny skies to raging downpours. Couldn’t wash the smiles off their faces though!
This spring, while riding The Bus out to raft the river, we saw a lot of evidence on the road that wild horses were about. There were several stud piles on the road – some quite large - evidence that a herd was well established in that area. This is the way for the male to mark his territory. Back when we were doing our raft guide training, on our ride to the river in the shuttle bus, we saw several herds of wild horses. They were quite easy to spot against a fresh snow fall (now THAT was a cold day on the river in late May). There were several foals in amongst them as well as the agitated stallion.
The following day while we were on the shuttle bus, we trapped a herd along the road and hemmed in by a fence – well not for long anyway! The stallion very quickly drove the mares back the way they had come while he went through the fence making his get away. These are very powerful animals and determined when cornered.
Now, it is mid-June. With all the rain lately, as well as for this Father’s Day weekend, the river will offer a very exciting day of rafting. As a bonus, the sun will be out too. We still have space available for those last minute types!!
HIGH WATER has arrived!!
Thanks to all the rain and spring snowstorms we’ve had this year, the Upper Red Deer River is bursting its banks and furiously rushing on to Red Deer.
High water is what we dream about all winter long. It’s what we ask for at Christmas. When the temperatures rise and the June rains begin – we know that it’s time…
For those people who live for that adrenaline rush that only high water can bring NOW is the time to get out on the river!
Every drop of rain brings the river up higher and higher and makes the smile on our faces wider and wider. Besides! What can be more fun when it’s raining outside than going white water rafting? You’re going to be wet anyway!
We still have some room for this upcoming weekend so that you can get in on this insurmountable thrill! It’s fast – it’s wild – it’s wet and it is definitely a huge challenge. One that will have your blood pumping and the squeals & screams echoing as you battle the river.
If you can’t make it for the weekend there’s a bit of June left, but once the high water goes it likely won’t visit us again until next year… So call and book now to reserve your seat on one of nature’s wildest, wettest and most thrilling rides!
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!
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;
Well, today it’s still raining. The water levels are rising and the weather forecast couldn’t look any better for the weekend. Check out the weather forecast for Sundre!
Bring on the sunny warm temperatures!
And to show you what the river is doing, check out the numbers for the river flow rate!. Scroll to the bottom and notice how the trend of the readings is up!
This data shows how much water is flowing in the Red Deer River up in the foothills. When you are on our Rafting Day trip and we’re nearing the end of our day on the river, we actually float under the cable associated with this river monitoring station.
In the day to day operation of Otter Rafting Adventures we monitor both these sites often. It gives us the information on what to expect for a day on the river and to be prepared for any changes that can happen rapidly when you are so close to the mountains. With these tools we can offer a better level of comfort and service on our trips.
We still have room on this weekend’s rafting trip. Call in and reserve your seat now!
Today it’s raining. That is a very good thing. At higher elevations this is going to be snow feeding our rivers for the summer. And it isn’t the usual rain either.
In Alberta, rain comes from the North-west typically in cells. As we are located on the leeward side of the Rockies most of our moisture comes as leftovers. Weather systems drop the majority of their precipitation on the western slopes as they rise up and over the heights of the Rocky Mountains usually leaving us with quite dry air here in the parkland and out onto the prairies. (Thus the name of the town Airdrie, located a little north of Calgary).
The rain today is from a system which has come up from Montana and is swirling counter-clockwise. It is forcing itself to the west so that it is the eastern slopes of the Rockies which are getting the rainfall this time. As the Red Deer River drains these slopes I think we are in for a wild ride while rafting this weekend. To top it off, this system will have moved on in a day and we'll be back to sunny sky’s for the weekend as predicted.
It’s not too late! If you want in on the FUN, give me a call and make your reservation.
Also, Father’s Day is coming – can you think of a more perfect gift than a day white water rafting? We have gift certificates available that will show Dad how special he is.
When you look west we can see plenty of snow on those mountains. This is the result of those late season snow storms that everyone hated.
For the coming week the weather forecast is for rain everyday. Combine that with the snow in the mountains and the river level is going to rise. And with the forecast being sunny for both Saturday and Sunday, this looks like it will be a very good time to get out and challenge the river. Already the river is starting to rise – it’s anyone’s guess what it will be like when this weekend arrives.
A picture from last weekends trip. Thanks for coming guys!!
Now is the time to call in and reserve your rafting trip so you don’t miss the fun. We have plenty of seats available and the guides are hoping to show you how much fun the river can be.
Remember – You Otter be Rafting !
We have been out on the river learning and practicing our raft manoeuvring skills. When there isn't a lot of water in the river you don't have many options on where you can go. You can pick a line and a hidden rock can quickly turn your raft off the chosen path. Here's a bit of fun during a training run.
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