The River is Flowing

With the focus on safety, the pre-season training for our rafting guides begins soon. Every year it starts with scouting the river. We are looking for changes to the riverbed over the winter as well as refreshing our memories of where the rocks are located, what the bottom of the river  looks like and the possible hazards there. Scouting is done for  alternate routes should there be any newly downed trees due to the severity of the winter or the work of beavers.

Once that is done out comes the throwing ropes for target practice and then followed with a exhilarating rapid swim. Guide trainees add to the fun – they always introduce that unexpected element that is good for creating awareness on the river.  Scenarios are created that lead to a refreshing of paddling skills, safety and river rescue knowledge for everyone.

Being so soon after the river has started flowing there is ice pack on the river banks. Carrying the rafts up the banks, the tilted ice blocks create a perfect slide for the raft and paddlers to slide  into the river, just like all Otters do.

If you are interested in  working on the river with Otter Rafting Adventures now is the time to contact us. A trained guide needs First Aid/CPR and a river rescue course which can be acquired.

This last weekend photos were taken of the river. The water is very low and there is plenty of ice on the shore. Monday morning, April 30 at 12:15 AM, the water monitoring station started reading. It is a humble start at 10 cms but get ready for high water and a long season with all that snow in the mountains.

Here’s a few pictures up the river valley looking into the mountains. The river is quite low with ice on the shore. Soon we’ll be rafting!