Throwback Thursday - June 25/2015

Of course we can run the Red Deer - we have done the Kicking Horse.

This has been heard so many times for a long time. 

The Red Deer River is rated a class #3 river while the Kicking Horse River that flows through Golden B.C. is rated as a class #4. First, we have to know what the class difference means. For a definition of this rating system please refer to the Scale of River Difficulty.

Most of the driving in Alberta happens between Calgary and Edmonton. People are exposed to the calm Class #1 Red Deer River drifting under the bridge outside the city of Red Deer. Somehow people think that that section of the river defines its entire length.

Over many years we found it was often worthwhile to get out and scout the rapid called the big Rock. Many people did. Once while checking out the Big Rock rapid we met other paddlers who were doing the same. We exchanged some comments about the complexity of the rapid and the care required to avoid a swim. They responded that they had paddled the Kicking Horse so weren’t concerned about this rapid.

This set off an alarm bell!

Once they departed back to their raft we looked at each other and one of us guides commented “I think we are going to see the dynamics of a flip”. 

We decided to walk nonchalantly back towards our raft. We watched them to see when they launched their raft and were committed to running the rapid. We quickly ran back to a good elevated spot that offered a wide view of the coming carnage.

This was going to be entertaining! You could examine the way the raft moved through the water and slowly turned over sideways and spilt its contents. They were a solo raft that hadn’t set up a safety nor were they prepared to. They all got a long swim. It must have been almost 1 km.

It is important to learn from others mistakes. We learned how not to run a rapid and the importance of safety. We relearned that just because you run one river you can’t assume you can run a different one. There are always those unexpected surprises. Just don’t get cocky around water.

Big Rock rapid is gone. The river has found a new path down the valley floor and the water doesn’t flow over the Big Rock anymore.

New rapids have been created with the resulting new challenges. A river trip is always fun and interesting

Throw Back Thursday - June 11/2015

The wild horses stir up lots of controversy here in Alberta. Some say the horses should be allowed to roam free and others claim they are not part of the natural ecosystem and should be eliminated.

Millions of years ago wild horses populated this area until their eventual extinction.

In the last hundred years domesticated horses have been released into the wild. There are now several generations on the eastern slopes of the Rockies. Several herds live in the Upper Red Deer River area. On nearly every trip up to our rafting launch point we see wild horses.

Because of the logging in the area you can now see horses as there are fewer trees to shelter them. They have been forced to spread out to find shelter. With identifying marks on individual horses you can differentiate many different herds.

Once the herds were mainly located in the western part of the valley. Now there are so many that they are carving out territory as far east as the border of Crown land and private property.

In the last few years there has been well organized attempts to bring the herds under some control in numbers. Over all the 35 years I have been rafting in the valley I have seen the numbers increase and they are becoming more visible.

People have tried to catch the wild horses for many years. Some of the old outfitters found them useful as pack animals if they caught them young. Now there are groups such as WHOAS, CWH and Help the Wildies that are  adopting a few of the horses caught. Other horses are auctioned off to individuals where they live the remainder of their life under some care and comfort. The rest are sent for slaughter.

The method to catch them has changed over time. Now they use metal corrals and use salt or hay as a lure to entice the horses in. Once inside a trip wire closes a heavy door to trap them. This method decreases the stress of capture and is less likely to jeopardize the life of the horses as they struggle for freedom.

Another method was used by poachers before the number of horses or there existance became an issue. The old style that I saw was made of many logs strapped between convenient standing trees. Two long fences converged forming a V with a very small holding pen at the end. The animals would be chased in the open end of the V and driven  through the trees down to the pen.

As the fences converged the colts or any desirable horse could be separated and forced into the pen. This would have been a brutish experience for the men as well as a nasty and brutish experience for the horses. The horses would have been running into trees and hitting the fences as they tried to find an escape. Once caught, the men had to get the newly captured horses from that remote location through the bush back to the waiting trailers. This made me think it would be mainly colts that were caught.

I don’t know if this trap is still standing. It has been many years since I was there and I doubt if I could find the place now. It is a relief to hear of the more humane corrals for trapping the horses that are used now.

Throw Back Thursday - May 28/2015

Here is a Throw Back that goes even further back.

 

The lower Red Deer River is well known for its fossils in the Drumheller region. There is a world class Museum showing representations of finds local to that area in the town.

The upper Red Deer river has its own share of surprises. When you pull your raft to shore after running some rapids take a moment and look around. There are breath-taking views of the river valley framing the mountains to the west. And if you take the time to look closer there is whole new view of what life used to be like long before man.

We find history preserved among the rocks and cliffs on the shore. There are many fossils in the various strata of the rocks we traverse as we raft down the river. In some sections we see fossilized leaves exposed in the embankment by the erosion of the river. A section of shale can reveal many layers of leaves throughout it.

Another layer reveals small conical shells that are easily crushed with the fingers. They measure about 1 to 2 cms in length and are densely clustered together.

Several pieces of petrified wood and different types of corals are scattered along the shores.

There is another dimension to a wild, exciting day paddling the river. When you take a breather from the action, look around for the hidden surprises.

Throw Back Thursday - May 21

The river has changed quite a bit in the last 3 years. Before that it had been the same for the previous 35 years at the least. A flood or high stream flow can rearrange the river valley floor in a short amount of time.

It takes the river a while to establish a carved out channel. And every time there is high water it restarts the process of creating a channel. While rafting on the river during high water you can hear the loose rocks rolling underneath you. They are being pushed downstream by the current . The noise carries through the water and through the bottom of the raft. There is a constant cracking and banging going on underneath you as the current carries the rocks with it.

When water levels receed  many rocks are left in a position where they can move again. Either by the next high water, ice flows or just by the gradual settling of the riverbed over time. The flatter, smoother rocks are usually orientated leaning downstream. This position offers the least resistance to the flowing water.

The rocks stay in this position until the next large volume of water comes again. This stirs the rocks up, getting them rolling again and the process repeats.

The very large volumes of water can fill the valley floor. Any unstable rocks on the floor can give way to the fast current and a new path starts.

The following pictures show the valley floor from a slightly different position and altitude. The picture on the right is the river before our recent highest water. Once the high water passed we ended up with the river on the left.

 Some rapids and features are gone but as you can see new rapids have formed.

The river is always changing and sometimes those changes are amazingly large.

Rafting and Staying in Teepee's

Searching through some of the old photos I came across one from the first few years of Otter Rafting. This photo dates back to the early 1980's.

In the beginning we offered two day trips on the weekends. We had a campsite on the south side of the river where we could set up our teepee's for the weekend and make it a camping and rafting outing. There were many late nights around the campfire and then cooking breakfast on it in the morning. It was roughing it.

Access to the campground was by the Burnt Timber Gas Plant road. This road was nearly impossible to drive on once it was wet and bad at the best of times. We ran our trips on those back woods, gravel roads and they took there toll on the vehicles. Driving your car out to Mountain Aire Lodge was a real adventure - with all the hills, trucks and dust you could get a real surprise coming around any corner. It was an adventure to suddenly see wild horses, bears or moose ambling along as you crested a rise in the road.

The campsite was located at a half way point on the length of the section were there is whitewater on the Red Deer River. We would drive up toward Mountain Aire Lodge or farther west to start the whitewater trip. Here we would launch our day trip, rafting down to end at the campsite. It was nice to lay in the teepee and look out through the smoke flaps at the starlit Sky's at night. On the second day, after packing up, we launched our rafts from the campsite and continued on down the river to Coal Camp. This way we offered two different sections of the river on a two day trip.

Looking back at this photo I see that every summer has been a real adventure. Here it looks like everyone was in the sauna finally warming up.

Throw Back Thursday April 23

I hope everyone got a chance to do something to support Earth Day yesterday. It only comes once a year but we can make it happen everyday.

Otter Rafting has been in operation for more than 31 years. What a wonderful life it has been to work outdoors and live a life that is shaped by excitement and adventure activities.

Today's throw back is a picture that was taken in the mid 90's.

We had just purchased the land for the future location of what is now the Otter Rafting building in Sundre so we were temporarily setting up a camp out on the river's edge every weekend. It was a lot of work to pack everything up on Friday - all the rafting gear, camping gear, lunch gear and do the grocery shop for the weekend meals for everyone and be out at the river's edge and hope there was an available campsite. Everything fit on the bus and trailer and it was usually after 9pm  that I pulled into the camping area. Then it was a couple hours getting everything ready and set up for Saturday morning's guests out for their special rafting trip for the day.

Eventually a routine got setup to layout the camp, getting prepared and slowly everything began to go like clock work. Everyone new what to do and when they had to have everything done by. I knew we could get through the season with this temporary working situation and could overcome the hurdles along the way.

June is an unpredictable month in Central Alberta and even more so in the foothills. The weather forecast was for rain over the weekend and we were prepared to be slogging about through a wet campsite all weekend.

So eventually everything was done to set up camp and finally everyone got off to their tents for the night. That night I didn't have time to set up a tent so I slept on the bus - which eventually became a habit.

As I was snoozing off in the bus after another rushed day the rain slowly stopped and it became a very quiet night in spite of the forecast. That was a relief, it would make things easier in the morning.

Well morning came and we woke up to a beautiful carpet of  several inches of snow. There was a layer of  excellent sound proofing on everything including the bus. This wasn't in the plan for getting ready for the paddlers in a few hours. Breakfast was slow since we had to clear away the snow from the campsite, fire pit, fire wood and coolers before we could get down to bacon and eggs - and of course porridge. Finally getting the breakfast done we got the necessary gear unpacked and loaded onto the trailer.

To gain access to our camping area we had to drive off the main road through the ditch down to a side road that was no more than a cart trail through the bush. This ditch was deep and always had mud and water in it. There were several large rocks strewn about with some deep ruts that you slid in and out of on the trail. These rocks were mainly congregated at the bottom of the ditch. You had to  maneuver the bus and trailer at just the correct angle to be able to climb the ditch without bottoming out the bus or the trailer.

Could we get out of the side road through the snow, up and down through the ditch all the while hauling snow filled rafts mounted on top of the trailer with this long bus? Could we see the contours of the path amongst the rocks, ruts and mud to drive through with it being under all this snow?

We had one chance to make it up out of the ditch unto the road. We made a run for it. There was gear and guides flying everywhere inside that bus as we bounced down the cart track hitting every rock and rut at the necessary high speed to increase our chances of getting up out of there. A don't know if we stayed on the usual track. I doubt it. Somehow we made it! There was gear and astonished faced guides littering the inside of the bus.

Everything was going smoothly. With a sigh of relief we drove through the snow down to meet our eager rafters for the day.

When do we start rafting?

How soon? The answer is always – that depends.

The Red Deer River is a wonderful river for rafting on. It is called a “wild river” which is a river which is not dam controlled. In the quest for cheap energy these types of rivers are at risk of being lost.

The amount of water in the river varies with the depth of the snow pack as well as rainfall. When it warms up in the mountains the melt occurs and the rivers start to swell.

Here in the parkland of Alberta we have lost all our snow but we can see it west of Sundre on the mountains. Depending on when it warms up at those higher altitudes we will get our stream flow.

Usually the river is flowing by the long weekend in May or the weekend after. At this time we have enough water in the river to float our rafts and there can be some sizable rapids. From this time on the flow rate of the river builds up until about the third week in June. Then we are melting the snow in the wide mountain valleys and passes where there is a lot of expanse of land, and snow.

As the day temperatures continue to warm up, snow is disappearing in the lower regions and the snow melts at higher and higher elevations. Here the total land area decreases as we climb up toward the narrowing peaks such that the flow rate of the river is slowly dropping.

Along with this process of melt contributing toward the amount of water in the river add on the rainfall. Whether it be cold or warm temperatures, a good rain in May or June can be a heavy wet snowfall that accumulates in the colder mountains or if it is warm rain it speeds up the snow melting process. The river flow rate in June is very unpredictable and can vary in amount wildly.

With the factors of amount of snow, rate of melt, temperature, elevations and warm or cool precipitations, which can be rain or snow, we can only guess at when the season starts and when the most water will be in the river.

I hope that a lot of the factors are in favour of water in the river come this long weekend in May; maybe we can get out paddling... depending.

How Short Summer Is

The summer is ticking away and it is hard not to notice it. Before we know, it will be September.

The river level is dropping over time and then surging up again with a rain. Every rain is a good thing – it gives us extra time on the water. Rafting is one of those things where it is an outdoor activity that lets you be outside all day and not know if it is raining or not. You get just as wet rafting or being in the rain. Although rafting is more fun.

Before the summer is gone make your plans to be out rafting and enjoy your day whatever the weather. Although a blistering hot day on the river is heaven it seems we all have to work that day.

Next time – take that day off.

HAPPY CANADA DAY

Put on your face paint and let’s go rafting! Don’t put any paint on your forehead – with all the splashing the water carries the paint into your eyes and stings. Guess how I know that?

The weather forecast looks gorgeous for the next week. Perfect for getting out on the river. Hopefully it is the start of our summer and there will be many days of rafting ahead.

First Holiday Weekend of the Summer

Here it is the start of the Canada Day holiday weekend. For those lucky enough to get Monday off – wow, a four day weekend. Something like semi-retired isn’t it?

The river’s holding up! Lots of water, and without a high water flood this year there is plenty of snow left to give a good, continuous water flow for the summer. And what better activity is there to do on one of those hot, sunny Alberta summer days than to get out and play on the river? The perfect place to be for a long, great day of fun!

The guides have been out causing a stir on the river. The rapids and other river features are here for a second year and the guides know where the lines down the river are, giving you the best ride possible. It still is a brand new river to get out and paddle on. You don’t want to miss it!!

Watching the River run

We’ve just had a few busy days on the river. The river is running at a very good level but surprising not like the high water volumes I have seen over all the years that I have been rafting (35 years). While in Southern Alberta there has been flood warnings and media hype the Red Deer River has been surprisingly low. In fact judging from this river we can’t understand what all the talk is about?

And that is not a bad thing – in the soon to arrive hot days of summer there is going to be plenty of good water conditions for paddling. It’s like the water is being saved for later when it warms up!! That’s not bad at all!

On the last shuttle to the launch site we encountered a group of wild horses and got a very good picture of them. Nearly every time we drive up into the river valley we encounter the same herds of wild horses. It makes for an interesting drive up the Coal Camp Road while you are travelling over that poor road. Many people have been thankful that they haven’t had to drive their own vehicles on it.

Attached are a few pictures that have been taken lately. You can see the river is lots of fun but not dangerously high. When people get back to the rafting center there is plenty that is being talking about. And viewing the collection of pictures that the guides have taken it is fun to see what the day looked like. You never see a frown in any of those pictures. Just smiling, wet and clean faces!

Start making plans for your day on the river. Our summer is short and it’s hard to pack everything into it. You don’t want to miss out on your chance to ride the rapids!

IT ALWAYS RAINS IN JUNE

And the guides are taking advantage of it! You should be too!

The Burnt Timber is flowing fast and only runs a few weeks of the year when it is large enough to paddle on. And the guides are paddling today – they are on the river and are going to get wet for sure. You can’t tell if the water falls from the sky or splashes you from the river. It doesn’t matter!

Some of the best paddling conditions are associated with rainfall. Don’t miss out on a great day on the river because it might rain. Remember when they say 40% chance of showers – it means 60% chance of sun – and that is most of the day!

While Southern Alberta is having threatening water levels - here on the Upper Red Deer River we are enjoying the perfect water flow rate for this size of river. Come out and enjoy the superb conditions – definitely the most fun rafting we can offer! When you think of an exciting day rafting – this is it!!

The rafting is Great!!

Don’t be afraid of a little rain!

World Water Day - Mar 22/2014

This year’s focus is on Water and Energy. “Particular attention will be paid to identifying best practices that can make a water- and energy-efficient 'Green Industry' a reality.” I am always concerned about losing wild rivers to become a source of energy; we do have to balance this need with sources of recreation, preserving nature and the basic needs for life.

Follow the link and find out about the uneven distribution of water around the world and the resulting energies around the world. http://www.unwater.org/worldwaterday

The power of water should be considered for all, both for how it is used as the basic substance of life as well as “leading the way to energy security and sustainable water use in a green economy.

2014 Rafting Season looking promising

Every year on Robbie Burns day we take a look at the snow data to try and get an idea of the upcoming summers rafting conditions.

The head waters of the Red Deer River are near Skokie Lodge, 5kms north of the Lake Louise ski resort. Here there is a station for measuring snow data which is a main indicator of water volumes and levels for the Red Deer River. Another station is located on Limestone Mountain which is a minor supply for our river as well. As of today the snow pack at Skokie Lodge is a little below the average level while Limestone mountain has about twice the average amount of snow.

Since we get most of the significant snow later in the season, when the snow is dense, these indicators are good for today’s date. We can expect plenty more snow now up until the river flows in the mountains. We would have to guess that we are in for an average river flow for the coming rafting season.

Then again, last year’s data was average as well at this time. What happened was the heavy rain and warm night time temperatures causing a sudden snow melt in the mountains. These conditions are just like the perfect storm and don’t happen every year.

As a result of last year’s flood the Red Deer River has been dramatically changed for the section of the river that we are rafting on. Some rapids have changed or even gone but also some new ones have been created. Basically – it is a brand new river! Most likely you have never rafted on this new river!

The combinations of the good water levels that the Red Deer enjoys as well as the new rapids only points towards another great season of fun and excitement for your rafting trips this year.

Finally, this is the time of year that we are looking for guides for the coming season. If you are rafting guide material send in your resume with experience and qualifications noted.

Rafting Season is Here

The White water rafting season is underway here at Otter Rafting Adventures and with the amount of snow pack in the mountains we should have a great summer. The guides have been out scouting the river and are ready to take our many guests down the river on a wild and exciting trip.

Now is the time of the year to catch the big water. It is just starting to flow up here in the foothills. Add to the melt all the rainfall and the Red Deer River is cookin! Don’t let the rain bother you. We guarantee that you are going to get wet whether it be from the river ( most likely) or the rain. You can only get so wet and you are dressed for it. Besides, what else can you do outside in the rain??

When one of the few weekends comes around and it’s raining, rafting is a way to make the most of it. Great fun and outdoors – that can’t be beat!

Getting ready for the river

The rafting season is just around the corner. With an above average snow pack at the headwaters of the Red Deer River this should be an exciting year of playing on the river.

The spring is a little late in arriving, but that is fine as it allow more snows to accumulate in the mountains. Look at it as snow being put in the bank being saved for later! It collects a different kind of interest – anticipation of some wild and exciting paddling.

The guides are excited and anxious to get on the river for some practice runs and and review their river safety skills.. They are polishing their paddles and making sure their wetsuits still fit. The wetsuits seem to shrink a little bit more with each winter!  Here at Otter Rafting Adventures we have to get out and do some pre-season paddling as well as look for new hazards or any potential threats. It’s a good excuse to get out on the river as often as possible.

2013 Winter Snowfall

In #Sundre the snow is melting but in the mountains there is at least 6 more weeks of snow to come.

This winter we have had a good snowfall in the mountains. As of today we have accumulated the average amount of snow, at the source of the Red Deer River, the same that would fall from a full winter. And we still have a minimum of 6 weeks of potential snowfall that can accumulate. Things are looking good! On the chart the blue line is rising.

The guides can’t wait to get out on the river, paddling and brushing up on their safety skills. Bet they have learned plenty of new jokes to subject a trapped audience to.

Hopefully we get lot's more snow (in the mountains)!

Merry Christmas

It’s cold and snowy in #Sundre which feels right for Christmas. Otter Rafting’s present to you is a good river forecast for the 2013 rafting season.

It’s Christmas Eve and I want to wish all a Merry Christmas and for a very Happy New Year with plenty of high water.

Here is a link to the snow pack conditions at Skoki Lodge (the major head waters of the Red Deer River). It’s looking pretty good for early in the winter, even above last years level on this date. We have good things to look forward to in 2013 and a great rafting season seems to be one of them.

Meanwhile, all this snow means a good ski season too. So get out and enjoy the great outdoors and I’ll keep you posted for the river forecast. Merry Christmas everyone!!

Last weekend on the river

Yes, the rafting season has come to an end in #Alberta. Here are the final pictures of Coal Camp Ledge on the Red Deer River of the series that started in May.

The sequence follows the rivers cycle throughout the summer season. Every Sunday the photos were taken and they show how the river has changed in the previous week.

The photos start with ice on the river and is starting to melt. There is very little water flow. The photos end as there is no more melt happening at the headwaters of the Red Deer River. Essentially ice is forming up at the higher elevations and we have reverted back to very little water flow.

It would be interesting to be able to show how the river has changed though out the season, where there have been very dramatic changes to the river’s path but the inaccessibility of the river makes it difficult.

Here are the photos from last weekend and the previous weekend.

Still having FUN!

Rafting west of #Sundre was FUN again today. The girls from California enjoyed our #Albertan “summer” weather.

It is getting toward the end of the season and everyone had a lot of fun out playing on the river even in these lower water conditions. I know any day on the river is better than a day at work. To be on the river and at work send your resume to Otter Rafting Adventures.

Continuing with our monitoring of the river and how it changes here are the recent comparative photos at the final ledge. Things are slowly dropping as you can see and more rocks and larger gravel bars are seen. Sorry to see another season drawing to a close.