Royal Gorge Rafting
An epic season of unseasonably high water ahead!
05/06/11 07:07
Get ready for one of the best seasons of rafting yet!
Image: Two of our professional support kayakers jazzed about the high water experience and always looking out for yours!
We couldn’t be more excited about the amount of run off we are anticipating this rafting season! Our staff of experienced guides are excited and ready for the amazing amount of spring run off we are expecting as the high mountain snowpack is sitting at record levels. It is unfortunate that the media portrays high water as a great hazard that should be avoided. The fact of the matter is that high water run off creates a once in a lifetime adventure that is a rare event. It is important that when you do decide to get in the river this summer (and you should) that it is with a professional whitewater rafting outfitter! If you are unexperienced you shouldn’t expect your self to be able to raft high water on your own as decisions are not made in a moments notice. You need to know the run you are about to encounter. This would be comparable to flying commercially with an airline and being expected to land the plane you are riding in on your own! Our guides are no different from the pilots of an aircraft. If an aircraft encounters foul weather they fly around it. We do just the same. We go around the ill advised sections of the river and take you to the sections that will provide you with the ride of your life! This season with the high snowpack provides one of the greatest opportunities in rafting!
A lot of newer guides are envious of the river guides who were around in 1995 which was our last extremely high water season and a lot of our veteran staff at Royal Gorge Rafting remember the year of 1995 fondly. Our peak flows in 1995 were around 7000 CFS! Whereas an average peak is closer to 3200 CFS.
So far we have had a cool spring which as kept a lot of the snow pack at bay. Rafting Outfitters on the Arkansas River raft through the Royal Gorge section up to 3200 CFS, once above this level it is a Colorado State Parks recommendation that we stop rafting the Royal Gorge commercially. In actuality the run through the Gorge gets easier as the water gets higher but the swift and constant nature of the rapids creates a hazard due to relentless flow. The passages are clear and apparent and more forgiving as the water gets higher through the Gorge but the strong, fast downstream currents become to swift for commercial clientele.
So what do we do if we can't raft the Royal Gorge? The answer is simple! We change the section of river we raft. As we move upstream from the Royal Gorge the gradient lessens and the rapids are not as continuous. This is ultimately an easy answer for us and it enables you, our guest to experience the world class whitewater we wouldn't dare miss out on!
“But doesn't the thrill diminish if you don’t get to raft the Royal Gorge?” The simple answer is NO. That is a non factor. As we move up river to comparable sections of river we still encounter equally exciting and thrilling rapids of the same caliber that we would have rafted in the Royal Gorge at recommended flows. For families with small children we simply move ever further upstream and for groups that want the big water but not the same challenge as the Royal Gorge may have brought we still raft the Bighorn Sheep Canyon as it is simply amazing at the high water flows of 6000 CFS & more!
This season is simply not to be missed! If you are dissuaded from going rafting due to the uninformed assessments of the media that would be unfortunate! The same media outlets that might steer you away from what this high water season has to offer shouldn’t be trusted to land your commercial airliner either. We understand that adverse conditions make a great talking for the 6 o'clock news, it grabs our attention!
We would never throw common sense or your best interests aside and that is why we take the preventive measures necessary to ensure you have a high quality adventure with us at Royal Gorge Rafting whether the water is high or low.
On a side note, at Royal Gorge Rafting we still kayak the Royal Gorge on a daily basis hopefully of flows up to flows of 7000+ CFS or until the railroad tracks are covered and that probably wouldn’t stop us from kayaking the Royal Gorge either. In a kayak we are able to upright our craft with a roll and so giddily we go! The same is possible with the upper Bighorn Sheep Canyon for rafting (less the rolling part). This section at high water is suitable for about every age up until the point that Hwy 50 is washed out and until then, we raft daily 7 days a week.
Our point is that this is a season of high water that is not to be missed! Our experienced staff is ready to take you on an incomparable adventure that will be nothing short of INCREDIBLE! Just like the flood levels of 1995 and yes we were there too!
Of course if white water rafting is not your desire then an alternate water free option is our exciting and popular Royal Gorge Zip Line Tours. We have an option for everyone!
Image: Two of our professional support kayakers jazzed about the high water experience and always looking out for yours!
We couldn’t be more excited about the amount of run off we are anticipating this rafting season! Our staff of experienced guides are excited and ready for the amazing amount of spring run off we are expecting as the high mountain snowpack is sitting at record levels. It is unfortunate that the media portrays high water as a great hazard that should be avoided. The fact of the matter is that high water run off creates a once in a lifetime adventure that is a rare event. It is important that when you do decide to get in the river this summer (and you should) that it is with a professional whitewater rafting outfitter! If you are unexperienced you shouldn’t expect your self to be able to raft high water on your own as decisions are not made in a moments notice. You need to know the run you are about to encounter. This would be comparable to flying commercially with an airline and being expected to land the plane you are riding in on your own! Our guides are no different from the pilots of an aircraft. If an aircraft encounters foul weather they fly around it. We do just the same. We go around the ill advised sections of the river and take you to the sections that will provide you with the ride of your life! This season with the high snowpack provides one of the greatest opportunities in rafting!
A lot of newer guides are envious of the river guides who were around in 1995 which was our last extremely high water season and a lot of our veteran staff at Royal Gorge Rafting remember the year of 1995 fondly. Our peak flows in 1995 were around 7000 CFS! Whereas an average peak is closer to 3200 CFS.
So far we have had a cool spring which as kept a lot of the snow pack at bay. Rafting Outfitters on the Arkansas River raft through the Royal Gorge section up to 3200 CFS, once above this level it is a Colorado State Parks recommendation that we stop rafting the Royal Gorge commercially. In actuality the run through the Gorge gets easier as the water gets higher but the swift and constant nature of the rapids creates a hazard due to relentless flow. The passages are clear and apparent and more forgiving as the water gets higher through the Gorge but the strong, fast downstream currents become to swift for commercial clientele.
So what do we do if we can't raft the Royal Gorge? The answer is simple! We change the section of river we raft. As we move upstream from the Royal Gorge the gradient lessens and the rapids are not as continuous. This is ultimately an easy answer for us and it enables you, our guest to experience the world class whitewater we wouldn't dare miss out on!
“But doesn't the thrill diminish if you don’t get to raft the Royal Gorge?” The simple answer is NO. That is a non factor. As we move up river to comparable sections of river we still encounter equally exciting and thrilling rapids of the same caliber that we would have rafted in the Royal Gorge at recommended flows. For families with small children we simply move ever further upstream and for groups that want the big water but not the same challenge as the Royal Gorge may have brought we still raft the Bighorn Sheep Canyon as it is simply amazing at the high water flows of 6000 CFS & more!
This season is simply not to be missed! If you are dissuaded from going rafting due to the uninformed assessments of the media that would be unfortunate! The same media outlets that might steer you away from what this high water season has to offer shouldn’t be trusted to land your commercial airliner either. We understand that adverse conditions make a great talking for the 6 o'clock news, it grabs our attention!
We would never throw common sense or your best interests aside and that is why we take the preventive measures necessary to ensure you have a high quality adventure with us at Royal Gorge Rafting whether the water is high or low.
On a side note, at Royal Gorge Rafting we still kayak the Royal Gorge on a daily basis hopefully of flows up to flows of 7000+ CFS or until the railroad tracks are covered and that probably wouldn’t stop us from kayaking the Royal Gorge either. In a kayak we are able to upright our craft with a roll and so giddily we go! The same is possible with the upper Bighorn Sheep Canyon for rafting (less the rolling part). This section at high water is suitable for about every age up until the point that Hwy 50 is washed out and until then, we raft daily 7 days a week.
Our point is that this is a season of high water that is not to be missed! Our experienced staff is ready to take you on an incomparable adventure that will be nothing short of INCREDIBLE! Just like the flood levels of 1995 and yes we were there too!
Of course if white water rafting is not your desire then an alternate water free option is our exciting and popular Royal Gorge Zip Line Tours. We have an option for everyone!
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