Keepin' busy in the winter

I've been asked by many customers "so uh, what do you do in the winter?" and I think it's time to shed a little light on this subject.

Whitewater rafting guides come from all different walks of life. Of the many that I have met, the ones that are young enough to get away with it raft in the summer and ski in the winter. Many of us make the great commute from The Forks, Maine to anywhere out west. The best thing about being out there is realizing that, since we all enjoy the same thing, you often run into other rafting guides that have come from the forks. One of my friends was out in Salt Lake City, Utah at a bar on a busy Saturday night when all of a sudden one of his best friends from The Forks walked in! For those of us that are involved in this lifestyle, you realize that it's just one little network in this great big world.

Others are teachers, medical assistants, college students, college dropouts, US Coast Guardsmen, and others are just simply travellers.

So next time you ask your raft guide what they do in the winter, keep your mind open, there are many different possibilities and many people that are passionate about rivers. It's this passion that allows even those with 'real jobs' to have a great summer job that they truly enjoy.

It's hot everywhere in the world, but the water's nice and cool up here in the forks! come cool off with us on the Kennebec or Penobscot Rivers!

Oh! and remember, the more you keep your air conditioner on, the more electricity the dam has to create which means higher water up here! Keep 'em cranked!

Kennebec River Turbine Test - 8,000 CFS

Coming up and over Big Mama though at 8,000 CFS she looks a lot more like Massive Mama

And judging by these faces this mama ain't the one that tucked you into bed as a kid

Ted's boat coming into maytag a gnarly hole that looks as though she's about to eat his boat and crew alive

WHAT A NASTY HIT!!

Sure enough, Maytag wins again!

Come out and play on the Kennebec's Eight-Grand days

Rafting in Israel

I am writing from sunny Tel Aviv. Last week, I took the family on a nice float trip down a tributary of the Jordan river. Nothing exreme, just a bump and grind down a pretty river, decent current, a bit of splashing. And of course, dunking nieces and nephews in the water.

A very different trip than the lower Jordan, which is a fast paced, highly technical, VERY exciting trip. Guiding two seasons on the Jordan a couple years back gave me a different perspective on rafting, and helped me develop some advanced skills. When the kids are a little older, I'll take them there.

Being here on a family visit takes me off of Maine rivers for about a month in the middle of the season, which is pretty weird for me. Looking forward to being back.

Harold

Overnight Delight!

I hear all the guides here at Pro talk about how awesome the overnight camping and rafting trips, that they are in fact our forte. After experiencing my first one this past weekend, I know what they are all talking about.

The first day is great, with the ducky kayaks on the East Outlet of the Kennebec River and into Indian Pond, which was running at 3000 cfs. We had an awesome time surfing at swimmers hole. Next is a sandwich buffet at a campsite and on to the private island for happy hour and a lobster feed. With everyone stuffed and happy we sat around the campfire playing guitar and singing songs...That's my idea of good times, but the best was yet to come. Day two of this trip was Big water on the Kennebec River. 8,000 cfs!!!!!
With a nice hit at Big hit at Big Mamma, the river decided to teach me a little lesson. A wave after Big Kahuna backsurfed me and produced half a swimmer. lucky for her she knew how to follow instructions and took my advice of grabbing on the person in front of her to stay in the raft. I quickly pulled her to saftey for which she was grateful.
A few T-storms in the afternoon proved an adventure filled float out and lunch at Base...Natures Fury!!!!!WOOOO!!!

I say if your gonna come do this, do it right...book now for some overnight delight!

HIT OF THE WEEK on the Kennebec River

Cecil wins this week's "hit of the week" with the Clark party paddling through Magic Falls on the Kennebec River July 4th.

A close to perfect picture with only one mishap: 1 T-Grip violation.

Oh wait, we don't call a "hold on" paddling through Magic, make that two minor mishaps.

Maine Rafting Guide of the Month - Bob Mallar

Bob, a long-term Professional River Runners whitewater rafting guide, gets a little recognition in No Umbrella, Maine's Offbeat Outdoor Website:

Guide Of The Month

Recreation Dept. Recreates on a White Water Rafting Trip

As a whitewater rafting guide on the Kennebec River, highwater is always greatly appreciated. Today came as somewhat of a surprise, with all of the rain that we've gotten in the past couple of days I should have known that the Kennebec would be flowing higher than the standard 4800 CFS. This morning I heard '6400' and was thinking: "i have to take down a group of kids at highwater today? Guess we'll see what happens"

I'll admit I was a bit nervous, while I know Magic washes out, my greatest concern was taking a boatful of young girls through Big Mama and not flipping at any of the sisters. As soon as I met these girls, I was somewhat relieved.

I would have to say that my favorite part of the day was 'rallying the troops' as they say. These girls were so full of spunk it was very easy to get them excited about going down the river. Little did they know, I was somewhat nervous and was playing each of the sisters through my head over and over again praying to the river gods that I didn't lose one of them before the Alleyway.

Gotta love those river gods, my run today was a great one and I know that all of the girls had a great time - and so did I.

Thanks to the staff for bringing your kids up here. I had a blast and I hope you all did too.

The King of Preservation

John Muir once tied himself to the top of a sequoia tree during a hurricane just for the experience. For those of you who don't know, John Muir is THE father of preservation and Yosemite National Park. He believed like the transcendentalists that we as humans are a part of nature and that it is part of us. His philosophies started the change from conquering the wilderness to actually taking pride in great tracts of wildland. He also believed that emerging one's self in nature makes individuals tough.
I like Muir's ideas on wildland. I do my best to follow in his footsteps ( and those of others such as Aldo Leopold, Bob Marshall, and Arthur Carhart) to help people see see the delicate balance we have to maintain with nature, the responsibilities that we have toward it, and the best possible ways to have a damn good time.

So with that in mind, if I ask any of you to pick up litter I see you drop, or to be careful not to make a fire too big, or not to throw granola wrappers and orange peels in the river don't take it personally, it's just me doing my part to save The Woods.

Freedom!

Oh say can you see
a giant wave in front of me
while so heartily we paddle
from big mamma down to dead stream

and the raft guide's back there
yelling out paddle commands
takes us through the big water
How Iwish I was still there.

oh say does that mighty Kennebec river still rage
through the land of the free
and the home of the insane!