It was the second warm day of the start of the summer season when we arrived at the KOA Campground south of Jackson Hole, Wyo. We spent the afternoon in the shade of the big trees lining the edge of the river. Jenee caught two small garden snakes and was letting them climb up and down her arms. Snakes on the Snake River, is this a coincidence?
The next morning we walked into the office to buy a bag of ice, when my mother and I noticed the sign saying, "Whitewater rafting picked up and dropped off here," right here at our campground. After very little thought, we decided to go for it. My mother isn't getting any younger, well, neither am I, so we signed up. Dad declined and said he would take the harder job of "official photographer."
First the lady explained, you can't wear blue jeans because they don't dry fast enough. She asked if I had shorts. Shorts driving a motorcycle, not. But, I did have a pair of yoga pants I was using for pajamas she said would work. Next she informed us we couldn't wear sunglasses unless we had a "croakie" to secure them. I figure I had my ponytail that I could somehow wrap to secure my sunglasses because who could go out on a raft without sunglasses?
Lastly she explained we needed sturdy shoes like beach shoes. Well, I only have my one pair of tennis shoes packed so I'll have to wear them and hope they dry out later that afternoon. We're ready!
About 28 people load on to the bus ready for the "adventures of a lifetime." Our raft is a 16-man raft. Our guide's name is John Baer and he pronounces it with a French accent. He assures us he has been a guide for 20 years as he starts to explain to each of us what our job will be. My mother and another grandma are going to be the windshield - I mean they are going to sit in the center front with the other lady's 7-year-old grandson in between them. They will get wet.
Then there are four young college-age women who keep doing high-fives and some kind of a growling "ewe ha." They will man the first four paddle positions. Then myself and a lady about my age are the two right in front of the guide, with Jenee and another little girl who is her same age between the two of us moms. We'll keep the girls safe, but we will also be paddling.
John explains why it is so important when we get in to the rapids that we plow through the nose of the rapids and keep paddling all the way through and don't panic and sit there with our mouths open in awe. This sounds like dirt bike riding to me - let's go!
We started out with lots of easy Class 1 and 2 rapids. At the end of our hour and a half adventure we were going through Class 3 and 4 rapids, plus down two waterfalls, yes! My father was down at the last waterfall taking photos. When we caught up to him, he told us how one team didn't hit the fall quite right and as the raft rolled and bounced through the rapid, the guide was thrown out of the raft. I guess that's what John meant when he called his seat the "ejection seat" on the raft.
By the time we finished traversing the 12 mile ride down the Snake River, I was ready to do it again. This was truly an awesome experience. I think I could take it up as a sport, but the water was too cold for me. Next time you are near the Snake River, why don't you give it a try?
-- Lisa Welch is a Johnson Lane resident and can be reached at 267-9350.
