Lucylucyloveland

Ejoying the summer days,... nice!

20 posts in this topic

Hey everyone! 

 I've been craving some good Summertime.   fun...  I'm merely looking for conversationalist, humorous viewpoints to unfold on the board.

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It is a darn nice summer ain't it?  Enough rain so no fires this year so far... 

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Yes! Love the rain! However rafting sounds a little too bold for me. I bet it's a rush though. 

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2 hours ago, Lucylucyloveland said:

Yes! Love the rain! However rafting sounds a little too bold for me. I bet it's a rush though. 

So start with tubing a creek - many fun ones in the state - and work up to raft and easy water river  and ........... pretty soon you are shooting the Royal Gorge. ;)

I'd rather stay on shore and cast some lures myself, but .....

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OK, so I am a bit prejudiced, since I was a professional Whitewater Rafting Guide for quite a few years (when I was young), but take my word for it, there is no freaking way that rafting is "too bold" for you, gorgeous. Trust me: book a trip on the Arkansas through Browns Canyon with a good professional rafting company and you will never regret it:

1.  It will be more fun than you can possibly imagine.

2.  It is beautiful and just a huge bite of what makes Colorado so special.  Sunshine, beautiful scenery, fun companions, sexy guides (at least when I was guiding), adventure, food outside, etc.

3.  Despite the massive adrenaline rush, it is actually pretty safe (the most dangerous part of the day is the drive to Buena Vista).  We guides know the river like the back of our hands and are really well trained on how to keep the tourists safe.  Endless hours of training on "grab the floating tourist," even how to "grab the upside down floating drunk tourist."

4.  You may meet some great people.  I married one of my customers who thought the guide was sexy (long time ago).

5.  There is a photographer sitting at the best rapid that will meet you with a great picture when you get out (how does he do it?).  Nice souviner.

6.  You get to go to Buena Vista, which is not a bad thing to do.

7.  Hey, what else are you going to do?

Go soon, the river goes down pretty quickly and the raft companies stop running - this weekend would be epic!

Go for it, you will never regret it!

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4 minutes ago, BadBoy said:

 

Go soon, the river goes down pretty quickly and the raft companies stop running - this weekend would be epic!

 

Well, I know we are all supposed to agree at all times, but ..... last I looked the Arkansas was running 3500-4000 cfs.  a great ride for pro or expert rafters.  But for someone that sounds like has never been on a river raft and sounds a touch afraid of the idea  ...... oh hell no :eek:  FYI more people die every year rafting the Arkansas than driving that part of highway 50.  And at least some of the guide companies tour into September when the minimum 700 cfs flow period ends.

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rain storms are great! fun to get caught in them, get soaked, and then cozy up after.... looks like you have some experience already with wet shirts! xox

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Actually, Brown's Canyon gets a bit safer at high water - the high volume washes out some of the bigger rocks, holes, etc., it gets a lot trickier at around 1500 CFS.  Nevertheless, your point is well taken, so let me correct my original post:

Go soon, but there is no real rush, it looks like the river will be running for quite a while this season - the next few weekends will be epic.

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Just did a bit of follow up research - nearly all of the people who have died in whitewater rafting accidents in Colorado were on "private trips," meaning they owned the boat, loaded up some friends and did not have a professional guide.  Injuries and deaths rarely occur on professionally guided raft trips.  In addition, when I was talking about how the drive down there was the most dangerous part, I meant the drive from Denver on I-25, 470, and 285 (where is Highway 50?).

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4 hours ago, BadBoy said:

Just did a bit of follow up research - nearly all of the people who have died in whitewater rafting accidents in Colorado were on "private trips," meaning they owned the boat, loaded up some friends and did not have a professional guide.  Injuries and deaths rarely occur on professionally guided raft trips.  In addition, when I was talking about how the drive down there was the most dangerous part, I meant the drive from Denver on I-25, 470, and 285 (where is Highway 50?).

US Highway 50 runs from Pueblo west to Canon City. For people in COS, they usually take Colorado 115 to Canon City then west on Highway 50. 50 continues west through Pagosa Springs and up over Monarch Pass.

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6 minutes ago, amcbl1 said:

US Highway 50 runs from Pueblo west to Canon City. For people in COS, they usually take Colorado 115 to Canon City then west on Highway 50. 50 continues west through Pagosa Springs and up over Monarch Pass.

You mean poncha springs, outside of Salida. Hwy 50 takes you through Gunnison into Montrose. It passes by blue mesa which is an awesome sight. 

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3 minutes ago, Juanmotai said:

You mean poncha springs, outside of Salida. Hwy 50 takes you through Gunnison into Montrose. It passes by blue mesa which is an awesome sight. 

Whoops my bad, get those two mixed up. Beautiful drive either way.

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I haven't been in Denver long, but is it usually so much hazier over the summer? Or is that short-lived... Maybe I notice it more over here because of the mountains.

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7 hours ago, BadBoy said:

Just did a bit of follow up research - nearly all of the people who have died in whitewater rafting accidents in Colorado were on "private trips," meaning they owned the boat, loaded up some friends and did not have a professional guide.  Injuries and deaths rarely occur on professionally guided raft trips.  In addition, when I was talking about how the drive down there was the most dangerous part, I meant the drive from Denver on I-25, 470, and 285 (where is Highway 50?).

14 deaths on Arkansas since start of 2014 with 7 and 7 commercial and private.  Highway 50 from Parkdale just west of the Royal Gorge to Salida - 40 plus miles - runs side by side with the Arkansas. I tend to think of that stretch and access from Springs Pueblo etc. Used to be a favorite fishing haunt until DofW f**ked it up with gold medal regs for the tourism industry. Highway 50 runs from Maryland to California.  Passes through Grand Junction with spectacular black canyon of the gunnison a great side trip between blue mesa and montrose.

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Almost forgot - the FibArk whitewater festival is this weekend in salida with kayak races salida to cotopaxi and lots of side events. Good time usually had by all 😀

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I guess I am a bit apprehensive because my friend was at the scene of a man who died from rafting a few weeks ago. She drove the widowed wife to the hospital. Terrible tragedy... On another note, Who is going to the SONIC BLOOM festival this weekend? That area is where I grew up. I went to the fest last year. Amazing.. Can't wait to go this weekend!!

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OK, you can't have fun if you are worried and scared - forget about rafting.  Have you thought about skydiving.  What are the mortality figures for that, gr8owl?

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26 minutes ago, BadBoy said:

 Have you thought about skydiving.  What are the mortality figures for that, gr8owl?

With or without parachute? From a plane or off the Royal Gorge bridge? 😎

I have no idea, but there was a fatality in springs about a month ago. Commercial outfit, air force cadet.

How about some nice technical rock climbing with proper gear?

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