It's good to do things that scare you

So here's my official rafting post! I figure that since I don't do many daring things, when I do something like this I need to make a big deal out of it.

Here goes:

First a short video. We went through this rapid, then paddled back in to "surf." We all got in the front of the boat except one of our guides and tried to sit it in the little eddy pool at the bottom of the rapid. Our first attempt didn't take, but we made it the second time. I was nervous because this is the part where 2 people fell out of our boat last year, but there were no casualties this time!



Me and Mel "before"


The whole group posing for the obligatory "before" pic, blinded by the sun, in front of the awesome Otter Bus!



Look at us, all smiling for the camera (click on any picture you want to see bigger). We'd been trying so hard all day to have a picture like this!


White water all around. So fun!



My weak sauce jump pose. I should have done the same as Mel and Emily who jumped once, then went up a second time with better pose ideas! Next time, next time.


WOO!


DIG. Our guides gave us commands for paddling: DIG - forward stroke, BACK - back stroke, HOLD - hold paddle in the water for 2 seconds, RIGHT BACK, LEFT DIG - spin like a top in the rapids...lol.


Here we go...


My crew! We had tons of fun on that boat for sure.


We even managed to steal the other boats' bucket! These buckets are not there for any survival reason. They are simply used to splash attack the other boats. Since we were the only group on the water, split into two boats, it kind of felt like treason, but only for a few seconds. Darn it all, just when we had decided to relent the fight since they had no bucket, they found one that had washed downstream and continued to dominate us. BLAST! Val is much too good of a water fighter.


The "after" picture. I think we look pretty dang good for jumping off cliffs, falling out of the boat, getting rained on and climbing up a muddy hill.


Next adventure. Skydiving anyone?