White Water Rafting

Review: White Water Rafting

In mid-June, I went white water rafting for the first time on the Kennebec River in Maine. It was the experience of a lifetime. I was more than a little apprehensive about the whole thing, but I wanted to do something new and different and bring the summer in right. Well, I ended up having the time of my life. I hope to go again and I’d recommend it to anyone.

We got to West Forks late the night before and the staff showed us to our cabin. It was sturdy, no frills. It had one flood light, four padded bunks that slept two each, and the screen door was covered with a blanket to keep some of the cold out. We claimed our bunks and headed out to the campfire. We had a former marine with us so he tended to the fire and that’s no small task when you’ve got no firewood.

I did a lot of tossing and turning in the night for two reasons: I like a soft bed and I was cold. I brought a medium sleeping bag, but I should have also brought a heavy wool sweater, sweats, and some wool socks. Finally, I decided to stay very still and build up some heat and I concentrated on the sound of the river to fall asleep.

In the morning, our rafting coaches gave us an orientation of what to expect on the trip. They went over the different rowing commands with us and told us what to do if we got tossed from the boat . . . . and people really did get tossed. We got our equipment (paddles, wet suits, helmets, life jackets, and footies), signed our release forms, and headed to the river.

Let me tell you that when I got to that river and saw that water, it was all worth it. It was the most beautiful, bright, clear and perfect day. Words can’t do it justice. We went through three big water rapids (Taster, MayTag, Big Mama). At first I was a little scared, but once I hit that water . . . what a rush! It’s like being in a rollercoaster on water. It was incredible and so much fun. Between rapids, we drifted down the river, played games, and went for swims. The trip lasted about 3 hours.

I would do it again anytime.