Paddle, then saddle

Whitewater rafting can be an adventure for the brave. My last whitewater trip involved two dozen Class 5 rapids in the course of a day, followed by a rugged quarter-mile hike out of a canyon. I swore I'd never take another.

Ah, but you voted for me to do a paddle saddle - a full day of rafting and horseback riding arranged by Wild River Adventures in West Glacier, Mont.

OK, here's the secret: This is fall. And in fall in the northern hemisphere, most rivers are calm. Some are closed for the season.

So I was pretty sure I was in for a fairly tame ride, which suited me fine.

Our guide for the day, Chuck Hunter, took five of us on a leisurely, three-hour float from Moccasin Creek to the Flathead River, just outside Glacier National Park. The hills are covered with spruce, firs and hemlock sprinkled with shimmering Aspens just giving way to the yellows of autumn. It gave us plenty of time to admire the scenery and learn about the river when Big Water is the rule, bringing the levels up 8 to 15 feet above current levels. Now we were drifting at 600 cubic feet of water per second, but in spring the levels rise to 20,000-35,000 cubic feet per second. "It's a different river every day," he told us.

In between the ripples of whitewater, we admired the scenery and bemoaned the lack of funding for the National Parks. “It's really important that we let people know what's happening," said Ruth Bradburn of Chicago. “It's a major problem."

"Look at the color of that water coming over those rocks with the historic bridge in the background," she marveled. “Now, that's a memory for a cold Chicago winter day."

The afternoon "saddle" part of the day was proof that cowboy culture isn't just the stuff of Western novels and vintage movies - at least not in Montana.

Dale Osteen, guide, took me through a forest of 40-foot lodgepole pines, so perfectly pointed they belong on the "grounds" of a child's train set. Wild strawberries and huckleberries grow along the trail, their berries long consumed by forest creatures. But the knick-knicks - small red-berries with leaves once used by native peoples as tobacco - remain, with white winterberries and thimbleberries. The leaves have started reddening, dressing for the fall.

I rode Cheers, a sweet gelding whose young owner had sold him to pay for modeling school in New York.

When you ride, you chat. Dale regaled us with stories of horsemen injured in terrible accidents that would have killed lesser men, a young Australian horseman whose American colleagues were so envious of his abilities that they plotted to get him thrown from the country. A horse so good with austistic children that Dale had cried when the horse had to be put down.

He told us too, of a recent Florida couple who had gone with him on an overnight ride, only to run out of cigarettes. Instead of sitting around the campfire, the trio rode down to a nearby bar. "I think they liked that part of the trip best, the idea that they could ride their horse to a bar."

So, what if you have one too many? Not good, he told us; riding a horse while impaired qualifies at drunk driving. Happened to him once, years ago, in Bakersfield, Calif. Seems the judge didn't think the horse qualified as a designated driver.

Wild River Adventures

Rated Member Rating 5 out of 5 by callen60 on March 22, 2006
Review Usefulness Rating Usefulness Rating 4 out of 5
From journal Alpine America: Glacier National Park

This was our big splurge in Glacier, a half-day whitewater trip with riverside dinner to follow. We booked it in April (complete with dinner selections), and met up at Wild River Adventures shortly before 2pm on a July afternoon for our trip.

It's clear that one source of river guides is young, irrepressible males. The two leading our trip sat facing us atop the backs of the seats of the old school bus as we entered Flathead National Forest, headed for the Middle Fork of the Flathead River, despite the bus bouncing 3 feet high or more on the roughly roads. As we learned later, there was more than just testosterone to these guys, who were responsible for their own rafts, plus three kayakers paddling along with us.

Our raft held eight: our guide, our family of five, and a pair of area newlyweds on their honeymoon trip. My youngest daughter was more than a little nervous about the whitewater, and our guide did a nice job from start to finish helping her feel comfortable.

The weather was gorgeous; a simply perfect day. We put in at 2:30pm, with the sun shining above, making the river sparkle everywhere. Along the way, we passed a number of breathtaking scenes, with Glacier National Park to our right and National Forest to our left. We encountered one other group on the river, a family outing of two rafts with a pair of dogs who just loved to plunge into the river, swim ahead, and wait panting on the rocks or shore for their owners to catch up.

The rapids on this trip were class II and III. It was a nice level of challenge for a bunch of neophytes. My girls had a blast (even my youngest), and really reveled in the sense that they had helped accomplish something. The first 30 minutes of the trip were given to 'training," where the guide taught us how to paddle, when to paddle, and what to do in all the circumstances we were likely to encounter.

There were about half a dozen patches of whitewater. It was exhilarating to paddle through them, but none were so threatening that my parental instincts overwhelmed my attention to paddling (I'm not sure my wife would agree). We all loved the whitewater, and my kids have asked several times since if we'll go rafting again.

Eventually, we pulled the rafts ashore and dinner began. The passengers basically relaxed and chatted with each other and the guides while they prepared dinner. We learned that our guide worked during the year as a counselor at a live-in camp for urban kids recovering from drug addiction, and we thought he'd be a great person to have in that position.

From the first phone call to the last goodbye, these folks were friendly, entertaining, and gracious. As I picked up our "action photo" of our crew in the rapids, I thanked the owner for a great time, and complimented him on his staff.

Outside: Family Vacations Summer Planner 1999
"Don't Spare the Bubbly: Seven family river trips from wimpy to wild"

Middle Fork of the Flathead River, Montana-

Comprising the southwestern boundary of Glacier National Park, the Middle Fork of the Flathead flows through a glaciated valley, surrounded on all sides by national park, forest, and wilderness. Fed by heavy snowmelts in May, the river is too rambunctious for families until it mellows to friendly Class II and III in early June, then turns into moderate flow by summer's end. Though the river is hemmed by wilderness, the trips are surprisingly accessible.

Anywhere else, the Flathead's lively Class III rapids would be the center of attention. But since the river borders what John Muir called "the best scenery on the continent," the river loses some of it oomph as kids get caught up by the sight of 9,376-foot Mount St. Nicholas looming in the distance; mountain goats, elks, and deer grazing the high-alpine meadows; and grizzlies patrolling the shore for trout. Contact: Wild River Adventures Outfitter 1-800-700-7056

The Daily Inter Lake June 22, 2000
"Preparation the key to safe boating", Jo Ann Speelman

River safety can help prevent the Flathead Valley's abundant waters from turning deadly. Even the most skilled boaters get into trouble and need help.

The adage of "be prepared" can't be overemphasized for those seeking the thrill and enjoyment offered by the area's rivers and lakes. That's why commercial raft companies emphasize extensive emergency training, and why law enforcement and emergency response groups are trained and prepared. Private citizens should be as well. "The reason we do this is the element of risk," Bob Jordan, owner of Wild River Adventures and president of the Flathead Professional River Outfitters' Association, said. "But with today's equipment, rafting has become a very popular family activity."

The Middle Fork of the Flathead is considered the most popular whitewater section in the Flathead. An estimated 45,000 boaters and floaters traveled downstream from the Cascadilla access at Nyack Flats to West Glacier last year.

"As commercial outfitters, we see ourselves as stewards of the river, not only to protect the resource but to help make it a safe place to play," he said. He helped organize Tuesday's mock rescue drill on the Middle Fork and helped get an informative emergency river map printed to aid in rescue efforts. . . .

"There needs to be a pre-trip discussion with all who are going so everyone knows the rules from signals to itinerary, what to expect and what to do if something happens," Jordan said.

Going over how to wear life jackets, set or move in the boat, holding paddles, what do if someone falls out, uprighting a boat, and how to help with a rescue are essential, he said.

For Tuesday's mock rescue eight people were dumped into the Middle Fork. The Burlington Northern-Santa Fe crew spotted and reported the accident. The sheriff's office, River Outfitters' Association, North Valley search and rescue, ALERT, and quick response members, Flathead National Forest, and Glacier National Park personnel were immediately brought into the rescue effort. . . . "The fact that well-trained commercial rafters are on the river makes it a win-win situation to join up for needed rescue work," said Undersheriff Chuck Curry.

"This is the first time we've teamed up with private expertise. Here, it makes sense for everyone because they are already on the river and we aren't," he said. "From radio communication to instant help, the raft companies become an integral part of the rescue. Once is a while something happens. This will help improve the odds it will have a happy ending."