First Trip of the 2008 Season-

Saturday, April 12, 7:10 am: The dually makes the slow turn off of the pavement of Ferretti Road onto the dirt of Lumsden Road and we all observe the spontaneous moment of silence that always comes as we bump over the first few ruts and potholes and start to creep down into the Tuolumne canyon.

Every trip down Lumsden is different; each has a different feel, a different vibe. Sure, they all have the standard undertone of anxiety brought on by driving a heavily loaded truck down a steep, nasty, narrow, cattle-trail-turned-access-road, but above that, there always seems to be something else going

on. In the springtime, when the water is high, the truck trembles with nervous energy; some guides hiding their butterflies with incessant talking, others hiding it with incessant silence, everyone discreetly trying to catch a glimpse of the raging river 1,500 feet below and silently scouting for a miracle surprise line through Ramshead or Sunderland’s Chute. Later in the season, after the water has dropped, the truck is flooded with battle-earned confidence and the stories of earlier flips or close calls come with more laughter and less “I-feel-sick-to-my-stomach” queasiness. By August, there is usually a new guide on the way to rowing the T for the first time and traditional calls for the stories to come thick and deep. By the time the poor, nervous trainee arrives at put-in he is shaking and can only envision 18 miles of wrap rocks with ominous names like “Indecision”, “Helicopter”, “Pelican” and “Dinosaur”. A rite of passage that the new veterans are now happy to perpetuate. All in good fun of course.

Today, we are filled with excitement and anticipation. The sun is shining, the hills are green, the road is re-surfaced. Seven months since we were last here, a day of adventure and five months of heaven ahead. Five miles ‘til we’re there.

The numbers are in and the numbers are good! We’re about halfway through the snowfall season and the mid-winter runoff and snowpack reports for the western United States have just been completed; we’re celebrating! Here are the figures in percent of average for this time of year (and what they mean in terms of our rafting season if they stay the same through February and March):
Merced = 116% (high water 5/15 – 6/15, good flows into mid-July)
Tuolumne = 117% (high water 5/15 – 6/15, good flows through mid-September)
American = 121% (high water 5/15 – 6/1, good flows through October)

Green = 84% (no high water, but good dam releases through August)
Yampa = 110% (Highest snowpack in 10 years! Great flows for Yampa season)
100 to 125 percent of normal is what we wish for and dream about; healthy and exciting flows but a low threat of high water cancellations. Our fingers will still be crossed for another two months, but we uncrossed our toes and are sleeping easier after the past three weeks of heavy snow and rain throughout the west. Look for another update at the beginning of March.

Rogue = 168% (high water in May, great flows through October)
llinois = unpredictable, as always. Last week, the river went from 2,000 cfs (medium-high water) to 10,000 cfs (insanely-high water) in 12 hours
Selway = 105% (great flows 6/21 and 6/29, medium flows 7/7 and 7/15)
Middle Fork Salmon = 120% (high water in June, great flows through August)
Main Salmon = 110% (high water in June, great flows through August)

Deep down, I'd like to think I make this trip happen; being that people wait in line to visit me a few minutes after “coffee call" every morning. This excites me; knowing I play an important role by carrying out human waste in order to keep our rivers and campsites clean. Bring on the footprints, sunburn, whitewater, and solitude. Tomorrow is a new day, a new campsite, a new canyon and a heavier boat!

Monday, June 18, 2007 – A day in the life of ARTA:

At around 8:00 am this morning, our American River guides were getting ready to greet a small group of guests at Camp Lotus for a lovely, quiet float on the South Fork. The weekend crowds had once again magically disappeared and it looked like we would have the river to ourselves; a welcome change from Sunday’s hubbub of activity and rush.
Meanwhile, far, far away in the Idaho backcountry, our first Middle Fork of the Salmon trip is enjoying their fourth day on the river, preparing for the big series of rapids at Tappan and maybe lunch and a short hike up Camas Creek. The trip has surely found its rhythm by now, waking to cool mornings, shedding layers as the day warms, eating when the feeling comes, sharing childhood memories and astounding at how light it still is at 9:30 at night.
Meanwhile, in Oregon , our crew is rigging rafts and loading coolers for a four day trip down the Rogue. They met the guests last night: 20 new names and faces whose first impressions are unlikely to survive four days of communal travel and living. The parents will be more relaxed, the kids will be better behaved, the quiet older gentleman will turn out to be not a grump but just shy, (and full of great stories). The morning air is filled with anticipation and potential and yes, our guides are excited too.
Meanwhile, in Colorado , day two of our Yampa trip is waking up to their first morning in the canyon, enjoying coffee and the spectacular morning light on the majestic canyon walls. Maybe there was a thunderstorm last night and the breakfast conversation is punctuated with stories of midnight lightning and rainflies. Or maybe it was clear and the city dwellers are commenting on how bright the stars were and how it reminded them of “the time I visited my Uncle’s farm in Kansas as a kid, and, by the way, my name is George and this is my wife Kay.”
Meanwhile, in the heart of Utah ’s Desolation Canyon , our youth whitewater school is stirring to morning number three. As on past schools, the nine students have woken up closer and closer together each morning, a phenomenon that is likely to continue, incredibly, for all seven mornings of the school; the silt and sunblock of the Green River replacing the teenage shield of insecurity and apprehension. Conversely, our four instructors (one of whom is a graduate of the 2005 youth whitewater school), seem to sleep further and further away each night – partly to encourage independence and partly to avoid the late-night pillow talk and giggling.
Meanwhile, back in California , our Tuolumne crew is getting ready to launch another two-day trip; getting ready to find yet another way through Rock Garden. The hardest rapid of the trip is the first rapid of the trip; not the biggest, not the wettest, certainly not the most fun, just the hardest, made harder because it IS the first. In the eddy below, a collective sigh of relief will be exhaled and the fun will really begin.
Meanwhile, in the front office, Robin and Deborah are juggling phone calls; following up on Guest Information Sheets, describing Main Salmon transportation options, and talking about Chacos (sandals) and Pacos (sleeping pads).
All in all, over 25 guides on 6 different rivers in 5 different states. And more than 100 people getting ready for one of the best days of their lives.

Stories from the Past...

ARTA has a long history with the Governor, dating back to his Conan the Barbarian days, and we were proud to take his entire family on their first river trip. “It was fun to raft with Arnold again.” said Steve Welch, ARTA’s General Manager, who also guided the Governor down the Klamath River in 1982, “I easily recognized him and he hasn’t lost any power in his stroke!” The day was full of tension (you really don’t want to flip with the Terminator in your raft) and distinction (we also provided a “security raft” that escorted us down the river and took care of all the gawkers) as well as the normal, everyday fun and laughter of a family river trip.