Reflections of a First-year Raft Guide

Jaime (right) and office manager, Justine (left) enjoying a SUP trip down the Wenatchee

When I was asked to write about my experience after the joining the Wildwater family I found myself staring at the blank page in front of me, unsure of where to begin. So much had happened in the short five months that has passed, but the words refused to appear on the page. Yet, after two weeks of wondering what to write, here I find myself sitting on a raft floating on the beautiful Salmon River, writing in my beaten up journal, with the sun blazing above me and the cool air creating a steady breeze over the water. It has now been six days on the river without phones, showers, or make up, and five nights of sleeping under the stars on sandy white beaches, only able to recognize the time by where the full moon hangs in the sky. I've never felt more alive or liberated in my life, and it is only now that I realize just how much my time with Wildwater has changed my life.

Jaime enjoying a epic view on her recent Salmon River trip

Believe it or not, it was only two years ago, in June of 2011, when I had my first experience with whitewater. Always having wanted to go, I convinced my family to go whitewater rafting for the first time on the Skykomish River. It was a cold day with rain pouring down on us over the icy cold river, but after getting a face full of whitewater when we went through our first big wave, I knew beyond any doubt that I was hooked. Afterwards, my family and I sat in the Café to warm up a little bit before our long drive home. Our guide came in and sat down with us to have a cup of coffee. When I asked him how he possibly got paid to do this every day, he simply told me that I just had to take guide training, and if I did well enough I could get hired on for the summer. The idea never seemed to escape my mind.

Jaime and her family on their first rafting trip on the Skykomish River

          In the Spring of 2013, I could hardly contain my excitement when I somehow found myself at my first day of guide training. I had only been on the river a couple times before- but that was all about to change. After being saturated with what felt like enough information for a lifetime, we finally got on the water. After a few of the others had guided first, Lance asked who wanted to take the guide stick next. I felt my stomach tighten with apprehension as an awkward pause filled the air. The rest of us simply stared back at him, my body feeling unwilling to move. An array of thoughts seemed to be flying through my head, “Don’t do it. You’re going to mess up. Your boat is going to flip, and it is going to be all your fault, and everyone is going to hate you.” Along with the ever repeating “You can’t do this”. After all, I had no experience, and knew virtually nothing about the river. Yet somehow, I felt my hand reach out and grab the guide stick. I felt my whole body tense up and almost refuse to move as I clumsily made my way to the back of the boat. As I sat down, that same phrase seemed to be on repeat in my head “You can’t do this. Why are you doing this? Dear God, you really can’t seriously think you can do this.” And right as I was about to turn to Lance and tell him in about twenty different ways that I had no business being here, one of the girls in the group, Amy, turned around and put her hand  on my knee. “You got this, girl!” She said, with a big smile, as if she had all the confidence in the world in me, even though I’d only met her less than 24 hours before. Almost instantly I felt my body relax. Air finally managed to travel into my lungs, and that rock that seemed to have formed in my stomach quickly evaporated. For the first time, I successfully guided a raft through a rapid. 

Jaime guiding family and friends down the Wenatchee River.

Over the next five weekends I spent almost every moment on the river. We jumped around the state from the Wenatchee, to the Skagit, to the Green, learning everything we needed to know to be successful whitewater river guides. We camped in the pouring rain, woke up to snow on the ground, and spent weekends in some of the most beautiful scenery I’ve had the pleasure of experiencing. It wasn’t long until my group for guide training felt like my family. Every week I could not wait until it was Friday, so I could get back in a raft and back on the river. While being the first to grab the guide stick once felt like some horrible taboo, we soon were all fighting over who got to guide next- the adrenaline of guiding through rapids only growing more addicting and enticing as time passed. Our training ended with a bang, as the Wenatchee was at its peak flow of 16,000 CFS when I took my very first crew down the river by myself- almost three times the level we trained at. As the season continued, and I guided more commercial trips, my confidence in myself as a guide began to grow, and I never seemed to be able to shake the feeling that I was exactly where I wanted to be. I was living the life I had always imagined. I felt at home.

Jaime learning to row on the Skagit river.

Just a few weeks ago, I joined the Wildwater crew down on the White Salmon River, known for its ten foot water fall that is commercially run every summer. The river was much faster and more technical than what I was use to guiding, but after tagging along on a few commercial trips, a few of us decided we were ready to take our own boat down the river. Before we pushed our boat off the shore, my friend Andy stuck the paddle out and asked, “Who wants to guide first?!” It felt like that first day of guide training all over again as that awkward silence filled the air, yet I felt my hand extend out and grab the paddle while the butterflies in my stomach screamed in protest. As we began down the river I’d only seen twice before as a passenger, I couldn’t seem to keep the smile off my face as I guided the boat through numerous rapids, never feeling out of control of my boat. What felt like a blink of an eye later it was time to run the waterfall, and somehow I’d convinced myself to volunteer to guide us down the 10 foot drop of churning white water. As I sat down, the same thoughts I use to have during guide training filled my head again as if they’d never left. “You can’t do this.” Was on repeat in my mind, while it took everything I had not to puke right off the back of the boat. Amy, unable to ignore the stiffness of my body and the look of pure terror in my eyes, placed her hand on my leg and said, “You got this, girl!” with the same confidence she’d had in me months before. Again, I felt my body quickly relax, and I successfully guided a raft down my first waterfall.

POV of Jaime's first time guiding over Husum Falls, on the White Salmon River

Just five months. Just five short months ago I began my journey to becoming a raft guide, and it has changed my life in ways I never imagined. I went from being on the river only a few times in my life, to feeling anxious if I did not get on the river at least a few times a week. I now find myself continually surrounded by an incredible community of people who not only live to be on the river, but support me, inspire me, and encourage me to go big in all aspects of life. My journey to be where I am today has not been easy. In fact, it’s been scarier and harder than I ever imagined, but I’ve learned so much about myself. I’ve learned I’m capable of so much more than I thought… and I learned that you can live the life that you’ve always imagined, you just have to give yourself the freedom to do it.

Jaime rocking one of her hand painted hats

Written by: Jaime Shultz 

First Impressions of Washington

The Salmon are Running, and More!

It’s my first season as a guide up here in the beautiful state of Washington. I’ve guided a few seasons in Colorado and various other places, but the magic seems to flow quite heavily up here. In other words, there are more good rivers in Washington than most places in the country. On my way to this area, I would pass over a river with a strong current every few minutes on the highway.

The mighty Skykomish River

I was leaving the Wenatchee valley for a trip on the Skykomish River with one of our local guides, Neils Humphries, when he told me how the salmon would start running up the rapids on Tumwater section of the Wenatchee. He said you could see them jumping up the waves in some giant rapids such as Exit and The Wall, which are visible from Highway 2. The water was crystal clear on the Skykomish that day, and I could see nearly twenty feet to the bottom. When I paddled into the first rapid, a rainbow flashed in the spraying water just to my right, marking the start of an excellent day on the Skykomish. On the way back we stopped on Highway 2 to look at some of the rapids on the Wenatchee. It was getting dark, but sure enough, we saw salmon jumping up above the waves.

Top of Chaos rapid on Tumwater Canyon of the Wenatchee

As the water is coming down, and becoming clearer; the birds of prey seem to be taking advantage of the conditions. Yesterday I saw several Osprey dive into the water and fly off with a fish clutched in their talons. I’ve also seen Eagles and Osprey battle it out in the air a few times.

Wildwater River Guides staff kayaking Tumwater Canyon

With all the enthusiasm for the rivers around central Washington, I must admit that I’ve become a little stoked. We were on the Wenatchee River at 6:30 this morning before work, and the sunshine crept down the canyon wall until it finally shined on the river where we were playboating. We’ll probably be out on the water until late this evening as well.

Come join us and share our experiences!

Written by: David Gorski

Learning to Kayak

Julianna heading to the river

This May, I rolled up to Wildwater River Guides for the first time buzzing with excitement  about the new community of guides I would be joining on the river for the 2013 season. I had my kayak strapped to the roof of the Subaru, but still felt like a bit of a poser rolling into the parking lot with it.

See, this is my third season guiding rafts, but I had yet to muster the courage to really get into whitewater kayaking. Sure, last season I did a few class I-II runs and went to some pool sessions. I even got one combat roll in. But I definitely did not feel like a kayaker. Loading my boat onto my car after nine off-season months of land-time, the little plastic boat seemed pretty foreign to me. How the hell did I go about getting that thing rolled over? What if I get out on the Wenatchee and swim the whole darn thing? As I walked up to Wildwater to meet the crew for the first time, it was clear that this would have to change.

The first thing I saw when I walked up was literally a pile of kayaks. A pile of them. After some introductions and chit chats, it became clear that this was a group of serious boaters. Being the one raft guide who doesn’t kayak, I was going to be the odd (wo)man out. Everyone would be gearing up to go boating, and I would be trying to find a raft to hop in. This was it. After beating around the bush with it all last year, I was going to have to get into my Liquid Logic Trigger and spend some serious time there.

I was wracked with nerves. I went to an eddy to practice rolls and hit none of them. I had forgotten everything and could never get it back, I momentarily thought. Then, I had a funny realization. I shook my head, blew the water out of my nose, pushed the hair out of my eyes, and once I could see clearly I realized that I was completely surrounded by boaters. Some of these boaters were even kayak instructors, and most of them were my friends. I had a wealth of resources sitting right in front of me, most of whom were more than willing to offer advice and even some instruction.

The instruction kayak fleet at Wildwater River Guides

Over the next few weeks I got in my boat more and more with the Wildwater crew. I learned a couple of things both on and off the water. My roll got more confident. I got much better at eddies and peel-outs. I even got worked in a couple of holes. But those things probably wouldn’t have happened at all if I hadn’t been surrounded by an amazing community that is truly passionate about sharing whitewater with everyone they meet. People who are stoked tend to rub off on those around them. And solid group of knowledgeable boaters and instructors around makes learning the sport come totally naturally.

Here’s the advice I can offer from my nascent stages of learning to kayak: find yourself some good instruction. Surround yourself with people who care about kayaking and are willing to help you reach your goals. Go out as much as possible. If you’re on the fence about it, just do it. The guides and boaters at W
ildwater will make it all but impossible for you NOT to get out there!

Written by: Julianna Fultineer

River Report: Cooper River

Fun, Fun, Fun… if I were asked to summarize the Cooper River in three words that would be my response. The Cooper has become a staff favorite among the Wildwater crew because it has something to offer to intermediate and advanced paddlers alike. The run is a great intermediate creek that offers incredible scenery dominated by the lush forest growing up the steep canyon walls. Only two hours outside of Seattle, the Cooper offers more experienced intermediate paddlers a chance to hone in their skills to step up their creeking game.

Guide Andy Lockey taking in the beauty of the Cooper

        The Coop is class IV+ in nature. The run is committing since it’s in a relatively deep gorge. I haven’t had to make the hike out, but I’m positive it would be quite a task getting out with a heavy piece of plastic in tow. You definitely want to make sure you have some creeking experience before running the Cooper. If you are from the Seattle area, the “Fall in the Wall” section of the South Fork of the Snoqualmie would be a good gauge of whether you are ready for the Coop or not.

        The put-in at the base of a dramatic waterfall sets the scene for the beauty of the Cooper. The run starts off immediately with some boogie water down to the first slide of the run. Currently there is a large river wide tree that crosses the river at the top of the slide so make sure to be far right to duck the tree. After the slide the river constricts over the first five-foot ledge and starts to pick up. The majority of the run has constant class III/III+ water with class IV/IV+ ledges. The most notable ledges are “Norm’s Resort”, which has a nasty hole, “Super Boof”, and “Butt Buster.” Everything up to “S-Turn” is run on the right, which makes it easy to remember where you want to be. After a short section of slack water the horizon line for “S-Turn” appears. This rapid is best scouted from the left, be wary of the rocks as you scout because they are much more slippery than they appear.

Andy preparing for liftoff at "Super Boof"

        After “S-Bend” the next rapid is “Little Voodoo’, a rapid that is best described as light class IV boogie. After the final set of holes “Little Voodoo” ends in the pool above “Sharks Tooth”, one of the more technical rapids on the stretch. This rapid is easy to break up with plenty of eddies to boat scout from on river right. My favorite line here is to boof into the rapid off the left side of the center rock, and then charge the remainder of the drop. This line is shown off by kayak instructor/river manager Lance Reif in the video. After “Sharks Tooth” there’s some more III- boogie until you get to the top of “Wall of Voodoo.”

Guide David Gorski entering "S-Turn"

You can scout “Wall of Voodoo” easily as you set shuttle by hiking up the trail at the take out. The undercut on the right hand wall can be intimidating upon first glance but it does flush since it is more overhung than it is undercut. The traditional line is to eddy hop down to the eddy above the crux on river left. From the eddy it is easy to peel out, set your angle, and wait to make your move. “Wall of Voodoo” finishes in a deep pool that makes any potential cleanup easy. The takeout is on the left right after the large pool.

Guide Brian Raftry coming through "Wall of Voodoo"

If you are close to Seattle this would be a excellent river for you and your crew. The Coop does stay in through the summer but is best early in the summer when everything is padded out. The character of the run is clean drops, clean water, and incredible scenery. I would recommend this run to anyone looking to progress as a creek boater, or to any advanced boater who just wants to have a relaxed day lapping a great stretch of river with friends. Check out this video that was shot and edited by the guides here at Wildwater.

White Salmon Season is HERE!!

River Guide Neils with some of the Eastsidaz players

It’s that time of year!! The Wenatchee and the Skykomish have both provided with amazing water this season and we are ever grateful to the river-gods for that. However, as July presses on the water is beginning to drop on both rivers and their seasons are coming to an end. But don’t fret! That means it’s time to head South for the White Salmon!! 

The White Salmon is one of our favorite rivers, and has been a home to many of our guides in the past. It has got it all, gorgeous (get it, GORGEous) scenery, fast moving water, big hits, and even an optional Class V thrill with Husum Falls coming in. Check out this footage that Wildwater guide FullFace Andy edited for us!

We started the season this last Monday, July 1st with a phenomenal group of 60 EASTSIDAZ basketball players from Hawaii. It was such a privilege to take these awesome guys and gals down the river. We had super-hot 100 degree weather, which made the cold White Salmon water feel amazing. The water was just a tad too high for Husum Falls, but we made sure to get in tons of good hits everywhere else!

The whole Wildwater team packed up and drove down to the White Salmon area, and spent an extra day down there to get some play runs in. River guides Lance, Brian, David, and Andy kayaked the Orletta section and met the rest of the crew, Neils, Johnathan, Amy, Justine, and Julianna at the middle section. All around great times!

Brian and Neils at Buck Creek Falls

If you're in the area to go rafting, also check out Buck Creek trail for a great mellow hike that ends in a swimming hole. It's just outside the town of White Salmon, and is the perfect spot for a chilling plunge on a hot day before or after the river.

SUPin' it UP!

Stand Up Paddleboarding, or SUPing, is a relatively new sport in the world of whitewater. It has been popular on lakes and in the ocean for quite a while, but the river runners got a hold of it fairly recently. Once you get on a SUP, though, it’s easy to see why it’s one of the fastest growing sports in whitewater. Yesterday, the Wildwater family decided to beat away any Monday blues by hopping on some SUPs after work. 

Andy Surfin it up!

10 of us rallied right at 5 o' clock and went to Riverside Park in Cashmere to SUP down to the Sleepy Hollow Bridge between Monitor and Wenatchee. It’s a nice, relatively flat stretch, sprinkled with some small rapids. Having been down in a raft and a kayak many times, I thought of it as mostly flat water. After about 30 seconds on a SUP board, though, I realized that what looks flat in a raft turns into whitewater on a SUP. 

Julianna, Lance, David,  Brian, and Rio!

I swam of my board in the first eddy line I came to, and every little tiny wave looked like it would knock me over. It was an intense game of balance. On the wide, deep Wenatchee, however, this meant lots of laughter and smiles. 10 raft guides goofing around on SUP boards was quite an entertaining sight. Trying to surf waves, or just stay upright was down right hilarious. Half the time when we fell down it was because we were laughing so hard.

Trying a little SUP Yoga

SUPing for the first time got me so excited about taking people out on these bad boys. The NRS inflatable boards come in a bunch of sizes, from the squirly surf-able Tyrant to the big stable Baron. The Wenatchee is the perfect place to get started. It's wide, deep and friendly, but has enough waves to make you laugh and test your balance. If you think this sounds like your kind of adventure, come check it out at Wildwater!

Discovering Ingalls Creek Trail

This side of the mountains has so much to offer. Of course, there is tons of whitewater and more than 300 days of sunshine, but we have recently been discovering some of the other awesome things to do in the Leavenworth/Wenatchee area.

A couple of weeks ago, Jaime, Nicholas, and I decided to get a quick hike in before going paddling and headed up to Ingalls Creek. Ingalls is a great trail just outside of town that can be made as long or short as you like depending on when you turn around. It’s easy access and doable in a pair of Chacos. During the early Summer, the wildflowers are out of this world, with indian paintbrushes lining the trail. The hike overlooked a pretty steep looking Class IV section of whitewater that some other members of the Wildwater gang had paddled just a couple of days earlier. Jaime and I stopped and tried to imagine the lines our friends took.

If you’re looking for something to do before or after you hit the river, be sure to check out this awesome little hike. From Leavenworth, just get on US-97 southbound for about 7 miles until you see Ingalls Creek Road on the right. It’s just past the
Blu-Shastin RV Park.

2013 Wenatchee River Festival

Getting ready for the R2 Surf Competition

This year the 2013 Wenatchee River Festival and Raft Games included tons of fun, laughter, and community for the Washington whitewater scene. Each year this is a special opportunity for boaters to come out and show their skills and join together on the Wenatchee river. The festival includes raft, kayak, and SUP competitions in surfing as well as downriver racing. In addition to the friendly competition, there is also a healthy dose of laughter and silliness. Everyone knows boaters can’t stay serious for long!

Wildwater had an awesome time at the R2 Raft Surf Competition at Rodeo Hole. Here’s a video two of our guides, Neils and Josh, getting crazy in the winning surf of the competition!

Riverboarding at Rodeo

The Raft Games and the Wenatchee River Festival raises money each year for American Whitewater to help protect and conserve our precious whitewater resources. Whitewater companies from near and far sponsor this event, allowing it to offer clinics and demos in kayaking, rafting, SUP and riverboarding. It’s an all around awesome event, and we look forward to it every year!

Community is a big part of what we do here at Wildwater. Taking people down the river is one thing, but building relationships and sparking that whitewater bug in people is really what makes the experience. Events like the Wenatchee River Festival help bring our community together, and we love taking part of the fun!

An Inflatable Kayaker tearing it up!

All photos taken by RiverBooty

Welcome to the Wildwater Blog!

The River. Outdoor enthusiasts, adrenaline junkies, environmentalists, hippies, sages, and mystics have been writing about it since the beginning of time. It can be a source of fun and excitement or a place to take in nature’s beauty, and it is what has inspired the new direction of Wildwater River Guides.

Over the last few months, many people have likely noticed the change in aesthetic and name of Wildwater, as we moved from “Wildwater River Tours” to “Wildwater River Guides”. The change in name came with an expansion of our relationship to the river here at Wildwater. For over 30 years, Wildwater River Tours took people on rafting trips all over Washington state. During the end of the 2012 season, however, some new ideas started to brew. Wildwater could become a center for river enjoyment and education in many more ways than just rafting. Whitewater kayak instruction and the fast-growing sport of stand-up paddle boarding (SUP) would invite new ways to experience the excitement of Washington’s rivers. This is where the idea of Wildwater River Guides begins; a group of guides coming together to share the river with all of you, whether that be in rafts, kayaks, or on stand up paddle boards.

This blog is a place for you to check in with us, the Wildwater crew. We want to keep you involved in the new and exciting things going on as we grow in our new direction. We are so incredibly stoked about rafting, kayaking, and SUP that we want to bring you in on it too, so check back in to see what’s going on with Wildwater and the rivers around you!

written by: Julianna Fultineer