Troops that do Whitewater Rafting?

[johnmbowen]

Hi Folks

I am trying to compile a list of Troops that do whitewater rafting (ok...kayaking too), especially those that run their own rafts and train their Scouts as rafters. The idea is to coordinate trips and rivers for joint outings.

 

If any of you are out there, please reply.

 

JB

[nldscout]

Our troop here in Northern New York does Whitewater rafting. Infact this is our weekend, we are rafting the upper Hudson River. We coordinate this trip with several other troops. We do not own rafts due to cost and certification requirements.

 

We don't Kayak, but we canoe alot, and are working on the gear for Whitewater canoeing. We also sponsor a big canoeing weekend in June for anyone that wants to attend. This year we had 14 troops and over 180 scouts and scouters. We had a group come over 4 hrs to canoe this year. If anyone is interested let nme know I will send you details.

 

Paul

[hops_scout]

I'm a little bit interested in both really. If you could, send me more information and I will present it to my SM for a possible high adventure trip next year:)

[mk9750]

Our Troop has an active Kayaking program. We have two American Red Cross trained instructors among our adults, and we have 7 boys who have and unofficial Junior instructors from the ARC.

 

We own 14 kayaks (actually, 3 of the 14 are owned personally, rather than by the Troop). We kayak in northeastern Ohio and Pennsylvania, and my son is planning a trip for the venture Patrol to the New River for next spring.

 

I think it's an attitude we've picked up from ARC, but we view rafting is moderately unsafe. I probably shouldn't even bring it up here, because I don't know the reasoning behind that, so I can't defend the statement. I'll ask my son tonight and post the reason tommorow.

 

Mark

 

Mark

[nldscout]

Not to start a big debate, but I consider White water Kayakers to be the most unsafe ones on the water. No commercial rafting company here in NY has had a fatality, but several WW kayakers have perished. But, its like every sport there is a degree of danger, it just depends on your attitude as to how you fare.

[fschebor]

For the past two years, our troop has gone rafting on the Youghiogheny (1.5 hours SE of Pittsburgh). We'll be there again this comming September. The raft company we use, Wilderness Voyageurs,(http://www.wilderness-voyageurs.com)actually started out as a Boy Scout ONLY outfitter in the 1950's.

 

To see pictures of last year's trip, simply go to our web site http://troop_477.tripod.com, select the "Past Events" patch, scroll down to September 2002, and select the "Report" link.

 

I heartly recommend whitewater rafting, but only under the supervision of highly skilled guides.

[saltheart]

Our troop has never 'run it's own rafting trip', but we've gone on plenty. As with many New England troops, we head north to Maine, and raft the Kennebec, Penobscot, and Dead rivers with a commercial rafter. The one we use has been catering to Scouts for many years, but with so many troops partaking in the activity, many commercial rafters now pay some sort of special attention to Scouting groups, both Boy and Girl Scouts.

[johnmbowen]

Any swiftwater activity is dangerous, and the swifer the water the more dangerous! Proper training is the key.

 

Rafts are the most stable and forgiving of the three mentioned above. Kayaks, assuming that the kayaker knows what they are doing, are usually safer than white water canoeing. Canoes are the most difficult and elegant of the whitewater craft, but definatly require the highest order of skill to run them competently. I have no idea why the BSA Whitewater MB is based mainly on whitewater canoeing!

 

The reason that kayakers die on rivers is because they tend to push the limits of whitewater boating, some without proper training. However, the same can be said for Scouts! BSA has lost Scouts every year to dumb accidents on outings that could have been prevented by proper training.

[johnmbowen]

I have just sent Hopps Scout a short blurb on whitewater rafting for his webpage on High Adventure Scouting

[eagle90]

While we do not have our own equipment, we have rafted on the New River in West Virginia a couple of times thru Rivers Whitewater Rafting Resort. They do cater to scout groups with special trips and packagies, even having guides who are certified MB counselors.

[MaineScouter]

"As with many New England troops, we head north to Maine, and raft the Kennebec, Penobscot, and Dead rivers with a commercial rafter. The one we use has been catering to Scouts for many years..."

 

Saltheart... can you tell me the name of the rafting company that your Troop uses? Our Scouts are having their year-long planning meeting on Wednesday night. I'd like to suggest that they consider a whitewater rafting trip in the spring this year. I've personally been on three of these trips here in Maine, but I'd like to know which company caters to Scouts best, and why you like them more. This would be our Troop's first rafting outing. As the adult who suggests the idea, I could very well end up as the outing coordinator for this trip. I'd appreciate any advice or information. Thanks!

 

MaineScouter

[saltheart]

DownEast Whitewater at The Forks, Maine. They have a campground across the street from their facility large enough to accomodate a whole lot of folks. Let them know you're a Scout Troop when making reservations or inquiries. The trips they offer (last time we went) were on the Kennebec from the dam at Indian Pond, the Penobscot, and the Dead River. The Dead only has sufficient water a few times a year when the hydro folks plan a significant release. And it can be a wild and wooly ride, one for whom the better companies like DownEast have some fairly stringent requirements for height, weight, experience, etc. Some trips on the Penobscot are the same. The Kennebec trips are great for first timers. It's no sissy-ride down that river, though, epsecially when the release is big. (When making inquiries, you might ask if the rafting company knows when the big releases will be. They seem to work closely with the hydro folks.) The Dead, and portions of the Penobscot are non-stop Whitewater. The Kennebec offers wild rides on big water and then quiet paddling and floating, followed by more big water, etc. All feature the same lunch-on-the-shore venue, etc. DownEast used to offer video-tapes for sale of the entire ride, same day, and they'd show them in the 'hall', as well as still shots. If you pay attention you can see the photographers (in kayaks) stopping at strategic spots to take the shots or film the ride when their own rafts come through. We would usually purchase one video each year as a record.

 

We never had a bad trip. Sometimes the water would be a little bigger or smaller, but fun just the same.(This message has been edited by saltheart)

[MaineScouter]

Thanks, Saltheart. I just got off the phone with the general manager of Downeast Adventure Bound. They specialize in youth groups. Is this the same company you used? (Downeast in both names) They have separate facilities for youth and adult groups. The youth side of it is non-alcoholic and geared toward kids/families. They also offer help with the Whitewater Merit Badge. He's sending me a video by priority mail so that I can show it at our Scout planning meeting Wed night. Can't ask for more than that!

 

MaineScouter

 

[saltheart]

Sheesh, even the rafters can screw things up to a fairtheewell....lol. It used to be so easy. I just took a gander at Google for DownEast Whitewater and got more hits with different addresses than I would have imagined. I don't believe it's the same group. The one we used to use seems to have (at least by the websites) joined somehow with Saco Bound, and they share a website. They were called DownEast Whitewater Rafting, Inc. The DownEast we used was at the Kelley Resort Campground (fancy name for a place that wasn't) on Rt 201 just south of the Forks, ME. Your place, judging by the website, is somewhere else...Carhunks?? or something like that.

 

Probably doesn't matter, though. On the Kennebec, all the rafting companies do the same trip. Those who attend directly to Scouting, as in offering work on the MB are the way to go, though. They know what the group is looking for and won't be making things up as they go. The very first time we embarked on this adventure with (our) DownEast, they didn't have a clue about what Scouting was all about. We had such a great time, and they showed sufficient interest, that when we got home we mailed them all sorts of Scouting publications along with the Whitewater MB book. I'd guess it's pretty fair to say that any company advertising work on the MB for Scouts knows what it's all about, and I wouldn't look beyond where you've gone. Sounds like they know what you want.

 

The putting-in-place on the Kennebec will be a very well orchestrated scene of mass confusion as all the rafting companies get their gear and clients in the water. It might look disorganized, but it is very well thought out and planned. There may be as many as 10-12 companies each putting in 4-8 rafts as quickly as they can. They do this and get out on the river fast so the fun can begin and the companies are spread out along the river, especially in the big water. Out where it becomes a little calmer, especially after lunch, you might expect to see (and perhaps participate in) water fights with each raft throwing buckets of water at each other in an attempt to get each other wetter than they already are. Of course, with wetsuits and helmets, it's not likely that you'll get any wetter. But it's fun, especially for the Scouts.

[MaineScouter]

Yeah, they must be two different companies. The one I found is in Caratunk. That's about 4 miles south of The Forks on Rte. 201. It would mean a longer bus ride to the dam, but not much longer. I'm looking forward to seeing their video. Besides the river trip they also have a heated outdoor pool, game room, indoor climbing wall (they run a youth program every night for two hours, only $9 each) and they have a cafeteria available. Camping is $7 each and includes the full use of all their facilities. The day trip is $59, wetsuit/paddle/helmet/guide/lunch and instruction included, minimum age is 12 to raft. I've done the Kennebec twice and the Dead once, but that was BK (before kids). Time to go again!

 

MaineScouter