One thing that I have always wanted to do is go whitewater rafting. Was there any reason that I could not make it happen?
Not really.
So last month I decided that it would be something that I would cross off my list. In this post, I will share with you the experience and hopefully inspire you to cross something off your list. And if you feel like going whitewater rafting in California, this will give you some ideas on how to get started.
This was the first time that both me and my fiance were doing this so we wanted to start with the beginner course. We decided to do the 1 day tour, on the South Fork of the American River, which meant running on category 2 and 3 rapids.
My only reservation was that the rapids might be too boring. The website said that it was good for children and old people. But I figured, better safe than sorry.
The first part of the trip was very mellow and got us used to the rowing instructions from our guide and was a very relaxing. There were quite a few rafts and kayaks out on the water that day, but I didn't feel like it was too crowded. It was a perfect day to be on the river, sunny and not too hot.
Instructions for rowing were pretty easy. Our guide would just count off the number of times we had to paddle, which was usually just one or two times. On this part of the river it was not necessary to paddle that much and our guide actually did most of the work.
We stopped off at one of the picnic spots alongside the river and the guides prepared lunch for us. It wasn't anything fancy, but perfect for a river rafting trip. Some sandwiches and a lot of fruit. I was actually pretty hungry at that point and the meal hit the spot.
After lunch, we did the category 3 rapids and that is where the real fun began. With rapids with names like: Satan's Cesspool and Hospital Bar, it was a good bet that we were at least going to see a little action, and we were not disappointed.
There was more than enough splashing to make it exciting and we got really wet when going through these rapids. At this point, I was glad that we took the beginner's tour. It was fun and exciting, but not too crazy for our first time. We were also able to see turtles on the side of the river and even found some really good blackberries that we stopped to pick.
At the end of the day, we where pretty tired, but very happy that we decided to go rafting. It was a lot of fun.
We decided to stay the night in the area and check out some of the sights the next day. There wasn't a whole lot to see in the Sacramento/Folsom area, but we did happen to stumble upon a car museum with this Lambo Countach owned by Malcom Forbes.
Why We Went With Tributary Whitewater Tours
To be perfectly honest, they were the first company that I came across in my Google search. But I checked out the reviews on Yelp and they were really good, so I signed up.
We really liked them because the guides were cool and our guide Dan really went out of his way to make it a fun experience. We felt very safe and the guides had a lot of experience. There were other rafts from other companies that we passed during the day, where the guide was totally stiff and it didn't look like anyone was having a good time.
When I saw those other rafts not having a good time, that is the point where I was happy that we went with Tributary. They have a ton of different river tours that you can go on, everything from half a day to a 4 day camping tour at several different locations. If you are interested, check out their website.
How I Took These Pictures
I didn't have my waterproof camera with me, so I had to figure out how to take some pictures of this trip. Buying another camera was out of the question because the price was way too high.
So I did some research online and decided to go with a waterproof pouch that I could put my iPhone into. I found one at REI and it was only about $10. It is the Seattle Sports E-merse Submersible Electronics Case.
I was a little apprehensive to use it at first, but after we went through our first set of rapids, my phone still worked, so I trusted it after that. It is really handy because it is easy to use and very lightweight. As you can see from the pictures, taking photos from inside the case still resulted in good pictures. If you are looking for a waterproof camera case that will protect your phone on your next trip, I would recommend checking it out.
Conclusion
This is the first item that I have crossed off my list this year, but I am working on crossing off more. Doing stuff like this really motivates me to create more income from my trading and go on more adventures.
Remember however, that sometimes it doesn't cost much to do Heroic things. Think of what you can do right now, with what you have, and go do it!
What have you crossed off your Heroic List lately? Let us know in the comments below.
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Disclaimer: Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links where I get a commission if you buy through my link. But the purchase goes towards supporting this blog and helping me go on more adventures. I also donate a portion to my charity partner.
