White Water Rafting Rocks!

Today is our 29th wedding anniversary and we decided to celebrate several weeks ago.

Now don't laugh too hard at our picture! We had to wear wetsuits for our adventure. Dad and I celebrated by taking advantage of a gift certificate that my Motor Team at work had given me more than a year ago. We had tried to use it summer '07, but it didn't work out, so I decided we had to make it work this year. It was for Skamania Lodge, up the Gorge in Stevenson, about where the Bridge of the Gods is, but on the WA side. We had a wonderful night in a King Suite, paid dinner and breakfast; the dinner was amazing in the lodge dining hall. We had seats next to the large windows and watched the sun set on the Gorge. On Monday, we went to the Zoo Raft place, thanks to the gift certificate package, and went on a 4 hour raft trip down the White Salmon River. It was awesome! Our guide, Ben, has been doing this for many years.

At first it was a lazy float, then we hit quite a few Class 3 and 4 rapids and had some fun. Ben would turn the boat around let us "surf" the rapids upstream! Then another lazy stretch and more 3 and 4 rapids. Then we had a decision to make, did we want to take on the Class 5 rapid aka Huse Waterfall?? Yep, the waterfall.

Dad and I both voted yes, of course, while others in our boat decided to portage around. Dad was placed in the center of the boat and has on the red helmet, and I am the one in the front right as you look at the pictures.

And where is mom you ask? Going for a big bath! Take a big gulp of air and hold it hoping you don't need to breath while you are still under!

Keep looking for Dad's red helmet! Mom is under water way longer and you can't see me!

Now that was a RUSH! That was so much fun! We plan on going next summer and perhaps doing the day trip down the Klickitat, or perhaps this trip again.

Thank goodness for self bailing boats. Couldn't have tried that and succeeded in our old rubber raft. Wow, did we have fun!