Saturday June 17, 2017
Just a side-note- Two articles that highlight Bears are to be taken seriously up here http://nypost.com/2017/06/19/teen-fatally-mauled-by-bear-during-running-race-in-alaska/
http://nypost.com/2017/06/14/hikers-escape-major-injury-after-being-mauled-by-grizzly-bear/
It was a little challenging getting started on this River Rafting adventure. Friday night we drove to Denali Park Village to scope out where we were supposed to be pick-up. Unfortunately the Front Desk clerks at the Denali Park Village Lodge were not certain and told us to be back at 9am the next morning. So we arrived at 9am and guess what, we really are not supposed to be here until 1pm. I could have slept in, lol.
We went back at 1pm and were shuttled on a bus from Denali Park Village to the Boat House to get suited up. The drive was about seven miles. I figured it would be rain slicker type garments. Nope. We got into one piece, Michelin style suits that had neoprene gasket type material at the wrists and neck to insure no water would get on you. What an ordeal to put our svelte figures into them. Just imagine, and I know you are laughing as much as we were putting them on.
Now the best part. When you are putting the suits on, you entrap air and the suits really do bulge. So you have to pull the neoprene from around your neck and bend over to release the air. What a sight! We then got back on the bus to go back to Denali Park Village, again seven miles away to get into the rafts to travel down the Nenana River.
There were around 20 of us that got onto three rafts. Now these rafts did not have seats in them. You sat on the top of the sides and held onto the “Chicken” rope that ran along it. Now I wasn’t real keen on going on this trip to begin with, so when I saw this I had to breathe real deep to calm and make myself do this.
Our guide Pete, had helped me get into my Michelin suit so I was comfortable with having him as our guide down the river. He demonstrated how to enter the boat. Well you know me, I couldn’t manage with this suit so my entrance into the raft was quite entertaining for everyone else. George said what the heck and just dove in next to me.
The third person to be in the back with us was a young man named Noah. He had just spent the last five years in Georgia and he sure did remind me of our grandson Brandon. Anyway he just hopped in like no big deal.
The front four folks was a family from Calgary. Nice family, and they probably wondered how they drew the “short” straw, by having us as raft mates. We had fun, and don’t mind being self-deprecating for a laugh.
We had a great ride down the river. It lasted about 3 hours, on a 55 degree mostly sunny day. There were only a hand full of class 2 rapids, (with 5 being the most challenging), so we were “good” with that. Pete told us some stories about the river and wildlife. We told our own stories, most of which were true….. Lots of fun,
We had a great time!