Snake River Rafting Trip

We were SO SO SO excited to be invited to join the annual Rockwell/Grossarth family camping trip on the Snake River in Wyoming.  Since Erik and my families aren't cool enough to have a camping trip this summer (that's right, I said that hoping all the Nevitt's and Rasmussen's reading this will feel bad) we jumped on the chance to get back on the Snake river for some white water rafting.  It was a phenomenal couple of days.

The Grossarths are slowly helping us to see that it is okay to spend some time in camp and that you don't have to be out on the trails or deep in a canyon from sunrise to sunset to enjoy camping.  We are starting to see the joys of sleeping in, making a huge breakfast, having a little adventure here, eating a nice lunch, a little more adventure there, and finishing the day with a gourmet 4 course dutch oven meal while sitting around the fire.  The Rockwells and Grossarths do not mess around when it comes to camp food! Relaxing around camp is not a bad lifestyle either.  Now, our adventures may not always allow time to lounge and such, but we are learning a little give and take.

Typical day allowed for 2 runs down the Snake.  I thought we might get sick of going down, however Every time we ran the river was a totally different experience. Lighting changes the way the rapids look, weather changes, the water drops as the week goes on changing many of the rapids, different boats and paddlers change the way you experience the river too. We had so much fun! I was depressed when it was time to come home, I can see why there are a lot of crusty old river guides that keep coming back year after year.

I have included a lot of pictures in this post, but each one is necessary and awesome.  Take some time to click on individual photos and zoom in.  It is worth it to watch people's faces and reactions as they go through the rapids, it is so much fun!  This first series of pictures is my favorite, you will see why. . .

 Paddlers look pretty focused and prepared. . .

 Drop into the first big hole in Lunch Counter. . .

 Surprise lateral wave. . . or maybe the boat wasn't straight, we will never know. . .

 And we are out. . .

 But don't worry about Kyle, he is fine. . .

 So fine, he laughed at us all and hit Jen with the paddle. . .

 But karma comes around. . . and he went out on the next wave. . .

 Erik held his paddle high the whole time so we could find him in the rapids. . .

 The rest of us struggled not to die. . .

 Jen did what we were supposed to do, and grabbed the boat. . .

 Eventually, when we reached calmer water, we all made it back in.  And we were glad to be alive, my most memorable run through Lunch Counter!

Here are a few more great pictures from our group.

Somehow we worked up the courage to let Kyle and Jen take us through Lunch Counter a few more times. It really was a different experience every time, we had such a blast and I am so glad we got to enjoy the river so many times.
 

This last series of photos was from our last run of the trip Saturday morning before we drove back home. We got pounded with water in the first drop, I almost fell out, but Trent shoved me back into the boat from behind, great little terror to end the trip on.