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Colorado River Rafting is a
Trip
Visualize the boat's brow
cutting through the swirling, surging water; the sun
sparkling on the frothy waves, making tiny rainbows; the
abrupt lurch of the craft, as the surging waves suddenly
shift direction. The adrenalin is pumping, all senses
alert, with nature working overtime to orchestrate a
thrill you'll never forget. That's what most people think
a raft trip entails, but there's much more going on. Your
connection with the other rafters forms a matchless
adventure that won't be forgotten.
Rafting down the Arkansas
River on the rushing snowmelt from 14,000 feet peaks is
exciting - no doubt about it. But the trip is still safe
enough for a family vacation. River rafting in Colorado
combines thrilling rapids with quiet stretches, where
rafters can take in the spectacular mountain scenery close
up. Their mental cameras capture images that will be
studied over and over later, once they return home.
Look Past the Surging River
and the Drama
There's one thing even more
crucial than the water for making your adventure tour a
treasured event. It's the other people. Some you bring
along, like family, friends or group (such as a scout
troop). You may think you know each other already, but the
time spent on the river forever alters the way you'll
relate back home. That's the real pay-off from a
wilderness adventure. The guides and other rafters also
play essential roles in the total experience.
Unlike taking a bus or a
train, the goal isn't to arrive at the destination.
Instead, getting there is ALL the fun. So there's no
hurry. Everyone along plays their part in moving the
boats, and reacts to what the river throws at them. Each
person needs to develop their sense of teamwork and
reliance on each other. The emotional exhilaration amps up
even more because of the sharing involved. Facing physical
challenges together builds trust and confidence in each
other, in a matter of hours.
Make Memories that Don't
Fade
Scientists have discovered
that the intensity of an emotional experience permanently
alters the way a person remembers it. Emotionally charged
experiences are filed differently in the brain than
everyday ones are. Later, they're recalled with vivid
detail, without losing clarity over time. Recalling even a
small part of the event brings the full force of
experience back. That's why they're called "flashbulb
memories."
When people go through such
powerful experiences together, they relate to each other
in new ways. It's certainly a step away from their day-in,
day-out routines. That's a major reason why a wilderness
adventure like whitewater rafting does more for those who
take the trip than a casual vacation would. They develop
new ways to relate to nature and each other. Rafters tell
me they arranged the trip to get away from the TV and the
cell phone. But they're pleased to find that the river is
the tonic for much of what's stressful for them.
Even when they get home,
those newly-forged ways of relating influence the way
people treat each other. As owner for Four Corners
Rafting, one of the oldest whitewater rafting company on
the Arkansas River, I've taken thousands of people on the
outdoor adventure. Without exception, they find the
experience delivered in ways that they hadn't expected.
I'm often told that what they experienced during
whitewater rafting was the highlight of their
vacation."We visited all the other attractions, we
saw all the sights. Nothing comes close!"
Step Out of Your Shoes
The benefits that rafters
receive don't stop when the trip is over. We've all heard
the phrase about walking a mile in someone else's shoes.
That does help to understand the experiences of others
with fresh awareness. But I think that greater value comes
in understanding yourself better. To step into someone
else's shoes, you must temporarily step out of your own.
That breaks a lot of habits and familiar assumptions. Then
when you return to your own shoes, you can see aspects of
your life that you usually overlook because they're so
unbroken.
Taking a wilderness
adventure is a walk in another pair of shoes. And those
people who shared that intensely emotional adventure with
you took the same mind-stretching trek. That stays with
you for the long haul.
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