Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Holiday Gifties are available !



We have lots of hoodies, hats and teeshirts in stock if you are looking for a sweet and meaningful holiday giftie!
To order, just call us at 1 800 799 4465! We will hook you up.
We have to take payments by check or cash at this time of year; our credit card machine is hibernating...

If you are looking to puchase more photos of your rafting trip, we have 'em all on a hard drive and we can easily burn you a disk... just call us with your trip date and time and hopefully you remember the name of your guide...

Elves are very busy in the Montana Whitewater shop, making new tshirts and souvenirs for 2009... Look out for some super cute and stylie organic and recycled material teeshirts... - as well as new hats and toques for next summer.

Thanks for a great 2008 - and we are looking forward to 2009!!!

Thursday, November 20, 2008

Baby Franklin!!



Born on September 20. Went canoeing at 10 days old.

Friday, July 25, 2008

GREAT WATER LEVELS!!



We are STILL experiencing great water levels for this time of year! Both the Gallatin and the Yellowstone are SO FUN and holding at a solid medium water level.
Our Upper Gallatin River trips are super fun for famlies with kids and those who are looking for a milder whitewater experience. Our Lower Gallatin River trip which includes the Mad Mile is solid continuous class III rapids that are a blast for novices and experienced paddlers. We are currently allowing kids 10 years and older on this stretch.

Our Yellowstone River trips have big ole rolling waves and the Full Day through Yankee Jim Canyon has class III rapids and awesome scenery ....

When people ask which is better - the full day or the half day - I gotta say - its the full day For Sure!

See you on the river!

Tuesday, June 24, 2008

High Water!


The water is Massive Right now! We are experiencing higher water levels than we have seen in a very long time! It is exciting but it is also a time for serious caution and conservative choices. We are not currently running the Mad Mile or the Yankee Jim Section of the Yellowstone. It's just too high!
Our Upper Whitewater Gallatin River Trips are a blast right now! Fun waves and splashes in some solid big water class III rapids. This is class III rapids at their very best. Join us for a half day or full day trip on the Gallatin for a great trip.
Our Yellowstone River trips are limited to Half Days right now on the rolling waves of the "Town Stretch". People are having a great time on these big rolling class II rapids. This is solid big water class II whitewater at its best!
No experience is necessary for either trip - we give full wetsuits, jackets and shoes. We have a detailed but concise safety talk before the trip, outlining all the info you need. Each boat has a guide who works with the crew to paddle through the rapids.

The Water is Epic. Don't miss it!

As the levels drop, we will be opening additional sections of the river and we are looking forward to a wet, splashy summer full of great whitewater boating...

Monday, May 05, 2008

Hot Lunch Truck at the Gallatin Office!


Rollin' down the river, once the rapids have petered out the subject always comes around to .... food.
"Where should we eat?" MMMMmmmmm
Unfortunately, the closest eateries are 20-30 min drive away which can be not fun when kids are yelling and stomachs are growling...
This winter, we hooked up with Steve, a cook from California. He, and one of our guides, Louie, were having lots of success selling their food at the Berkeley Farmers Market. But, Steve wanted to move to Montana and Louie was headed home anyways and so they bought a catering truck and are setting it up at our Gallatin Office!
YAY!
Steve came over to our house the other night to share his special home made meat rub recipe and cook up some ribs....
YUM!

Monday, April 07, 2008

RECORD SNOWPACK!


Photo Courtesy of Bridger Bowl Ski Resort
The snow this winter has been constant! We are looking at a high water year!
We really don't know how this will pan out in terms of water levels but we have a feeling that the water this spring will be higher than usual - making for some exciting rafting! Hopefully the snowmelt will occur gradually and we will have solid water levels throughout the season but who knows?
High water season is usually Late May through sometime in June...
At that time, our Yellowstone River trips will be rockin fun and we will be very cautious about running clients through Yankee Jim Canyon. If water levels are too high to run through the Canyon, we will offer a special full day that will be 2 half day runs through the town stretch with a lunch provided at our river side office.
Our Mad Mile stretch of the Gallatin can also be too high to run with clients but that means that the upper stretch will still be a rockin good time. The issue with the Mad Mile is that it is more than a mile of cold class IV+ rapids - continuous. This means that if there is any swimming, it can be gnarly. As the water level becomes appropriate, raft trips down the Mad Mile will be offered, at our discretion. We reserve the right to choose the best stretch of river for different clients.
Please call us if you are curious about water levels during your visit!

Monday, January 28, 2008

Yellowstone Vacation Planning Advice


If you are currently planning on a trip to Yellowstone this spring or summer, here's some general tips to guide you:
Lodging gets booked up in the Park - as well as in the Entrance towns, so if you have specific dates, get on that!
For Camping - some campsites are first come, first served, others take reservations. There are campgrounds outside the park borders - Private operations as well as Forest Service Camping - so if the Park is booked, look right outside the park.
Don't plan on trying to see everything. You will spend all your time driving. Plan on taking a walk or a hike and getting off the beaten track. This is where the magic of Yellowstone will come alive!
Wildlife can be seen anywhere in Yellowstone Park. Use the Pullouts, bring the binos and travel early mornings or at dusk for best viewing potential.
Read the Newspaper they give you at the Park Entrance. It has a lot of helpful tips and safety advice that you don't want to miss!
Maximum park speed limits are strictly enforced and range from 15 to 45 mph. Plan on extra time to drive through the park.
Much of Yellowstone Park and the surrounding areas experience mountain weather patterns. This can result in rain or snow events even in July. The sun is also strong at many elevations in the Park. Be prepared by bringing hot and cold clothing items regardless of the season. Sunscreen is a must!
There are limited places to get food inside the park (that tend to get very busy during peak seasons) so consider packing a lunch and eating it outside.
Don't feed animals, including birds.

Thursday, January 03, 2008

reservations are coming in!


We are now taking reservations for the 2008 season!
You will most likely be talking to Julie or Margot - and we are here to help you decide which trip is best for your group and help you out with planning your yellowstone vacation!
We are also working on creating some itineraries to post on the website to assist you in deciding what to do while you are here -
we look forward to speaking with you!
HAPPY NEW YEAR