Rafting Browns Canyon

GREAT DAY! I drove down to Colorado Springs yesterday; beautiful drive through the Rockies....and of course stopped to do some shopping on the way. I spent last night with Laura and some of her friends. It was good to get back in the college vibe for a night.
Bright and early this morning, we drove to Buena Vista, CO. I don't know if I've mentioned this recently, but I can go whitewater rafting for free....yeah, it's sweet. Anyway, I signed Lo and I up for a full day trip down the Arkansas River through Browns Canyon. This trip is rated one of the best in the nation and I now know why. The scenery is unbeatable; the rapids are killer; and the guides are adorable. There were only 5 people on the trip, so we just took out one boat. Lots of other companies were on the river, but it was nice to be our own little party. For the first 3 miles, it's a simple river float with views of the Collegiate Peaks. After that, you enter into the canyon, where the water gets deeper and faster. We hit mostly Class III rapids today, with a few Class IVs. For 12 miles, the canyon walls tower on each side as you shoot down crystal clear water. After hitting the Seven Staircases and the Widow Maker, we pulled onto a little beach and had lunch. My company doesn't bother with sandwiches(please); we had Top Sirloin Steak, vegetable stir-fry, baked beans, and macaroni salad. I don't know what was better, the rafting or the food (that's the Giroux in me talking). After lunch, we rafted a little further before getting to a good cliff jumping spot. Again, so fun! The next few hours were spent rafting more Class IIs and taking in the scenery. Now, Lo and I are enjoying some iced coffee in Buena Vista before we part ways. I've already convinced her to go rafting with me again this weekend :-)

Headed down the Zute Shoot

We got a little buried.....

It's going to be about a 2 hour drive home, straight through Independence Pass. The last time I did this drive, I was just arriving in CO and I was scared for the unknown. Now I'm going over the pass after a great free day of rafting, to a home that I know I love and dogs that will be welcoming me back!