This winter鈥檚 mega snowpack in the mountains is melting and filling reservoirs and rivers around the state. For whitewater rafting companies the big flows are good for thrills. But, some stretches are river are too full to float. Aspen Public Radio's Marci Krivonen reports.
Longtime rafting guide Bob Morse is giving his safetyspiel to a small group preparing to board a bright yellow raft. For some, it鈥檚 their first time rafting.
"I鈥檓 excited. Today鈥檚 my34thbirthday," says rafter Ellie Burnett.
She's from Champaign, Illinois and decided to celebrate on the river, but admits the high flows make her a bit nervous.
"We were watching the water this morning. It鈥檚 definitely moving fast but they鈥檙e experienced and it looks like a ton of fun, so I鈥檓 excited. If I fall out, I can swim and I鈥檝e got a vest (laughs)!"
This time of year the commercial rafting company takes between 25 to 50 people out on the river each weekday. As the summer progresses, that number increases to up to 300 people in July. Normally, the Glenwood Springs company runs a stretch of the Colorado River through Glenwood Canyon but, because the river鈥檚 so swollen, owner Erik Larsson says they鈥檝e changed their route.
"We鈥檙e going from as far up as Carbondale all the way down to New Castle for full day trips and that鈥檚 quite a bit of mileage and way more than we usually do."
Because of high water, the company is choosing safer routes that are longer. Still, Larsson says the big water makes some people nervous.
"Some of our rafting guests are little scared about it, for sure. We鈥檝e had a few calls asking whether its safe. And, if anything, right now our trips are a little more mild than they will be in July and August. The river鈥檚 bigger, the waves are bigger but it鈥檚 not very technical paddling."
The flows may cause rafter anxiety but overall, they鈥檙e a good thing for an industry that typically brings well over each year. DavidCostlowis Executive Director of the .
"This year, I think many people anticipate the rafting will be great, and it will be. That鈥檚 because of all thesnowpack, and we鈥檝e had sufficient rains on the prairie to wet the soils, etc. so less gets absorbed into the ground so less gets absorbed into the ground and more comes down and through rivers," he says.
He says the heavy spring runoff happening now is earlier than normal, which is good because tourism season hasn鈥檛 fully ramped up.
"So, we鈥檇 like to take the highs off the river and get down to exciting flows and have those maybe by June10th, so when the tourism season kicks in, we鈥檙e ready to go."
A slow, steady runoff is preferred by rafters because it ensures good flows late in the summer.
Back beside the Colorado River, raft guide Bob Morse wraps up his safety lesson and the group鈥檚 ready float the river.
The raft guiding company Whitewater Rafting LLC hopes to get rafters back on that stretch of the Colorado, known as 鈥淪hoshone,鈥� soon, says owner ErikLarssen.
"We鈥檙e excited to get back. It鈥檚 better to be there. This is good too, but it鈥檚 very different. When the river鈥檚 six times the size of what it was this time last year, it just totally changes the river landscape."
On Wednesday, the Shoshone stretch was flowing . That's more than twice the average flow.
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