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Written by Donovan Henderson
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Wednesday, 05 July 2006 |
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Page 1 of 5 
Hardcore rafters and kayakers lick their chops for the two to three weeks a year when the Poudre River runs at its peak.
During the spring runoff, usually the last week or two of May and the first days of June, the river tears through the Poudre Canyon west of Fort Collins at up to 1,600 cubic feet per second.
But as the adrenaline junkies are packing up their gear, the commercial operations that have permits for the river are just getting going.
Even though the high whitewater is history for another year, the heat of the summertime brings out the biggest crowds looking for the thrill, albeit slightly less extreme, of a rafting trip.
Interpretation: There’s still plenty of time to synch up the helmet and lifejacket, grab a paddle and hit the river.
The season actually runs through August, particularly on years like this when the snowpack in the state’s northern mountains was so high. The snowpack at Cameron Pass, well up the Poudre Canyon, was 70 inches in late March.
And the warm weather has brought out the crowds.
“People want to go when it’s hot and sunny,” said Dave Costlow, owner of Rocky Mountain Adventures in Fort Collins. “They don’t need the river to be the highest, coldest and swiftest.”
Brad Modesitt, owner of Mountain Whitewater Descents in Fort Collins, said that the hot, dry weather has brought people out in above-average numbers. Many of Whitewater’s days are booked two weeks in advance.
“It’s been crazy. It’s been so hot, people are going rafting,” Modesitt said.
The Rocky Mountains are a destination in and of themselves. So, when people get here to visit relatives or just to hike, they then decide to go rafting.
Just this year Modesitt has had customers from all over the country, of course, but also from Poland, Germany, New Zealand, Australia, China, India and even New Guinea.
Because the Poudre is classified as a National Wild and Scenic River — the only river in Colorado to be designated as such— that limits the number of rafters commercial operations can put on the river per day.
For instance, Modesitt’s company can only put 120 people on the river each weekday, and 100 on a weekend day. But he and Costlow agree that the designation makes for a better rafting experience.
The Arkansas River, the most rafted river in the world, has eight times as many rafters as the Poudre and is sometimes like “bumper boats,” Modesitt said.
So, until the end of August, you’ll find crews from all three Fort Collins outfitters enjoying the relative serenity of a day on the Poudre River.
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|  | "Humankind cannot gain anything without first giving something in return. To obtain, something of equal value must be lost. That is Alchemy's first law of Equivalent Exchange. In those days, we really believed that to be the world's one, and only truth." | |
|  | We're not that bright, even though in our own little world, we're geniuses. We like 80s hair bands and one-hit wonders, but among us we have respectable tastes, too. Metallica, Iron Maiden, U2. Pursuit of all things trivial is a lifestyle, not just a game. We like some sports, love other sports, and can find something to say about anything. We watch TV and movies and we've read a book or two, even a few classics (Yes, Classic Comics count!)
We call it insight, you call it what you will. | |
|  | Felix Wong is an outdoor enthusiast living in Fort Collins. A mechanical engineer by day, he is especially passionate about bicycling, running, and backpacking. | |
|  | Hola Amigos! I'm Sandra. I like to believe that people are 70 percent good and 30 percent dumb. I'm stickin to that story. Reading this blog might make you want to be good, but probably just dumb. | |
|  | Donovan Henderson is editor of NEXTnc. | |
|  | Here at Nextnc we have some characters. Get a sneak peak behind the curtain and find out what amusing antics our staffers get themselves into on a weekly basis. | |
|  | What is up FoCo?
I am a recent college graduate of Minnesota State University Moorhead. After recieving my B.A. in English and Mass Communications this past August I moved down to Colorado.
I enjoy long walks on the beach, candlelight dinners, and heavy metal. My hobbies include reading and writing, music, movies, and getting drunk. Some of my favorite contemporary authors include Bret Easton Ellis, Chuck Palahniuk, and Kurt Vonnegut. My top movies are anything directed by Kubrick. I enjoy listening to anything that rocks.
Right now I am just trying to get to know Colorado and FoCo better. Mostly in order to find the best drink specials on each day that ends in Y. So if you know where I can get a cheap drunk on, let me know!
--Drew | |
|  | Life's little morsels of inspiration, observation and encouragement seen through the eyes of the Nextnc reporter.
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|  | Ms. Giles currently lives in Colorado where she stars in her own private reality show. She writes aphoristic accounts of her life, taken completely out of context, and embellished with characters and situations disguised to resemble something close to interesting. | |
|  | over and out | |
| | My name is Michelle Turley and I'm 28 years old. I live in Severance with my hubbie, Brandon. We have 2 dogs and a cat. We enjoy camping, four-wheeling, and just being in the mountains. I like to cook, clean (go figure), flea market, and play poker. I have so much to say about poker... | |
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