Renaming the Rivers of Southwest Colorado — The Juan Rivera 1765 Expedition The majority of the information in this article about the naming (and renaming) of Southwest Colorado rivers on the Juan Rivera expedition, including Rivera’s journal excerpts, has been sourced from the incredible and comprehensive work of Steven G. Baker and Rick Hendrick’s Juan […]

The Animas River — A Tale of Untamed Resilience The appellation, “Río de Las Animas”—the River of Souls—was written in the journal of Spanish colonizer, Juan Maria Antonio Rivera while crossing the Animas River on horseback in 1765 (Durango Herald). One can only imagine what sights lended to this name.   Perhaps Rivera sensed the looming […]

River Guide, Sam Cook on 30 Years of Adventure I had scant knowledge of Sam Cook before our interview. As an Adventure Consultant, my world revolves around calls and keystrokes, tethered to the indoors. Sam, on the other hand, is a river guide, navigating the outdoors, guiding people down the river. Despite us both working […]

What is El Niño and its 2024 Forecast for Southwestern Rivers A freaky weather phenomenon occurs every few years, known as El Niño, and fishers were the first to notice it (vox.com).  Beginning around Christmas, the sea surface warms up like the vacation of your dreams. Do not open up a new tab and Google […]

How to Shop the Best Holiday Deals on Whitewater Adventures Click here if you’d like to skip to a section: Top Selling Trips How to Save the Most Gift Certificates How to Pick the Right Multi-Day Trip Are you ready for an impromptu inundation of Black Friday river puns, in anticipation of the best holiday […]

Everything You Wanted to Know about the Aspen Tree So, you’re looking for some cold hard facts about the aspen tree. Well, you’ve come to the right shady corner of the internet friend. That’s a pun on trees, in case you’ve got the wrong idea about that quality double entendre.  Aspens, the quaking aspens of […]

What to Expect on a Trails and Rails Trip – A Photo Story When you sign up for a Trails & Rails trip with us, you best get ready for the ride of your life, especially with fall colors arriving. A brief synopsis of how this trip works, is the first half of the trip […]

Rafting Season Forecast for 2023 Whoop whoop— It’s the Rafting Season Forecast for 2023!!! Hold onto those boat straps folks, it’s going to be a WILD season! With a long and snow-packed winter behind us, we’re gearing up for a righteously rampant runoff across the Colorado Plateau. Get ready for some of the highest flows […]

How to Book the Trails and Rails Package If you’re looking for a jaw dropping, gobsmacking, dare we say downright stupefyingly scenic day in the San Juan Mountains, Trails and Rails is the topnotch way to see the tiptop sites between Durango and Silverton.  The Trails and Rails package combines a cliff-hugging cruise from Durango […]

The Mild to Wild Black Friday Shopping Guide  It’s just about that wonderful time of year again for us to put in, push off, and row like maniacs through 4 righteous days of Black Friday rafting deals!! This year, we’re rinsing 20% off the majority of our trips from Black Friday to Cyber Monday. Ya-to-the-hoo-hoo-HOO!!! So […]