I went white water rafting! Exciting! I applied to do white water guide training with a non-profit organization Called Project Great Outdoors (aka Project Go, aka PGO) this year. They work with under-served youth and take them down the river all the while facilitating the experience. Of course, I was very attracted to this venue and wanted to learn their methods.
Orignially, I had been accepted to do Spring Training (I know, snow melt, its cold) but it got canceled due to lack of participants. It just wouldn’t work budget-wise. So I’m doing Summer guide training instead and got invited to the rusty-guide training in honor of canceled spring guide training. Let me just say, Wow! What an experience! I tore off the corner of my thumbnail. Totally worth it!
The first day, felt like a crash course of instructions (rightfully so since this was for rusty guides) The trainers and the rusty guides were so patient with us “green guidelings.” Kurt, who I was with the first day, seemed like a river sage. (He is also the main guy in charge at PGO.) I learned so much by just watching and listening to him. What struck me pretty profound was his ability to keep his composure. Toward the end of our river run another boat got wrapped on a rock and he calmly directs us to the eddy and cooly says, “This is just stressing me a little and I want to make sure they are ok.” What? He’s stressed? If he didn’t say so, I wouldn’t have guessed. That was a good lesson to me in how to conduct yourself when situations get a little harry. Its something I plan on practicing more. After getting some “stick-time” (being the guide of the raft), I learned just how hard it can be to keep your composure.
The second day I got to learn under the hand of Dustin, one of the trainers for guide training. This is where I got to take everything I learned the day before from Kurt and got it fine-tuned by Dustin. He helped me get through some rapids by calling out commands for me while I focused on trying to keep the “magic” angle of the boat. That helped a lot since both of those were still really new to me. I got a lot of helpful technical tips that allowed me to be more powerful when maneuvering the boat. It was real exciting when I felt the boat move by one stroke alone. It felt more natural and I began to really like that guide seat and less intimidated by it. :-D Watch out Summer Training! Here I come!
My new friend and fellow guideling, Sara.
The river where we took out at Camp Lotus.
The boats drying before being rolled up.
The best part after a full day of rafting, laying out to deflate the boat.
