This summer we had the pleasure of running a classic Upper Colorado River section with the athletes from Cadí Canoe Kayak. A number of the Team Colorado families grew up doing overnight river trips in the desert and Rocky Mountain west. We had a chance to share this experience with our friends from Cadí Canoe Kayak this summer. The original plan was to run the Westwater Canyon section of the Colorado River in Utah, but high flows made that imprudent this summer, though it has been a favorite Team Colorado run in the fall.
These river trips offer a different perspective on paddling rivers, and they require a different skill set. We had fun in the rapids, but that was just part of the experience. We enjoyed wonderful sunny weather and excellent flows of 3,300 cfs. The scenery was spectacular, and the comraderie was outstanding. We ate well and enjoyed card games and Frisbee when we were off the river.
We were lucky enough to have Chris Rank rowing his cataraft as a gear boat and to have Kathi Rank captaining the paddle raft. Cadí athletes Lua and Aldara Cousilla, Isabel and Miquel Travé and Alberto Diez-Canedo were our honored guests. Spencer and Oran Huff and Nate, Brenda and Bryant Lord, who grew up on the stretch, were part of the group. Karl Allen and Erik, Diane, Gus and Cosmo Nickerson rounded out the company.
We are looking forward to more river trips as a way to include friends and family and broaden our river expertise beyond race courses.
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