Can't wait to have you out there!! See you next Summer?

Michael is like that with all his guests, he really has a knack for guiding. We'll make sure to pass your comment on to him, thanks!

One more time, for the people in the back 😂

Yep! That calm at the end makes it a really good place to fall out of the raft, all things considered. You can also still see old mining equipment along the riverbank!

That's awesome!! Welcome to the river family, we're so stoked you're getting into it. Best of luck with kayaking, it's much different than rafting, but so much fun. We'll see you on the Middle Fork!!

Honestly there's no sort of consistency to it, as the rapid's class mostly deals with the river's features (rocks, holes, waves, etc.) rather than the speed of the water. There is some loose correlation though, as faster water typically correlates to a more difficult rapid.

That's a great point, and this is actually a consideration when grading the difficulty of the rapids which we didn't cover much here. Flat Rock is a perfect example of this concept!

That's a crazy story! We agree with you though, Gray's at high flows is such a blast. Clavey is definitely a bit low-key for the rating, but it is a pretty high consequence rapid if things go wrong, which is why it's considered a Class 5. Ask your wife if you don't believe us!

First of all, congrats! That's a huge step, so props to your courage. The biggest thing we'd recommend is to listen to and trust your guide. They're out there each day running this river, and are looking out for you. Sometimes they might you to do things that don't make sense to you, but it's a good idea to listen to them anyways. The best way to successfully get through rapids is to work together as a team with your guide, so make sure you do your part. Have a blast out there, let us know what you think!

Great point, (usually)! For this particular rapid, however, ourselves and every other outfitter call a "get-down," as paddling won't actually do much after the initial setup. The rapid is so fast and narrow, that the whole rapid is made, or broken, in the setup at the top. It's called Tunnel Chute rapid if you want to look it up more!

Such an iconic (and underrated) rapid. Floating into that entry never gets old!

Hey Josh! Ourselves, and lots of other outfitters across the country do, in fact, run Class V rapids. Feel free to take a look at all 10 of our California rivers, including this one, the Cal-Salmon. On each page, you can see the class of the river, from 1 to 5. Hope to see you out there sometime!

Haha, we call it a "Tube-suck," where the river pulls one side of the raft down suddenly. It takes a lot of people off guard!

Great point, usually! For this particular rapid, ourselves and every other outfitter call a "get-down," as paddling won't do much after the initial setup. It's called Tunnel Chute rapid if you want to look it up more!

Lol, no

This is actually a Class V! It's called Clavey Falls, on the Tuolumne River. It's an awesome rapid, and the crew made it look easy.

It's a rite of passage on the Middle Fork!

@@AOrafting it was awesome 💪

Appreciate it Stephen! Hope to see you out on the water again soon.

Mushroom is no joke, and is definitely more challenging. Typically, our guests have more fun on Lewis' Leap though, which is why we ranked it higher. I mean, who doesn't love plunging off a 10 foot drop?!

Godspeed, hang on tight and stay in the boat! Hope you guys have fun!

🤙🏽🤙🏽

Yeah, that's pretty typical, we just choose to portage it entirely. It's fun to watch people R1 it though!

That's actually a great point, and we'll keep it in mind for the next one. Cheers!

Love to hear it dude! Colorado is a such a great spot to be a guide. Let us know if you're ever out in California looking to guide!

Haha, the GoPro effect is real! If you want to see what some real action on this river, check out our recent video highlighting the best rapids here. There's a couple class V's in there!: kzbin.info/www/bejne/oGe6lZd6odSVnck

Good eye! It's such an iconic spot, and is actually quite popular to film in after George of the Jungle came out. Come rafting and see it for yourself!

@@AOraftingIt looks intense! I remember that being one of the most intense scenes in George of the Jungle. Maybe I will.

@@Paolo-qe7lc Definitely hit us up if you do! It's really fun, but not quite as intense as the movie made it seem. Plus, it's a bit nicer when you're in a raft, with a highly trained guide and industry leading safety gear!

Smells can be deceiving! This is indeed Cherry Creek, also known as the Upper Tuolumne River. We're one of only 2 outfitters who were given permits to properly run this section, and it's one of our favorites in all of California. We recently shot a video on the top 5 rapids of Cherry Creek, if you want to see more. It's an epic river! kzbin.info/www/bejne/iF7Tm4OAe5xphsk

Thanks! Our guide and her crew had a great line.

@@AOrafting my apologies! Still awesome 🤩

@@itsg66 🤙🏽🤙🏽

Nope! While it initially may seem like a good idea, being strapped in on a raft actually poses some major safety issues. It typically takes several minutes to get a raft un-flipped, and those are minutes that would be pretty rough if you were strapped in underwater!

I wouldn’t want to be strapped in to a raft that has just flipped.

Thanks Steve!

Hey! Some lesser intense rivers don't require swimming. Since Cherry Creek is the most difficult commercially run river in America, it's necessary that all of our guests know how to swim, in addition to wearing a life vest. To raft with us, and any other company on this particular river, swimming is indeed required. If you don't know how to swim, you should check out the South Fork American river. It's awesome, and is non swimmer friendly!

It really is much better to have swimming skills on class 4 water or above. The jacket will float you but swimmers are a lot less likely to panic in the water and a lot more able to participate in their own rescue if they fall in. That can often mean just swimming a few strokes, but those few strokes can make the difference between a quick easy rescue and a long ugly swim.

@@steverogers5956 Great point!

I attended a coroner's I quest for some one who drowned whilst white water rafting , as a guide , I would highly recommend being about to swim, 😅

Why on earth would anyone get in the water if they can't swim? Hanging your life on a vest and 0 skill is a bad idea.

It's on the Merced River, but is above the section that you can raft. It's right by the gas station in El Portal, if you're familiar with the area, and advanced kayakers are able to run that section!

Love to hear it Adam, it's addictive! What rivers are you guiding this summer?

It's the best!

That's awesome, we love Oars! We work with them and often trade guides back and forth if one of us needs extra hands on the water. Which rivers did you guide?

Nice eye, they were actually autogenerated!

Haha, that's the perfect age, they'll love it, and we look forward to seeing you all out there! Are you running the Middle Fork or another river?

@@AOrafting middle fork. Two day float with your company. Very impressed so far.

@@Hellbender21 Appreciate it! The two day trip is definitely the way to go. As the social media manager, I've personally had the opportunity to raft all of the trips that we offer, and while they're all fun, the 2 day Middle Fork trip is my personal favorite. Have a blast out there!

Just got back to Missouri from our trip. We rated July 2nd and 3rd. Wyatt was our guide and was great. All of the other guides seemed to be as well. Great cooks, very knowledgeable, positive and hard working. My kids and I are hooked for sure. Top notch company.

@@Hellbender21 Thanks so much, we're so glad you all made the trek and chose us to raft with. Wyatt is a class guide, as is the whole crew. We loved meeting you all, and hope to see you back out here soon!

And your point is?