Day 78: Floating Down the River

The big activity for the day was doing a river float on the Flathead River. We hit the road around nine in the morning and gir back at almost seven. It was a very fun adventure.

Rob, Pam and I were in one raft, Jesse and Rachel and the kids were in another, and their friends Keith and Mike were in a third. It took a while to get everything and everyone wrangled and in the water then we were off!

It turns out “floating” is not just a leisurely jaunt on a pretty flat river, but also white water rapids. We went through quite a few bumpy sections including some class three rapids. It was a lot of fun, but being at the front of the boat, I got soaked. Though it turns out getting a face full of fresh, glacier fed river water is much more pleasant than getting a face full of ocean salt water.

We anchored at various points along the way to hang out, swim, fish, eat, and strategize for upcoming rapids. The scenery along the way was dramatic cliffs, rocky outcrops, and rocky beach. It was stunning. The water was bright teal - it looked almost photoshopped.

The distance from put in to pull out was about eight miles and took probably five hours. We got home and unpacked and took a rest and showered before tackling dinner. I sous chefed for Pam as she made and Rob grilled an excellent pizza using some of the leftovers from last night as toppings. The crust was just right chewy and crispy.

We ate out on the deck. The mountains were aglow with the dregs of the daylight. We stayed out until dark chatting and eating then it was off to bed. We were all exhausted after a day on the water and in the sun.