Saturday, Jun. 21, 2008

Wenatchee-area rivers ready for whitewater rafters

By Rick Steigmeyer, The Wenatchee World

CASHMERE -- Wenatchee River rafting companies are looking forward to what may be one of the longest and busiest whitewater seasons on the Wenatchee and other Washington rivers this year.

The combination of abundant mountain snowpack and an unusually cool spring has set the stage for a slow and lengthy snowmelt that is likely to keep rivers charged with rapids well into the summer.

"We're hoping to get another two weeks of rafting in this year," said D.J. Tuttle, owner of Action Rafting Co. in Cashmere. The company is one of the newer and smaller of about 15 rafting operations that offer rides on the Wenatchee River. The stretch between Leavenworth and Cashmere is one of the most popular whitewater rafting areas in the state.

"This is definitely going to be one of the best years in the 20 years I've been on the river," said Tuttle, who was a rafting guide on the Wenatchee for other companies for 15 years before he started Action Rafting five years ago. "It's a great year for water all over."

Cool weather made for a slow Memorial Day weekend, said employees at Osprey Rafting Co. in Leavenworth.

"It's definitely picking up now after a slow start," said Sergio Cuevas, an Osprey river guide. He said advance reservations indicate that this weekend will be one of the company's busiest ever.

Barring a lengthy hot spell early in the summer, Cuevas said the company will likely book trips down the Wenatchee through much of August, making for a record season. The company offers rides to about 6,000 clients in a good year.

The National Weather Service is calling for highs in the high 70s to low 80s through the weekend and into next week. The Natural Resources Conservation Service's Washington Snow Survey Office is forecasting cooler than normal temperatures through this summer.

Jim Behle, owner of River Riders rafting company, said the cool spring hasn't been all good news, at least not yet. River Riders, located between Peshastin and Leavenworth, is one of the oldest and largest rafting companies on the river.

"The lousy weather earlier this spring kept people away," Behle said. He said most of the company's clients come over from the Seattle and Portland areas. When weather is bad there or they hear about snow in the Cascades, they think the weather is just as bad on the east side. "They don't know about our sunshine and beautiful weather."

The good news is that the mountain snow and cooler temperatures will lengthen the rafting season and increase the excitement.

The river is running at about 7,500 cubic feet per second at Peshastin now, slightly less than the longtime average, according to the U.S. Geological Service, but with twice as much snow as normal remaining in the mountains that drain into the state's rivers, said Behle.

"I actually called some clients and told them to postpone their trips until later in the season," he said. River flows are ideal right now, he said, and it looks as if they are going to stay that way for a while.

While rafting trips will run later, the company's tubing season probably won't get started until late August.

Behle warned people who want to take their own tubes or small rafts to wait until river flows drop to safe levels. That may not be until September.

"The water is going to be higher, faster and colder much later this year," he said.

Behle said high fuel prices also could have an impact on business. He's hoping that more people will opt for a ride over the mountains for a raft trip instead of flying to Disneyland or making a longer, more expensive trip.

"There's a lot of factors in play. Mother Nature is in control, and we don't know how gas prices will affect things," he said. "But we're set for anything. We're ready to rock 'n' roll."