I have two words to describe white water rafting: scary shit. Just a week ago I started following Wild Water Adventures on facebook and saw numerous cancellations. I was so scared that they would cancel our reservation due to high waters, but luckily they didn't. We went in the afternoon to find out that the waters were higher than usual and like a dummy I was so pumped. I mean white water rafting is not cheap, and I wanted to get my money's worth. I got just that.
If you ever come to Banff and want to do WWR, I would highly recommend this company. When our party arrived, we were given a brief description of what the next few hours would look like. We were then given ALL materials to be extra prepared for the hell that is Kicking Horse River. They sized me up and gave me a wet suit, booties, a super cute fleece jacket, a rain shell, life jacket, and helmet. We spent the next 30 minutes or so traveling down to the river by bus and the guides went over safety procedures. When we got to the river we practiced different ways to get back to the boat if we get thrown out and how to rescue one another. They made a really big point: YOU are an active participant in your rescue. So basically if you're a hot mess in the water, they would let you float down stream and catch you down there. After seeing the whole river, I know that I would have never made it back alive.
After we learned numerous ways to get ourselves back on the boat, we climbed into the rafts. Carlos, my SUPER AWESOME Costa Rican tour guide advised with a wink that the most excitement happens in the front seat. William and I, along with a British mom and son, jumped into the front wanting to get a bang for our buck. William and I sat next to each other and then Carlos pointed out that I would be a paddler and my face froze in horror so the British chap in front of me volunteered, so we swapped spots, putting me and his awesome mom front and center. Carlos then asked us to stick our hands in the water. We all did. And, we all screamed in horror. He smiled and explained that we would be going in 5 degree water. He pointed to a mountain top and explained that this river held glacier water that was melting. And, on our way down the river, we saw water falls emptying into the river.
Those who have done WWR will know how scary our level 3,4, and 5 rapids were. Threes were fun, fours were exciting, and me and the British mom whose name I don't know so we'll call her Marge, were pretty sure we were not going to make it back to land on the level 5 rapids. Everytime we would go through a 5, Marge and I felt as though we were completely submerged under the water. Even with all our gear on, after our first level 5 Marge leaned over and whispered, "I have 5 degree water in places I didn't think would get wet on this ride."
Every level 5 rapid we had would literally knock the wind out of me. At one point there were so many, one after the next, that I was choking on water. When we came to the calm waters everyone was staring and Marge and I because we were gasping for air and coughing up a lung. Sounds horrible right? Well the first set was, after that traumatizing moment, it became hella fun. Our gloves protected our fingers, somewhat, and we were all able to hold on tightly; no one fell out of our boats. An hour and a half on the river was just the perfect amount of rafting. When we came back to the docks, they had (more!) Cadbury Hot Chocolate, pastries, and fruits waiting for us. We changed, grabbed some snacks, and gathered around the TVs to watch the pictures from the trip. They were super funny so everyone wanted one. I had found a tiny coupon earlier for a free photo DVD so we were pumped about saving 30 bucks! Overall, it was a super fun experience and I can't wait to go again!
After braving Kicking Horse River, we headed to Wapta Falls. This required a 2.4 km hike in super muddy trails that resembled those we encountered in the Amazon in Peru. Slimy, slippery mud forced us to make our own trails through the brush. It was a very long, but rewarding hike. We knew we were there from the sound of the waters crashing down. The water fall was intense. And it was completely empty because most people would not hike to get to the fall. We hung out there for a while and enjoyed the calm forest and fiesty waters.
We then headed to Natural Bridge, which is another gorgeous waterfall. What was so beautiful about this one were the mountains peaking behind the fall and the rivers surrounding it. I can't believe all these wild life critters get to live there for free; they have the best view in the world. It was around nine 'o clock and the sun began setting. Remember, they have 16 hours of daylight here! We headed to Emerald Lake to find the waters to indeed be a rich Emerald in color. This lake was surrounded by beautfiul trees and adorable cottages. We, again, were the only ones there so we went down to the dock and sat there for a while. We started getting sleepy so we decided to head back to Banff. We didn't get there til about 11 pm and found that everything was closed. We went to Safeway which was filled with delicious food, but were very limited because we don't have a microwave in our hotel. Luckily the deli was open so we grabbed some lunch meat and samosas from there. We ate and then we passed out.
