IMG_4486.JPG
Date: 08/09/2003
We were all supposed to gather at the rafting place by 10am. Clee and I arrived at about 9:58am or so. We wandered around. Went in to the little store where I bought a pair of water slippers, a hat, and a medium sized hydrobolic water cannong (at Clee's request.)
We came back out and Albert, Leann, Brian, Aaron, and Jen had showed up. Here are Leann and Albert posing for the camera. Albert also went in and bought himself a hat - very much like mine except he splurged and got one with a neck strap.
We came back out and Albert, Leann, Brian, Aaron, and Jen had showed up. Here are Leann and Albert posing for the camera. Albert also went in and bought himself a hat - very much like mine except he splurged and got one with a neck strap.
IMG_4488.JPG
Date: 08/09/2003
At long last, Peti shows up. Here he is paying for the rafts and the bus tickets for the return trip.
IMG_4492.JPG
Date: 08/09/2003
That is Brian on the right and Aaron on the left. That is a view of the back of Albert on the far left.
IMG_4493.JPG
Date: 08/09/2003
We finally get our boats and begin loading them up with supplies and weaponry.
You see Clee smiling at us. Peti is the one with the Sakura Festival Volunteer t-shirt.
You see Clee smiling at us. Peti is the one with the Sakura Festival Volunteer t-shirt.
IMG_4494.JPG
Date: 08/09/2003
Brian and Aaron have selected their craft and now anxiously await launch.
We were actually stuck here for quite some time waiting for one last car load of people to show up.
We were actually stuck here for quite some time waiting for one last car load of people to show up.
IMG_4496.JPG
Date: 08/09/2003
We had this water proof bag from Nokia for putting cell phones in to. We used it to hold Clee's camera.
I figured I would try some shots with the camera in the bag to see how they turned out.
Fuzzy.
I figured I would try some shots with the camera in the bag to see how they turned out.
Fuzzy.
IMG_4497.JPG
Date: 08/09/2003
Sherilyn and Peti smile for the camera!
Yes! We like waiting! Woo woo!
Yes! We like waiting! Woo woo!
IMG_4498.JPG
Date: 08/09/2003
Here we have the shade-brigade. Aaron, Jen, and Brian from left to right.
IMG_4500.JPG
Date: 08/09/2003
More packing and twiddling.
You can see here that they have double-barrelled water canons.
You can see here that they have double-barrelled water canons.
IMG_4501.JPG
Date: 08/09/2003
We finally move out to the launch point. Here is a picture of brian with the camera inside its water proof bag.
IMG_4502.JPG
Date: 08/09/2003
A picture, again from inside the water proof bag, of Jen, Aaron, and Brian - this time we have finally set out.
IMG_4503.JPG
Date: 08/09/2003
We are now well out to sea.. er.. down the river.
It is a bit hard to tell, but you can see that Clee's hat has water on it. Signs of our vigorous water battles that we have endured!
It is a bit hard to tell, but you can see that Clee's hat has water on it. Signs of our vigorous water battles that we have endured!
IMG_4504.JPG
Date: 08/09/2003
A view so you can see more down the river.
At the very right of the screen you can see a veritable traffic jam of rafts. It was a very popular day for rafting.
At the very right of the screen you can see a veritable traffic jam of rafts. It was a very popular day for rafting.
IMG_4505.JPG
Date: 08/09/2003
Man overboard! I believe that is Toshi. He spent a fair amount of the time swimming around.
This is the raft of the people we had been waiting for. As we learned they had no weaponry of note so I dubbed them the "bucket brigade" because that was their only means of returning fire - little plastic cups.
This is the raft of the people we had been waiting for. As we learned they had no weaponry of note so I dubbed them the "bucket brigade" because that was their only means of returning fire - little plastic cups.
IMG_4506.JPG
Date: 08/09/2003
We broke for lunch on a little lee before the class 2 rapids (not really that exciting.)
Peti was emulating a sea otter.
Peti was emulating a sea otter.
IMG_4508.JPG
Date: 08/09/2003
And the last raft is pulled in for the lunch break.
You can see further down the river a bunch of blue and yellow rafts. Those are where the rapids are.
You can see further down the river a bunch of blue and yellow rafts. Those are where the rapids are.
IMG_4510.JPG
Date: 08/09/2003
Still setting up. You can see on the right how we also used the water canons to bail water out of the rafts. We accumulated quite a bit of water from our battles.
IMG_4511.JPG
Date: 08/09/2003
One thing we found is that we had no seats or serving tables. So pretty much everyone wandered around with food and tried to get other people to try some of what they were carrying.
Here Clee is holding my drink and a fork.
You can see up-river that the rafts are still coming down the way.
Here Clee is holding my drink and a fork.
You can see up-river that the rafts are still coming down the way.
IMG_4514.JPG
Date: 08/09/2003
Sunscreen was the order of the day. Turns out more of us should have re-applied our coats before heading back out. Ouch!
IMG_4515.JPG
Date: 08/09/2003
Jen and Sherilyn. Sherilyn with a plate of food that kept acquiring more things to eat.
IMG_4516.JPG
Date: 08/09/2003
By this time the bulk of the eating was over. It was a very nice day though. No rush to set out again.
IMG_4517.JPG
Date: 08/09/2003
Okay. We are finally putting our life preservers back on and preparing to head out.
IMG_4518.JPG
Date: 08/09/2003
"So? What are you going to do about it?"
He did not say that, but it makes a good subtitle for the look he is giving.
He did not say that, but it makes a good subtitle for the look he is giving.
IMG_4519.JPG
Date: 08/09/2003
Jen being all smiles! Read to brave the rapids! You can see the white water in the middle of the river.
Turns out that Jen, Aaron, and Brian were not as ready as they thought. Their raft flooded with water when they went over the rapids and this put them way behind the rest of the group. We had to sit idly by for quite a while drifting down river until they caught up again.
Turns out that Jen, Aaron, and Brian were not as ready as they thought. Their raft flooded with water when they went over the rapids and this put them way behind the rest of the group. We had to sit idly by for quite a while drifting down river until they caught up again.
STA_4520.JPG
Date: 08/09/2003
The next bunch of pictures are a panorama shot Clee took. You will have to look at her pictures online to see it in its completed form.
STC_4522.JPG
Date: 08/09/2003
Something messe dup on the color here. Albert and I are just pointing off down stream.
STD_4523.JPG
Date: 08/09/2003
Me, still pointing downstream. The rest of the group was wondering what we were pointing at - sure we had lost our marbles.
IMG_4529.JPG
Date: 08/09/2003
Peti overboard! This is well after the rapids and a bunch of heated water battles. Peti decided he would take a nice cooling dip.
IMG_4530.JPG
Date: 08/09/2003
Sherilyn taking pictures.
You can still see a nice crowd of rafts all over the river. Very nice day for rafting!
You can still see a nice crowd of rafts all over the river. Very nice day for rafting!
IMG_4533.JPG
Date: 08/09/2003
Sherilyn beating the sea otter down that is trying to get in her raft.
IMG_4534.JPG
Date: 08/09/2003
It is a lot harder than it seems to get back in to one of these rafts!
IMG_4535.JPG
Date: 08/09/2003
We finally rediscover one of the other rafts after the rapids. You can see Naomi because of her blue suit.
IMG_4537.JPG
Date: 08/09/2003
So close they are in perfect firing range! Except we all have cameras out so this opportunity will pass.
IMG_4539.JPG
Date: 08/09/2003
The other raft was beating off a sea otter attack.
I did not get the camera pointing in the right direction in time.
However, you can see one of the things that amused me a lot earlier. Pretty much all of the life vests have "ARR" written on them. We took this to mean that the pirates' life was for us and were saying "Arr!" and "Avast!" a lot.
What this really stands for is "American River Rafting." The company we rented the rafts and life vests from.
I did not get the camera pointing in the right direction in time.
However, you can see one of the things that amused me a lot earlier. Pretty much all of the life vests have "ARR" written on them. We took this to mean that the pirates' life was for us and were saying "Arr!" and "Avast!" a lot.
What this really stands for is "American River Rafting." The company we rented the rafts and life vests from.
IMG_4540.JPG
Date: 08/09/2003
Ah, here you can see Naomi beating off an attack by Peti the Sea Otter.
IMG_4542.JPG
Date: 08/09/2003
At some points the river got pretty shallow. Here Peti is demonstrating for us how shallow it is.
IMG_4543.JPG
Date: 08/09/2003
We finally meet up again with the bucket-brigade folks and we moor our four rafts together.
Still no sight of Jen, Aaron, and Brian.
Still no sight of Jen, Aaron, and Brian.
IMG_4545.JPG
Date: 08/09/2003
and yet more pictures of our flotilla. This is after Jen, Aaron, and Brian finally caught up with us.
At one point we had just sat in our rafts and got caught in an eddy where we started actually going up-stream for a bit.
This is where we pretty much just lazed around steering for better rapids from time to time. Otherwise just laying around the rafts.
At one point we had just sat in our rafts and got caught in an eddy where we started actually going up-stream for a bit.
This is where we pretty much just lazed around steering for better rapids from time to time. Otherwise just laying around the rafts.
IMG_4546.JPG
Date: 08/09/2003
Ah, here I am looking stoically forward. My paddle at the ready in case we need to move swiftly in one direction or another while Clee snaps a picture.
IMG_4547.JPG
Date: 08/09/2003
More maneuvering between rafts. We spent a lot of time hopping from raft to raft here. Sometimes digging out food and drink while the day passed by.
IMG_4548.JPG
Date: 08/09/2003
This one raft had a curious idea. They clipped all of their life vests together and dragged them along. It made a mini-raft you can lay in that would leave you partially submerged.
IMG_4553.JPG
Date: 08/09/2003
We finally reach the end, land, check in our rafts -- and now we wait in line for the bus back to our starting point.
IMG_4554.JPG
Date: 08/09/2003
Here Leann threatens me with an empty water cannon. Clee looks on in amusement. "Why does Scanner take so many pictures of us just standing around?!"
IMG_4555.JPG
Date: 08/09/2003
And one more time! The rest of our group waiting in the shade. It got really hot once we got away from the river!
IMG_4557.JPG
Date: 08/09/2003
Just a'waiting for our bus to come.
Leann did not want to wait for the next bus so they went on ahead - standing room only - in the bus before us.
The next bus was a small bus and we filled it up entirely but for two seats.
Leann did not want to wait for the next bus so they went on ahead - standing room only - in the bus before us.
The next bus was a small bus and we filled it up entirely but for two seats.
IMG_4558.JPG
Date: 08/09/2003
I think the bus had just arrived. That is why you see Patty (with the B.U.M. equipment t-shirt) staring off to her left.
IMG_4560.JPG
Date: 08/09/2003
Here Peti talks of his grand plans for future trips down the rapids. He wants to go for the one level up trip that requires a guide and involves some class 4 and one class 5 rapids.
IMG_4561.JPG
Date: 08/09/2003
Ah, back at our starting point. Naomi is once again left guarding the cachet of goods.
You can see the rest of our group in the shade by the fence.
You can see the rest of our group in the shade by the fence.
IMG_4562.JPG
Date: 08/09/2003
We like shade! Sun good, but sun hot!
Our sunburns have not yet started to show up really. Just wait a couple of hours.
Our sunburns have not yet started to show up really. Just wait a couple of hours.
