(Taos, New Mexico)
As powder draws skiers from miles away to Taos Mountain in the winter,
the word 'whitewater' attracts rafting enthusiasts in the spring. In
Taos County, the Rio Grande River offers some of the Southwest's most
thrilling spring and summer outdoor recreation. One 48-mile section that
includes the 'Taos Box,' has rapids as challenging as any river runner
might desire. The Box itself is about 16 miles of tumbling rapids amid
boulders as large as buildings, which have fallen into the river from
the sides of the gorge.
The Rio Grande River flows
southward from its headwaters in southern Colorado across the entire
length of New Mexico. The 1,885-mile long river is the third longest in
the United States, forming a boundary between Mexico and Texas on its
way to the Gulf of Mexico. The section that crosses Taos Mesa won the
nation's first designation of Wild and Scenic River in 1968. The Rio
Grande flows through a gorge that reaches 800 feet deep in places,
thundering its way over sudden drops, with towering basalt cliffs on
either side. Eagles, falcons, mergansers, geese, herons, and ducks build
their nests in this spectacular habitat. Rafters frequently spot elk,
deer, beaver, and-though much less often-a mountain lion.
This section of the Rio
Grande has something for rafters of every age. The lower Taos Box is
for the more experienced-or at least the most daring-with many Class III
and IV rapids. With names such as Rock Garden, Ski Jump, and Powerline
Falls, you can anticipate the thrill of facing them. North of the John
Dunn Bridge near Arroyo Hondo is a tamer section called the Middle Box.
South of Taos Junction Bridge near Pilar, the river widens and becomes
more suitable for family outings along the Orilla Verde, or 'green
shore.' The five-mile Racecourse near the village of Pilar is a popular
half-day trip, suitable for children who are strong enough to hold on
tight.
Whitewater experts grade
rapids on a scale of 1 to 6. The Rio Grande has seen all six grades,
depending on the season, the location, and what the year's precipitation
has been. Class 1 is mostly flat, gently moving water. Class 6 is
impossible for most people to navigate. Class 5 is like a spinning,
drenching roller coaster and the other classes are in between. Some
tours are more appropriate during spring and early summer, when the
river is a maze of churning whitecaps, sudden dips, and swift, spinning
currents. Other runs are better in the later summer, when water
quantity and speed have diminished and the challenge consists of
navigating around boulders and through chutes without getting stuck.
Rafting companies offer
one-, two-, and three-day trips on the Rio Grande, as well as on the
more docile Rio Chama to the west. Some of the better known companies
include:
Los Rios River Runners
Native Sons Adventures
Big River Raft Trips
Far Flung Adventures
Kokopelli Rafting
Adventures
New Wave Rafting
Company
Known World Guides
Santa Fe Rafting
Company
Cottam's Rio Grande
River Trips
Some companies also offer
kayak tours and 'funyaks,' which are small, canoe-shaped inflatable
rafts that are paddled with kayak paddles. When you sign up for a tour,
you receive detailed information on what to wear and bring, along with
facts about safety and the releases you will be asked to sign. Note that
blue jeans and other cotton clothing are not recommended, as they stay
soggy, inviting chills. On overnight trips, most companies provide
tents, cooking utensils and food, at the very least; and your guides
prepare your meals. The experience of exhilarating whitewater rafting
followed by camping alongside a beautiful wild river eating delicious
food and laughing with congenial friends is something you'll remember
for years afterward.
During the peak rafting
season (May through August), a professional company, Southern Exposure
Inc., photographs rafters on the Racecourse and in the Taos Box. These
photos can be viewed and purchased at
www.raftphotos.com
Linda Thompson, co-owner of High Mesa Productions, writes
children’s books and magazine articles, among other things.
She is an online instructor for U.C. Berkeley Extension’s
intermediate copyediting courses. With her husband, Terry,
she lives in Taos, New Mexico, which they consider to be
like no other place they’ve ever been. During their joint
and separate lives, they’ve lived in the San Francisco Bay
area, Los Angeles, Seattle, rural England, Barcelona,
Honolulu, and Washington, D.C. Now, their camera and
keyboard are mainly focused on the western states and Texas,
with occasional excursions to other parts of the world. See
their
website for additional background and experience.
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