We were up at 5:00. The busses picked us up from the Colorado National Guard Armory and took us to River Runners where we changed busses to go up river. We were among the last to be assigned to rafts so crew 1 boys went in one raft with guide Galt, and advisers split up into two other rafts. Don ("Doc") went with guide Katie, while Rich and I were in a raft with Guide Zack and his friend Mark in the back. Also in the boat were boys from another crew, Doug, Scott, John, and Chris.
Our guide explained that the first big rapids were a class 4, the most difficult on the trip and they came up very near the beginning of the trip. To not flip, we would have to listen carefully and work together. He also explained that if we did flip, we should put our legs out in front of us so that they would hit the rocks instead of our head and to keep them from getting caught on rock on the bottom that might pull us under. He had us practice the maneuvers like forward 3, left back, and stop when we first got on the river to get ready for the big one, 3 Rocks. We successfully crossed 3 Rocks, the class 4 rapid in addition to Spike, Sharks Tooth, 5 Points (the longest), Noname, Kamikaze Hole and Turnaround. By the end, it was such a blast, we were looking for more big ones.
Half way down the river, we pulled off to the side for a break and the guide, some of the kids and I jumped into the rushing water for a swim. The guide jumped in first and we were wondering what had happened to him when he didn't appear until he was well down stream. It looked like the current was holding him down. Everyone after him surfaced right away. He later said that he was kidding us and that he had paddled down to hold himself under as long as he could to see if he could shake us up.
Next we had lunch and took a bus and a walking tour of the Air Force Academy. The chapel between the mountains and the dorms and class rooms is quite a land mark as is a large jet that marks the entrance road. Crew 1 visited the chapel grounds which overlook the campus area where we could see the cadets marching in the rather WARM afternoon heat.
For dinner and entertainment, the busses took us to the Flying W Ranch. You could hike up a giant rock to a lookout where you could get a great view of the area and its rocks that are similar to the rocks found at the nearby Garden of the Gods. They had an indoor and an outdoor dining area for about 400 people. At least one crew-1 boy was asked to join in a photo with a visiting young lady from a cheerleading group at a nearby table. Dinner for everyone was served in about 20 minutes. The entertainment began with jokes that were followed by "doggone" cowboy songs.
Did I hear some of the scouts snoring through the show? What time did you say we got up? Following the show, we returned to the armory. For some there were warm showers. For me, it was the first of many opportunities to experience another dimension of body torture on one leg or arm at a time.
