G. Green at Harlows

G . Green post punk plays with Two Gallants at Harlows in Sacramento!

And we were there!

All pics belong to W.E.T. River Trips

Yah.

Give, Ski and Dream of Rafting

Bear Mountain Ski School

Oh, yes, there is skiing in California. We just had real weather. The kind of weather that chills you to the bone. East coast kinda weather with parkas, headgear, Uggs on our feet, and wool scarves. Holy moly! We all looked like a bunch of New Yorkers walking the streets of Manhattan...

Weather rules. Skiing is taken for granted every winter. Sierra Nevada mountains are glorious with the cap of a deep snowpack. That snow draws so many skiiers and recreationalists. The mountains are so beautiful that many tourists have ended up living on the summit drawn by the allure and mystery of Gold Rush history, Donner Party tales and the Sierra Nevada.

I love skiing. It's a sport that is as 'lonely' as surfing. You do it alone. I drive up to the mountain with friends or by myself, as I got tired of skiing friends who just didn't want to get up early to hit the slopes.

When I ski, I dream about the river. I dream about the snow melting in early season and turning into that crystal clear water flowing down through the mountaineous terrain, and cutting deep into the sediment and rock and changing the river.

Friends, Family Rafting

I dream about my friends and family getting together to celebrate the river. Celebrating the river rafting together is a wonderful way to enjoy the outdoors. California whitewater rafting is an outdoor sport to be shared together!

That is why, I run rivers every year. The river changes every spring and continues to change based on flows. The river is dynamic. And, in it's dynamic plunge towards the ocean, the river is a spiritual body of living particles and life that reminds each of us that the river remains forever if we allow it to flow.

GIVE to others!

Peace out.
Merry Christmas.
Remember the poor; donate to the food closests.
Invite an older, housebound neighbor to dinner.
Bring Christmas dinner to anyone in your neighborhood who is elderly or ill.
When giving gifts; think of our world and all the children.
We will remember each of you with our prayers and thanks.

Happy Holidays! Goodness, it is almost time for Christmas!


Much love,
W.E.T. River Trips
RAFTWET.com
since 1978 in California, USA


All photos belong to W.E.T. River Trips.
Bear Mountain pic; thank you to Bear Mountain!
Greater Good pic;  thank you UC Berkeley!

W.E.T. River Trips Photos

Hey all! Just posted a bunch of photos and pics into our Facebook page here : http://facebook.com/wetrivertrips

Check them and dream about the river...
And, pray for rain and snow this winter!

Thanks for being our friends all these years... we love ya!
Your support has been so awesome.

Youth groups, family trips and friends call us soon to start organizing your trips.
888.723.8938
Here's a pic to keep us in your mind.

Looking forward to 2014,
W.E.T. River Trips Staff

All photos and text belong to W.E.T. River Trips
All photos can be found on Flickr, Google+ or Facebook.

WET 2014 Rafting Trips

One of the long term goals for W.E.T. River Trips has been to introduce the beginner or novice towards whitewater rafting and the great outdoors. Doing this has been difficult as the river rafting public has many outdoor adventures enticing their every want. From skiing, snowboarding to surfing, paddling to hiking, climbing; there are a lot of activities that have traditionally fed our public's imagination.

"I can totally do this black diamond run..." or "Dude, let's hit this gnarly surf..." or "Bang! I almost lost my toe-hold... or "Class 5! Extreme drop..."

There is a lot to do. A lot of stuff in our lives that take us away from our daily chores and work. There is a lot of things that occupy our mind. Do we really have time for fun?

Well... I say we have to make time for fun. We have to make the effort to include the outdoors into our lives. We can not allow our guests to sit in front of a desk, a tv, a computer, a cell phone or whatever interface they invent for us all... we can not do that day-in and day-out.

We risk our health. We risk our well-being. We risk our mental health, too. Our bodies need to exercise. We need to feel that warm sunshine or drizzly rain on our bodies, and we need to feel that we can conquer those nasty fears that plague each and every one of us.

This year, we want to encourage those of you who need an outside break. Yes, we know many of you do the one-day trip with us on our rivers. But, is one-day enough? You drive up from Bay Area or Southern California; then you meet us in a rush; then you go rafting; and at the end, you go home. Great day? N'est-ce pas?

Ok. Now, imagine this. Take your time and choose a date. Organize a 2 or 3-day rafting trip. The American River whitewater has many options for 2-day, 3-day or 4-day trips. And, American River is ideal for beginners to novice whitewater rafters.  You will achieve "River Time." That's when 'time' disappears and that watch becomes totally unneccessary.

Or, choose a longer trip on the Klamath River. Go north! Klamath is one of the longest undammed rivers in the West. Also ideal for families, family reunions, and youth groups such as the Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts and more. Klamath is a very popular river run for youth groups. We have (2) programs that highlight this special river. Boy Scouts and our 'The Long Strange Trip' have given us many new paddlers!

All I am lamenting about is the lack of committment from so many people towards nature, outdoors and rivers, oceans, lakes, etc. These are precious gifts. Let's enjoy them!

See you on the river,
W.E.T. River Trips
Our entire staff!


Written by: W.E.T. River Trips
All photos belong to WET River Trips
Photos in Flickr, Google+ and Facebook
Buy now!

WET Friday

A little Hennessy to end a long week.

It's Friday!

Party time.

Fall in WET Garden

WET fall garden ... Let it rain! 

November 2013  

Happy Fall from WET River Trips (California rafting trips) 

WET River Trips Website for 2014

Back to the website... finally. Yes, everything on the internet has changed, much to our chagrin... but, we look forward to connecting to our community and our friends who have made such an impact on our company, W.E.T. River Trips, with a brand new website.

We are doing business next rafting season a bit differently. We have things in place now that prevent us from breaking our own rules. Yikes! Yes, systems are ruling the roost in 2014.

Anyway, back to the website (really?), that cumbersome, gigantically created stinky site using several systems including PageMill, Adobe, Macromedia, Adobe again, then hand-coding, and now networks (waves to all the big networks out there in the universe including Google).

First things first: images

How do ya like this one?

Middle Fork American Tunnel Chute rapid w/ W.E.T. River Trips

Do you wanna see this on the website?
Say YES or NO about this October 2013 post from our California Whitewater Rafting blog by visiting us at our WET facebook page: http://facebook.com/wetrivertrips and comment a YES or NO.
Thanks for your help peeps...
I want the rafting community to help us create the website we know we should have... carry on with your day after you vote.


Photo by: W.E.T. River Trips on our WET Flickr site.
Will Google ever like us again?

It's raining/snowing again, finally! We will be posting a bit more regularly...
Oh, yah, before I forget... we are taking group rafting reservations now.
Call us in morning from 9 - noon for group information: 888.723.8938

And, Happy Halloween!

Weather and Rivers in September 2013

"What's the weather like up there?" she queried. And, with that question, we went into our weather spiel.

"Blah, blah, blah... we can't predict the weather, but if the air temperature is below 83 degrees, you will need a wetsuit, " I answered. I could feel the next question coming, so I answered before it was asked.

"You can check with a search for 'Coloma, CA weather' and receive quite accurate weather reports on various sites" I claimed.

Pumping up the Rafts

The caller, said thank you and I was off on another call answering similar questions for another guest.

The weather is very important to our guests. They want to know how to prepare themselves for their whitewater trips on American Rivers. They want to know if it is raining or if it is blistering hot. With the weather being so strange, that has been difficult. Wetsuits? or not? Most likely not as the air temperature keeps rising daily.

We had a great winter and then a lousy end-of-winter pattern. No snow, no rain for weeks until finally we had a big storm in April. Was it enough for the state of California? No. We need more snow and more rain for Southern California and the eastern slopes of the Sierra Nevada. We also could have used more in the Northern California regions, too.

Bachelorette Party w/ WET River Trips

Best flows in the state is on Central California's American River. South Fork American, Middle Fork American will have flows through September 2013. Remarkable, since there is no water on the Kern River or even the Tuolumne River for whitewater rafting.

And, most of the early spring runs were done very early this year around March. What a strange year! This weekend will be in the 90's. Time to go rafting on the river... again! Whitewater rafting will be great at the end of this season for all of you who were too afraid to hit the higher flows in spring or too squeemish for the colder temperatures. September is an uber warm month with lots of friends coming out to go rafting with WET River Trips.

This year, 2013, we introduced a lot of beginners and novices to our whitewater sport. This is definitely the best year for groups, families and novices on either run on the South Fork American River or the Middle Fork American River.

North Fork American in March!

Call your California outifitter! Get on a whitewater trip this year before it's too late!


Trip List : September 2013 Whitewater Rafting Season

• 1-day South Fork American Chili Bar Express 10.5 mi, 9-1pm, no lunch; beginners, novices 
• 1-day South Fork American Chili Bar run 10.5 mi, 9-3pm, lunch, novices
• 1-day South Fork American w/ 1-night camping + (4) meals
• 1-day Middle Fork American Tunnel Chute run w/ lunch 18 mi, 8-4pm, intermediates or athletic novices
• 1-day Middle Fork American Tunnel Chute run w 1-night camping + (2) meals
• 2-day Middle Fork American Wilderness Trip w/ 1-night camping + (4) meals

For best rates: call 888.723.8938
We are doing super discounts now!
And by the way... pray for snow this winter!



Thanks to W.E.T. River Trips for their flickr photos.

100 Degrees? This Weekend!

Middle Fork American Tunnel Chute run

Ok, Mother Nature. Your fun-filled silliness about your weather has been enough.

First we have snow and rain and then nothing for months and months. Then you fool us with 90 degrees in early May and then you surprise us with 70 degrees in late May that puts everyone back in a wetsuit or crawling under the bed covers to sleep the day away.

And now, this weekend. 100 degrees? Possibly, as the weather people predict a very hot weekend for June 1st.

I checked the weather.com channel and saw 97 degrees in Lotus, California on Saturday, June 1st. Wow. And, this past week's cloudy, Arizona-like sky cooling down the air temperature until I had to put on a sweater, was just a tease.

Will California remain hot? Who knows? But, what I do know is it is definitely time, puppies, to get your tweets going, your instagram snapping, your fab facebook posting and your bloggys rolling.Time to go rafting. Drive and dive into the mix of the river and socialize with your friends and colleagues. Bring your families together and go rafting with us, too.

This year, the two rivers to navigate this 2013 season are the following:

• South Fork American River: 21 miles into 2 sections; Chili Bar and/or Gorge run; class 3-3+, 1-day or 2-day trips available; camping, meals, etc; novice
• Middle Fork American River: 18 miles; Tunnel Chute run; class 3-4+, 1-day, 2-day, 3-day trips available; camping, meals, etc; experienced, or atheletic novices
• Middle Fork American Lower River: 6 miles; Kid River; class 2-2+, 1-day available; introduction to rafting, kid snacks, beverages; 1pm-5pm (approx); children 3+yrs
• South Fork American Coloma run: 5 miles; Family River; class 2-2+, 1-day available; river rafting, beverages; noon-3pm (approx); children 3+yrs

As always... See you on the river,
W.E.T. River Trips staff post
~ EL

About Cell Phones

Erm... about your cell phone. When you call us and leave a message from your cell phone while you are driving, here is what we hear: a garble of words that include a cell number that is barely decipherable.

Ooops! Yup. We cannot understand what you just said!

My favorite is the slo-o-o-o-w talker. The one who describes everything in detail about what they want and which river to raft. And, then... the phone number. In lightening speed, the caller says a flurry of numbers slurred together as a single word. Uhmmm... can you repeat that?

We also have many people whom English is a second language. The language accents make the cell number even more unintelligible. Please people. Slow down when you call so we can be sure to get your cell number so we can call back.

This morning, a caller was driving in their car when they made the call to our reservation office. With the sound of the air whooshing as their car sped down the road, a background of noise colored their speech and made it very difficult for us to understand.

A mumble of a voice, and I think I heard "birthday" and I think they said "this weekend." But, the phone number was a blur and (2) of the numbers were not clearly understood. So we tried each number from 1 - 9 and placed them in different configurations in that cell number. Nada. Nothing. Wrong number.



Maybe they will call back... and maybe they won't. Those who do not call back are usually annoyed with us because we did not return the call. With everyone on a cell phone, keep in mind that the clarity of your voice may not be received by the receipient. Instead, we got a lot of wooshing air, auto traffic noise and a garbled voice.

Guess what? There really is a very good reason why we can not hear each other on cell phones. Cell phones cut out the highest frequencies of the human voice. The results suggest that we may be missing the full meaning of what people say when we talk to them on our mobile devices. So says an article in Discovery.com.

I do wish I could have that cell phone that can call anywhere in the world from any place in the world. But, until that day arrives, all we can do is hope that our guests are understanding and patient. Slow down when you call! We really want to hear your words and call you right back.




A List for Hearing Resources

1. Discovery.com on Why We Can't Hear : http://news.discovery.com/human/cell-phone-frequency-111028.htm
2. Yahoo Answers on Cell Phone Hearing : http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080823200354AAQZFRq
3. Ask Metafilter.com What I Can't Hear You on the Cell Phone : http://ask.metafilter.com/134775/What-I-cant-hear-you-on-the-cell-phone
4. Hearing Loss in Musicians : http://www.uic.edu/sph/glakes/harts/HARTS_library/musnoise.txt
5. Hearnet, A Non-Profit Info Source for Musicians and Music Lovers : http://www.hearnet.com/
6. Oracle ThinkQuest on Phone Etiquette : http://library.thinkquest.org/2993/phone.htm
7. ReviewGist on Best Cell Phones for Hearing Impaired of 2013 : http://www.reviewgist.com/best-cell-phone-hearing-impaired

Written by: ~ EL on Staff for W.E.T. River Trips
Thanks to Discovery.com, Yahoo Answers, Metafilter.com, UIC.edu, Hearnet.com, Oracle Education and Reviewgist for their help on "A List for Hearing Resources".
Photos by mycricket.com, Northwestern University, and WET River Trips on Flickr.
Uuuuhhh... ok everyone, can you hear the whitewater rafting guide when he says "Paddle Forward!" ? (excuse my grammer...)

Exercise, Let's Walk!

May brings warm weather, and the thoughts of summer vacations. Thoughts of hiking with your family, rafting with the kids, camping with multiple generations and exploring and enjoying California's landscape of beauty, nature and life are paramount now.

W.E.T. River Trips on South Fork American

We are all getting older. The knees ache from skiing, the back is sore from those past years of playing basketball or soccer. Or maybe you were a runner pounding the pavement in those Nike's. Or maybe you just never really exercised before!

Why do we bring this up? We want each of our guests to enjoy themselves completely on our whitewater rafting trips. How can you enjoy this sport even more?


If you are planning a river trip this summer, start now. Get off the couch, push away the chair from the computer desk and turn off that tv. You got to start walking. What better way to enjoy your time with us than to prepare with your family.

Multiple generations enjoy rafting!

Every evening before/after dinner, gather everyone in the family together and announce that you will all be walking together for 15 - 30 minutes each day. The days are long so there will be sunlight until 9PM. Make it fun. If you have little ones, they will enjoy the "I Spy" game where everyone has to be on the look-out for something special designated by the leader (Dad or Mom).





If you are cajoling teens, tell them to bring their cell phones, and that they can either talk to friends or check their text messages as they walk. Pssss... once they start walking, they will talk to you, the parents. I guarantee that. Just imagine sharing the day with them. Listen to their stories. You will gain huge insights to their daily teen lives.

Family exercising and walking together

And, for you. Hold hands with each other. The warm embrace of a warm, friendly hand does so much good for your spirit. You will enjoy those walks. And your body will thank you. You will drop a little weight, you will gain stamina, and you will be ready for your whitewater trip.

No more excuses! Enjoy your life with your family, and your life will be a blessing of love and joy. And, believe me, you will be ready for anything!

Canyon on Middle Fork American

Written: Staff of W.E.T. River Trips
Photos: zimbio.com of family walking
Photos: W.E.T. River Trips in Flickr

Northern California Rafting Trips - Spring 2013

Hello Boys and Girls... Heffe wrote this one!

I once again had the opportunity to go on another W.E.T. River Trips sponsored rafting trip to the lost corner of California. Just about every year I have been employed by WET we have made to pilgrimage up to Northern California. Sometimes we go to the Smith River drainage, sometimes we go to the Trinity drainage, sometimes we go to the California Salmon drainage, and sometimes we go to them all. We always charge hard and get on more rivers then days in the trip. This is no easy feet, but is accomplished by a very knowledgeable captain, Steve.

This year was no exception, we met at the warehouse on Monday morning. I wasn't sure who was coming along, but was greeted by Logan, Danger Dave, and John C. We packed the van with all the the equipment necessary for a three day camping, rafting trip with the strong possibility of rain. The van was loaded and ready to go, with only two more real stops before we would be setting up camp at Nordhiemer camp ground. One of those stops is of course the grocery store, for food and a small bit of fire water. The other stop is of course Petro, the ceremony stop made by whatever W.E.T. trip travels north past it. We were pleasantly surprised when Steve received a phone call from one of the new trainees, Daniel. Daniel lived near Petro, and would be more then willing to join us on our trip north. We all were also pretty stoked, because having Dan along meant there would be three paddlers, instead of just two.

The WET van pulled into Cal Salmon Nordhiemer camp at 5:30, after road scouting some of the larger rapids on the Nordhiemer run. The weather being unsettled and wanting to enjoy the evening we decided to not put on the river. We all enjoyed a pleasant evening of a pasta dinner and a very small portion of fire water. (WET office staff says "lol!")

The next morning came early the smells of breakfast cooking, and coffee. We put on the river early with the hopes of heading all the way down through the Ikes section of the Klamath River.

The last time Jon and I had run this section flows were in the 5000-6000cfs range, everything looked much smaller, several rapids above a rapid called airplane turn, Jon gave me the signal (arms out stretched like an airplane). He thought the next one was airplane turn, it was not, nor was the next one, or the next. Airplane is not usually one of the rapids I scout on this run, but after watching several fully loaded oar assist rafts come through and flip (at higher water), we were very concerned about this other wise benign rapid. After a short scout, I stayed to take pictures, while the raft consisting of Jon as the all powerful guide, Logan, Danger Dave, and New guy Dan picked the best line of attack. Jon came in with a left to left movement, dropping the front left corner deep into the pocket, stalling the raft long enough to move everyone from there seated positions, throwing Dan and Danger Dave into the water. The first two swims of the trip out of the way.

We continued down river not stopping to scout again until we reached one of the biggest rapids on the California Salmon on this section, Cascade. There is a hiking trail in on river left, so Steve was there to take pictures and judge the performance. After a very short scout for me it was off to river right to have a better look at my favorite line in the rapid, a simple boof off the center/center right line. I like this line because the angle Steve is able to take pics is one of my favorite pictures. I picked my line peeled out into the eddie and sent myself off the 10 foot ledge, into the soft landing below, a near perfect line. I really enjoy a good scout followed by an exact performance of what you had in your head. I eddied out below and waited for the raft. I decided to stay in my boat in case any carnage came floating down. The raft pulled out into the current, had the perfect right angle for the entrance lateral, quickly charged away from the wall with a few powerful stokes from the boys, the raft was in the clear. I think it was one of the smoothest lines I have ever seen run at cascade.

Below cascade are a few fun but insignificant rapids, before you reach Freight Train. In my opinion Freight Train can be one very intimidating rapid. After a very long scout and a small break, I decided it was time to run it. I pulled out into the current, and was sent hurdling along towards my fate. I had picked a good line but still felt out of control, nearing the bottom the crux of the rapid I was stalled out on my stern and no longer really had control of where I was going to end up. Once the bow of my kayak had settled down I was on top of the coffin rocks I had been trying to avoid from the top, but to my amazement I just slid right over the top of them. Having escaped with my pride, it was the rafts turn. Once again to my amazement Jon has picked another nearly perfect line down the biggest rapid on the section of river. After Freight Train things tames out a little bit and turns into a very enjoyable class 3 section of river called Butler. We all had very clean fun lines in this section.

The choice was made at lunch a little earlier in the day to continue down the Cal Salmon all the way to the Klamath river. Once on the Klamath the flow goes to almost 5 times the level you have on the Salmon. You go from a fairly low flow rafting to big water. There is two very large rapids on this section of the Klamath. Big Ike, and little Ike. After a short scout at big Ike the boys decided they were going to run the meat of the rapid. We discussed how big the hole was, and decide from this vantage point it was a little bit over six feet trough to top. I ran through first skirting the biggest part of the rapid and was still very surprised how big the waves were, I would say they were in the 8-10 foot range. My thoughts quickly turned to the boys in the raft, did they really want to try and plug a 10-foot hole? At this point there is no way to communicate with them as they are already just about to enter the meat of the rapid. As they neared the top of the hole it looked as if they were on the verge of surfing back down the face, just as it looked like it was all over their fearless leader, yelled “paddle bitches” thus saving the raft from flipping and sending everyone swimming in the cold brown water. The rapids after big Ike down and just fun large waved rapids. After about 15 minutes of flat water we were all very relived to catch site of the W.E.T. van parked on shore. After more then 25 river miles, three different sections of river, and countless memories, we were all very stoked to get into some dry clothes and maybe a firewater or two.

After a short drive we all arrived back at camp. Once again Steve made us a quick satisfying meal of chili stirred together (with) mac'n cheese also called chili mac. The weather had once again held off for us and we were able to collect a small but acceptable amount of fire wood. At the Nordheimer Camp there is a herd of wild horses. Right before it got dark we were able to spend sometime petting the older horses. Once the horses were well-watered it was time to enjoy another river evening around the fire sharing the days embellishments.

The next morning at was a quick breakfast, and an even quicker team effort of breaking down camp. We all knew we had a big day in front of us(well at least the half of the group that had been up this way before). We were on the road and make a quick stop off in Happy Camp for some ice cream and morning snacks. With a little more then an hour and half of driving in front of us we would be at the put-in for the Scott river at about high noon.

The section we did on the Scott is a very enjoyable class 4 section. There are several large boulder gardens, with quite a bit of read and run class 4. There are 3 bigger class 4 rapids on this section. This day on the Scott was my day to guide the raft, and let my good friend Jon safety kayak. After running several fun read and run rapids we came upon the first large rapid, called White house. After the scout it was quite clear, the easiest and safest line was down far river right, with slight left angle. W Punching through the second smaller hole at the bottom with a good amount of speed. The line was fairly straight forward but if we did find ourselves off line there would be a good amount of thrashings for everybody. Jon was the first to push off, as we were still getting settled in the raft. I worked the raft around a fairly shallow entrance and down the left side of the river, finding the tongue through the first hole, getting a couple good paddle stokes in from the boys, and raft boofing the second hole into the pool at the bottom, where I expected to see our friend Jon C waiting in his kayak. Instead I couldn't see my friend, then a few seconds later I see him, at first I think he is getting his monthly bath in, turns out I was wrong. My good friend Jon had taken quite a beating in the second hole, and was trying to swim after the missing paddle. He gave a the signal that the paddle was floating down stream somewhere and we were off to chase after the missing gear. We were lucky enough to find the paddle in the next rapid called Thompson creek, where Logan made a super good grab of the paddle at the last second as the raft and paddle were just about to float apart. We waited for a short while, as we walked the paddle back up to the winded Jon C.

We were quickly back on the water enjoying several other class 3 and 4 boulder gardens. Not to far down river the sky darkened, it looked like the sun was going down. Then it started small hail at first, then slowly the hail got bigger and bigger until it was slightly bigger then a marble. We paddled quickly hoping to see the take out soon. Before we know it we were at takeout, where just as fast as the hail had started it stopped and once again the sun came out. We quickly loaded up the gear and changed into warm dry clothes. We also watched the swimmer of the trip drink his ceremonial booty beer. We were on the road home with several hundred miles separating us from the warehouse parking lot. We made a quick stop in Yreka for 2 large pizzas. Back on the road we made great time home with Steve behind the wheel. We arrived in the warehouse parking lot about 9:30pm. Having driven several hundred miles and rafting three different rivers in two days, I am pretty sure everyone had a great time.

I always look forward to these trips up north with the WET boys. A big thanks to Steve and W.E.T. River Trips for leading us on another journey to the lost corner of California!

Jeff Heffe

Director Of Good Times at W.E.T. River Trips

Thanks Heffe for a story well-told! We liked the part about the wild horses...
WET River Trips office staff
Photos by W.E.T. River Trips

LATE GUESTS...Late Arrivals

Sun is streaming through the trees, bathing the sidewalk in a bright light that is almost painful to view after months of dark clouds and gray fog. The neighbors are having their annual spring sidewalk sale. Cars zipping up to park and people milling around as I could hear their voices this early morning. Peaceful day, and I was drinking my tea and peering through the window glass at the shoppers.

Brring, brring... the phone. And, for me, the early morning ring can only mean one thing. A guest is lost or late. Every single day. Someone is late.

Thanks to markedlines.com for this pic

When the guest calls, they usually say, "Hi, I am so-and-so... and we will be there in 10 more minutes. Please wait for us."

I am instructed to ask the caller where they are, so I can get an accurate timing on what to tell the head guides and our greeter on the guest's arrival time. Sounds simple, right? Wrong! The guest does not know the route!

Guests are coming here to Lotus Coloma from all locations of the universe. Some people are neighbors in the local area. Others are from Sacramento, just about 45 minutes away and other valley towns like Lodi, Modesto, etc. While most may come from the Bay Area such as San Francisco, San Jose, and all other bay area locations approximately 3 hours away. And, of course, all our Southern California friends who drive all night or fly-in to Sacramento International Airport, and then drive-in on the morning or the night before.

So, how do we expect ANYONE to arrive on time?

Here is what we suggest:

1. Read confirmation as soon as you receive it; be prepared, check your links, and plan ahead.
2. Trial drive; for those who are nearby and can take a day to "practice" that drive (lots to do and see up here! pack a lunch and picnic at one of the locations in the area near the river)
3. Google maps; no excuses, peeps! Maps galore on the internet and we give you the address in your confirmation.
4. Plan your timing; if you know the kids/friends/group procrastinate, plan for that.
5. Japan time; ok, but that is what my mom called it (Japanese mother who always claimed that she was late due to "Japan time" so everyone at my house had to get up 1 hour earlier than necessary).
6. Consideration; for your fellow human beings, and it's called good manners.

Do what it takes to arrive on time. Why? Because the other guests do not like waiting for you, and neither does the river. Relax and enjoy your day by planning ahead and being on time. I guarantee you will be more light-hearted when you arrive... and that is where we want the river to take us, if you allow your heart and soul to receive that precious gift.

Ok, now I ragged on you all... but, keep in mind. Once you get on that beautiful river, nothing will matter. That harried morning, the crazy drive... the morning will fade away as you will slow down to river time. And the rush of whitewater? Oh, what a thrill! Nothing matters anymore... except your loved ones... and spending this time on the river with them is pure joy!

W.E.T. paddler on North Fork American River

God bless, Namaste
I'm on the phones!
Blogging from the office...
Thanks to markedlines.com for their photo
Thanks to W.E.T. River Trips for their photo

WHITEWATER RAFTING ~ March 2013

March 1, 2013 is today. All day. Another year of rafting on our glorious rivers! Whitewater begins again this month with W.E.T. River Trips in California.

Call or reserve online as dates are flying out of here quickly. Email or verbal quotes are available by emailing us at wet (at) raftwet (dot) com or calling us at 1.888.723.8938. (Remember to clean up that email address! Use @ and . where appropriate!

Here is a brief schedule of 1-day, 2-day, multiple-day events this year for American River and other rivers in California.
All trips can add camping + extra meals to extend your packages; just ask!

W.E.T. River Trips are Available Daily!

March 2013 : start date 3/16th/sat
South Fork American Chili Bar Express
South Fork American Chili Bar run
2-day South Fork American
North Fork American Chamberlain Falls run (call for special rate 1.888.723.8938)
2-day American River Combo

April 2013
South Fork American Chili Bar Express
South Fork American Chili Bar run
South Fork American Full River run
Middle Fork American Tunnel Chute run
North Fork American Chamberlain Falls run
2-day, 3-day Trips

May 2013
South Fork American Chili Bar Express
South Fork American Chili Bar run
South Fork American Gorge run
South Fork American Full River run
Middle Fork American Tunnel Chute run
North Fork American Chamberlain Falls run
American River Combo packages
Cal Salmon
Scott
Group Trips
2-day, 3-day Trips

June 2013
South Fork American Chili Bar Express
South Fork American Chili Bar run
South Fork American Gorge run
South Fork American Full River run
Middle Fork American Tunnel Chute run
North Fork American Chamberlain Falls run
American River Combo packages
Multiple day trips
Klamath River (after 6/15th)
2-day, 3-day, multiple-day Trips

July 2013
All South Fork American packages except Full River
All Middle Fork American packages
American River Combo
Klamath River multiple day trips
Youth Groups
Group Trips
Klamath River
2-day, 3-day, multiple-day Trips

August 2013
All South Fork American packages except Full River
All Middle Fork American packages
American River Combo
Klamath River multiple day trips
Youth Groups
Group Trips
Klamath River
2-day, 3-day, multiple-day Trips

September 2013
South Fork American Chili Bar Express
South Fork American Chili Bar run
South Fork American Gorge run
Middle Fork American Tunnel Chute run
Group Trips
Fishing Trips
2-day Trips

We can design your group rafting trip for you or you can choose your own package. Just let us know in a timely fashion so we can get you confirmed for your whitewater trip!

W.E.T. River Trips
RAFTWET.com
raftwet-store.com
1.888.723.8938

THE POPE ~ Resigns

My pope stepped down today. Pope Benedict XVI thought his health was jeopardizing his pope-position. Wow! Seriously? Whodathought?

Pope Benedict XVI

Yes, the pope resigned. He actually stepped down today among a pomp and circumstance of catholicism that I never, ever saw before. I do understand that 700 years ago, Pope Celestine V in 1294 resigned after only five months and his resignation was always referred to as the "Great Refusal."

A time of deep contemplation and reflection...

Why did the pope do this? No pope in the current history of the Catholic Church has ever done that in this way. Not even our elder statesmen in the political arena has done this. Today's events were a major spectacle. Major.

Media is mentioning "Schism"...

The schism that everyone keeps referring to is the ugly sexual abuse that the Catholic Church hid for so many years. Will this latest event hurt our church? As our church watched the participation decrease in Europe and America, the Catholic Church was chided about the need to worry about this.

I don't blame Catholics for child abuse and neither should you. But, the church hiding it and protecting those abusers was wrong. Totally wrong. What I hope for with any new leader is a transparent governing of the Catholic Church. We must honor women, gays, people of color and other religions. We must respect all people; no matter their beliefs.

In doing so, we may honor those before us who humbly cherished Catholicism as a way for us to live and respect our God in the way we believe. As my Mason grandfather and Agnostic grandfather brought the drama of opposing religious views into my family, we all learned to love each other based upon what we perceived each of us carried individually in our hearts. And the grandmothers? They married the grandpops didn't they?

And the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
Amen.


Written by: ~ EL on staff with W.E.T. River Trips
And, please kind comments on the religion... heard all the negs before.
Photos by: salon.com of the pope

US Postal Service ~ USPS 2013

Our mail is in shambles. With a $15.9 billion loss, is anyone getting regular mail? Or is your mailbox or postal box just filled with advertising circulars and ads? Does anyone even get paper mail anymore or is that the realm of old folks without computers?

I read with interest the latest missive from our Postal peeps. USPS is always raising the stamp prices, but the latest news from them sounds like that giant corporation is losing a lot of money trying to provide the mail for those who need mailing services. And, the USPS is also losing a ton of money trying to support their benefits packages including their retirement funds. Now, the latest scheme to make money; tada! retail clothing line? OMG! Sounds familiar...

This morning, I was running a bunch of errands for the company. I had to stop by Office Depot to pick up a bunch of office supplies. Then, I had to head over to the Post Office to pick up a very important piece of mail that was suppose to be delivered today. By the time, I fought through the traffic, I made it to the post office line by noonish.

I stood in line and marveled at how everyone in line was an oldster (including me). No young folks. No one whom might have been born in the 80's. Same stuff was decorating the lobby for the last 30 years; myriad packages, tons of colorful Hallmark cards, lots of packaging tape and the weary people standing in line.

My turn! As I walked up to the desk, I smiled brightly and told the representative that I was here to pick-up our company mail. I reached into my purse and I discovered the postal key was missing. Oh, yes, the owner had borrowed my key and forgot to give it back to me!

"We do not give out any mail unless you have a key" she said without even glancing up!

But, I had driver's license AND a business card AND a check from the company with my name on the freakin' check! As I handed over the documents, I asked her again for my mail.

"We do not give out any mail unless you have a key. You can purchase another key by filling out this form." she murmured without looking up again.

Holy ShiiiiiiZ! The woman would not budge off of her bureaucratic stance. Ok. I was really mad, but inside my head, I kept hearing the chant, "... told ya so... told ya so..."

So I left without the mail. And, yes, I was hopping mad! But, one of the reasons I even attempted to get my mail without the key was because I have always been able to get my mail that way... WITHOUT THE KEY. So I suppose, I should be applauding the USPS for their added security.

Now, let's see if I can receive my regular residential mail. Seems their postal carriers have a bit of dyslexia. Oh, did I tell you that my (3) blocks got together and exchanged phone numbers and email addresses? Why? Because our postal carriers seem to mix up our numbered streets all the time. At least, we can warn our neighbors that I have their mail or they have my mail when our mail is mis-delivered.

Oh, I hear the mailman at my door....

 
Buddy Holly sings Mailman, Bring Me No More Blues
http://youtu.be/JOmzzSNnkHk


Mailman, bring me no more blues
mailman, bring me no more blues
one blue letter is all I can use

She wrote me only one sad line
told me she's no longer mine
Mr. Mailman - that'll do for some time

Cry - like never before
so hard - couldn't cry no more
shoo shoo mailman - stay away from my door

Mailman, bring me no more blues
mailman, bring me no more blues
one blue letter is all I can use


Hmm... seems the same advertising circulars, real estate offers, plumbers and house keepers ads have once again filled my home mail box. Stuffed full, I pulled my mail out... walked to the garbage can... threw the entire mess away. At least this time,  I actually got my mail!

~ EL
complainin' again about nuttin'

Thanks to USPS for being our mail service.
Thanks to Buddy Holly for his song, "Mailman, Bring Me No More Blues"
Oh, yah... thanks to Google for youtube.com properties.

NORTH FORK AMERICAN CHAMBERLAIN FALLS w/ WET River Trips

NORTH FORK AMERICAN CHAMBERLAIN FALLS w/ WET River Trips, a photo by W.E.T. River Trips on Flickr.

California whitewater rafting with W.E.T. River Trips on North Fork American River. Class 4+. Whitewater rafting. Springtime. Minimum age is 16 years old. Call us 1.888.723.8938.

Via Flickr:
spring rafting on class 4+ whitewater in northern california

Inauguration Day 2013 ~ 44th President

Barak H. Obama. A familiar name to everyone now unlike all the names prior to his first Inauguration Day. Remember all those presidents who came before Obama. Remember their faces during their Inauguration Day. Remember what they promised and what they delivered to the American public.

W.E.T. River Trips - California rafting on South Fork American

Does it matter if our president is of color? Yes, it does. Why? Because his past experiences will be valuable for every single person in the USA. His color will bring an understanding towards every person of color, every female, every non-Christian religion and every person who has not lived the disney-esque lifestyle that we all grew up with at the movies.

Last term, Obama tried to unify the Congress, and now this term, I hope he can be left to really do our country some good.

Please don't expect him to perform miracles! The mess Barak Obama was left with has been unprecedented in the history of our country. No one was untouched. Even the uber-wealthy were touched with more wealth in their coffers! While the rest of us, suffered the slings and arrows of an economic nightmare.

Four years is a very short time in our history. Four more years of jockeying around the political mantra from every special interest group in Washington, DC. There isn't enough money to recreate all those 'old' programs from the past and give it a new name. We need real change. We need our politicians to really talk to each other without the fear of their next election. We all need to throw away our political robes, and stand as people, together in our quest to move forward.

Sigh... another term, another president. We do need to solve problems now. Can we afford not to? Yes, we can!

~ EL
W.E.T. River Trips
California Whitewater Rafting since 1978
January 21, 2013
United States of America
California