So that's me at the front left (or portside) of the raft, accross from me my brother in law, at the back with the silver our guide Bootsie, and all the rest people my brother in law works with.
So we're getting ready to head out rafting (none of us have ever done it before) and one of the guides starts to give a speach.
"So you picked THE best time to go whitewater rafting, we haven't seen waters this high on the river in 16 years. Normally we run it at about 10 inches, it gets really fun at 20 inches, right now it's at 27 and rising!" I didn't know what he meant by inches until I saw they had a painted water level gage on a near by bridge, it was at 30 when we past it! "Ok so if you go in the water it's so cold it will knock the breath out of you, just remember to stay clam and breath..." I tuned out after that lol.
Next we get shown to our raft and our guide Bootsie. "So the most important and dangerous spots on the boat are the two people in the front..." Now the group I'm with all work together for an Armored Car service almost all of them are ex-Marines or Army and most want to be police officers. Not one of them volunteers so I raised my hand and volunteered my brother and I. Bootsie explained a few more things quick and we carried the raft to the water.
What ensued was the most fun I've had in a very long time. It was wet, cold, and lotsa hard work but worth every minute. When the trip was done (I think about two hours) we were the only boat of the seven that launched together not to have lost a person over board. I wanted to go again even though I was tired and already getting sore, however we were the last trip of the day.
So that was my first time whitewater rafting, I would recommend it to any one. The only thing is now that I've run that river at 30 inches any thing less would be boring, guess I'll have to find bigger waters...