White Water Rafting: Warning Your First Time is Addictive!

I can't think of another sport which boasts no experience necessary, all athletic abilities welcome and one of the most heart-pumping, adrenaline-building good times you will ever have with a group of complete strangers. But, that is what white water rafting delivers.

Little did I know when I won a free rafting trip that I would become a white water addict and a loyal customer from my very first time, but Moxie Outdoor Adventures ("Moxie") hooked me with great rapids, a stunning location and staff that made me feel at home even if it was for just a day. This is not an unbiased assessment of rafting on the Kennebec, but a recommendation from a satisfied customer and newly baptized white water enthusiast! A quick scan of the internet proves that there are many great companies operating on the Kennebec, but what set "Moxie" apart for me was its combination rafting trips and the passion, patience and professionalism demonstrated by Cliff Stevens' handpicked staff.

Compared to the Moxie Camp Grounds, which is one of the oldest sporting camps in Maine and the home of Moxie Outdoor Adventures, white water rafting is young; taking shape in the mid-70's when intrepid souls braved the rapids along with the lumber of the then logging river. A lawsuit ended logging opening the door to white water rafting and its Mecca known as The Forks, Maine, just five hours north of Boston, MA. Today, the wooden dories have been replaced by state-of-the-art, self-bailing, rubber rafts taking enthusiasts down the rollercoaster rapids of the Penobscot, Dead and Kennebec rivers. Kennebec has 10 outfitters catering to thrill seekers from all over world.

This many companies operating in a town with a population of 80, should make the competition fierce; it's not. There is a sense of community on the water and the major outfitters work together with Maine's Tourist Board to promote the industry as one of the most fun, safe and accessible activities you can experience. According to Raft Maine's press release (http://www.prwebpodcast.com/releases/pod562790.htm ), @ 63% of 2007's commercial trips were handled by 7 companies who take the sport and it's growth very seriously. These companies offer various packages combining activities like skydiving and plane rides with rafting. Their focus is eco-friendly and economical. A 2-day, meals included, combo-package known as a "Supertrip" starts at $345.00, that would get you little more than a hotel room in cities such as Boston.

Cliff Stevens and his wife Michelle have been part of this growing tradition since the early 1980's, working in the industry for 10 years before establishing Moxie Outdoor Adventures in 1992. By the time they opened, Cliff knew the type of staff members he wanted representing his company. He picked them for their passion as much as their ability as rafters. This is prudent since white water rafting is one part physical ability and one part teambuilding. Rafting guides need to be skilled not only in rafting, CPR and First Aid, but in leadership in order to provide passengers with an outstanding white water experience. His selection of team leaders and bold personalities shows in every aspect of your stay and makes your rafting adventure an unforgettable experience, whether your an experienced enthusiast or a first time rafter like me.

Cliff's goal is to make white water rafting accessible to all, allowing them to experience the Maine wilderness. Acquiring North American White Water Expeditions in April, gave them a firm foothold at the pristine shores of Moxie Lake. The Moxie lodging encompasses everything from riverside camping, to platform tents to a 15 person Lake House. The grounds are rustic, tranquil and just 8 miles from Harris Station, the starting point for rafting the Kennebec. This means your rafting day doesn't need to start until 9:30 am. That's plenty of time for breakfast, sleeping late or just enjoying the lake before orientation, suiting up and getting the safety talk and guide/team assignments. Bring a camera as the early morning sun lights up the lake and offers some prime nature photography opportunities. Just remember to leave it in your car before boarding the bus, for the number one rule of taking things on the river is: "Never take anything you can not afford to get wet or lose!" I left my Nikon in the car and took an $8.00 Fuji disposable on the river, which gave me great photos despite getting soaked. Though I'm glad I had the Nikon when we got back because base camp is just minutes from Moxie Falls, the highest waterfall in Maine.

The trip I won was the standard one-day teaser including a full day on the river, barbeque lunch and slideshow of photos of your trip taken by strategically stationed photographers. Who wouldn't want to take home a photo of themselves hitting rapids like Big Mama, Whitewasher and Magic Falls? While this package is similar to that of many companies what made our trip special were the people; starting with Sandie Thompson, the customer service representative that booked our trip. She was able to convince my camping-phobic, city-girl sister, Dee that she didn't need to sleep in a tent to enjoy the rafting experience. In fact, when we discovered that all of Moxie's lodgings were taken for the time we were going up, she worked with us to find the Inn by The River, which offered a king-bedded room with jacuzzi! This was perfect as my sister would not go if she couldn't have four walls and indoor plumbing. The inn was so close to the campground that we had time for a hearty breakfast of Eggs Benedict and some hummingbird photos before arriving a half hour before orientation. Sandie also alleviated Dee's concerns at being a beginner. Dee asked her about this so many times, I half expected a neon sign saying "Sandy (that's me) and Dee--the newbies, sign in here" when we arrived, but the camp offered the same low-keyed friendliness she had. As we walked up to the sign-in station, I watched a staff member cheerfully answering a barrage of questions from a young boy their smiles a match in size. Signing in, we were greeted by a young lady with a mane of cascading platinum dreadlocks and a bright smile who cheerfully explained the liability waiver before setting us off on our own. The staff loves rafting. Their passion for the sport radiated from them and was infectious, seeping into our pores as they helped us into our gear. No one left base camp without at least one staffer having fitted their life vests to the perfect level of 'discomfort,' which they assured us would be to our benefit on the river.

Without needing to know anything about trip policy and procedure, it was easy to identify Todd Martin as the trip leader for that day. He set the tone with the safety lecture, which provided us with the serious life-saving instructions we would need in worst case scenarios, but was delivered with a rueful smile and just enough humor to leave us only slightly terrified, but not enough to turn back. This was followed up by a brief instruction at Harris station, where we received directions on where and how to sit, foot placement, paddle commands and how to hold our paddle (an instruction I wish my sister paid more attention to, I still have a black and blue where she clocked me with the handle). The paddling commands vary slightly from guide to guide, but they were clear, concise and all participants understood what was expected of them before we picked up the boat and headed to the water.

I only wish they told me how heavy the boat was; it averages 150 pounds. Even with six adults, you need to be able to carry your boat from the starting point to the splash down which is about a 5 minute walk and involves stairs. This proved to be my greatest challenge. I have trouble with my dog's 20lb bag of food and here I was trying to carry 25lbs with one hand and not fall over. I managed to drop it only twice, to everyone else's amusement. Todd, who turned out to be our guide for the day, wasn't concerned and assured me that I would have a blast if this was my hardest task, especially since we didn't have to carry the boat back up the hill at the end of the ride. I'm still going to work on my arm strength before the next trip.

Decked out in enough gear to resemble the Michelin tire man, I admit that the only thing more ridiculous than my look was my paddling. I was a truly pathetic first-timer, but as we rounded on the Rock Garden it didn't matter. The last vestiges of my polished urban image crashed to pieces with the waves and I loved it. As Todd led us head-long into yet another rapid, I felt myself and the back of the raft go airborne and I was once again the carefree six-year-old tomboy that used to explore the deep woods around Loring Airforce Base hunting bullfrogs. At that moment, I could fly and my magic carpet was a raft surfing the curves of the wild animal known as the Kennebec River Gorge.

While negotiating the rapids, our guide's instructions were more than just paddling commands, directing us on technique and depth/speed of strokes when he saw us messing up. When the opportunities arose, he told us about the river, rapids and the ecosystem surrounding us. And when we were "bottlenecked" due to an accident with another company ahead of us, he used this time to talk about river safety and how to make the best of "unscheduled" swims which as he put it "Make for great pictures." The key to falling out of the boat was getting back to the boat, he could get us in it, he promised. While we never saw the accident, it spotlighted the professionalism of not only the Moxie Staff, but the entire rafting community as they banded together to help make sure that all the passengers were taken care of regardless of what company they were with.

Todd pulled everyone over at Pocket eddy, allowing the other company to get the attention that they needed and then kept us there giving Magic Rafting time to continue on before us. "Hey they have more boats and were here first." This small wait allowed all of our boats a better shot at the rapids without feeling like we were "in line" at an amusement park, despite the numbers on the river.

By the time we pulled in at the halfway point to pick up passengers not allowed in the gorge, we had a first hand example of the emergency response on the river and the quick action of our guides. We never felt inconvenienced, endangered or troubled by the accident. The details were kept from us until the end of the trip to make sure those still rafting were excited with the experience.

While Todd was the trip leader, the other guides kept their boats in a tight pattern, usually in pairs. In our case, we were always in sight and shouting distance of Kara Gauvin. I nicknamed her the Amazon Queen for her commanding style on the water. This tiny girl with the flowing dreadlocks took control of her team and had them working together with huge grins on their faces. During the float portion of the trip, she commandeered the boat with a style all her own and it was amazing to see her hoist huge men back into the raft with one quick maneuver. I still haven't gotten over this technique. Size doesn't matter, they simply grab your life vest (this is why the tighter the better) and one, two, three, whoosh ...you're in the boat. Todd assured me that Kara was stronger than she looked and that it was a technique that used your legs and whole body not just your arms, but my brain just doesn't want to accept a 6'6" giant being hoisted in by a tiny thing.

It was in this second half of the trip that we could relax. The three guys in our boat opted to swim "or bob along" in the river behind us and Todd did all the work guiding the boat, while playing tour guide and pointing out areas of interest and danger such as Snaggletooth. His background as a kindergarten teacher in the off-season came in handy as he drew us 'water' diagrams illustrating the formation of rapids and eddies. He told us about Maytag and the impacts of the rise and fall of water levels on the river. "They better hope they have water to get out of there in the morning, " he noted of a campsite on the river's edge. The campers obviously had kayaked in. We even learned a bit of the lingo for example to be "Sweep" means that you are the last boat in your group. But, I knew I was at total goner for the sport when I found myself envying Todd as he told us about rafting in a thunder and lightening storm. I could just imagine the photos, they would be absolutely awesome!

When we finally touched shore at the end of the trip, we had our first and only unscheduled swimmer, my sister in wrestling with her paddling jacket ended up falling in. I never laughed so hard. For this and much more, I must both thank and apologize to Todd, and all the other guides I encountered that day, for the goofy grin that I couldn't help but wear from the moment I stepped onto the shores of Moxie Lake. It remained on my face two days after returning home to Boston and I heartily admit that I'm hooked and will keep coming back for more.

Thanks to controlled dam releases, the white water rafting season runs from late April to mid-October so there is still time to get in a white water trip in 2008. Pay attention to the guidelines because while the foliage will be spectacular, it will be cold.

For more details on Moxie Outdoor Adventures visit their website at www.moxierafting.com and then contact Sandie Thompson at 1-800-866-6943 and let her customize a vacation for you. You can request a specific raft guide, but if this article has sold you on Todd, bear in mind he is only there on weekends now that school has started. They also will cater to private parties from 10-200 and operate on rivers in both Connecticut and Massachusetts.

For additional information on training and safety requirements for white water rafting outfitters and for licensed Maine guides, you can contact the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife @ www.state.me.us/ifw/