The group of eight former camp counselors had just turned 40 over the last several months and they were looking for a great way to celebrate this milestone. Although they went to college in several different states, the group considered the Rocky Mountains of Colorado their summer home when they were in college. Most of the group had worked together at least two different summers at the church camp near Hillside, Colorado. Days spent white water rafting on the Colorado River and hiking the mountains of the Sangre de Cristo Mountain Range made them physically fit and mentally connected. What better way to get back together as a group than to gather for one of the Grand Canyon white water rafting tours they had recently heard about?
Currently, nearly 77% of Americans claim that outdoor activities are an important of how they spend their time. They see outdoor fitness as a way to enjoy time with friends and stay healthy at the same time. Slightly more than one in four say that they have already, or plan to, participate in the thrilling adventure of white water rafting. In addition to being able to take in the scenery of beautiful places like the Rocky Mountains, the Royal Gorge, or the Grand Canyon, the average 155-pound rafter can burn as many as 352 calories. The average 180-pound person will burn as many as 409.
Because whitewater rafting boats hold as many as four to eight rafters besides the guides, it is a great activity for a group of friends. Some colleges even offer white water river rafting as a freshman student orientation activity. Since it takes team work to navigate the churning and unpredictable waters of the Colorado River as it winds through places like the Grand Canyon, it is a great activity for incoming freshmen. They can learn to navigate the sharp turns and switchbacks as they also learn to navigate the skills needed to move away from home and begin college.
Some river rafting companies will charter trips for groups of all sizes. These well planned adventures can include everything from food, tents, and transportation to and from the river site if the group makes its way to a central location. Some Grand Canyon trips, for example, leave the city of Las Vegas and will return the adventurers to the same location at the end of the trip. These charter rafting companies offer single day adventures, as well as multi-day or week long excursions.
What are you waiting for? Isn’t it time that you scheduled a reunion trip for you and some of your best friends and family?