King Tut Exhibit in San Francisco

Our avatar in the virtual world of Second Life did a recent blog about the King Tut exhibit on the grid. The premier builders, Rezzable, creators and artists in the virtual world had presented a beautiful interactive site showing the tomb's contents and of course, the boy king himself. I saw the pictures that the avatar posted on the King Tut blog about the sim and quite frankly, they were a stunning representation of the real life exhibit.





This weekend, June 27, 2009, the real exhibit comes to the De Young Museum in San Francisco. This is a much sought after ticket and the wait was almost unbearable for those of us who love history. Imagine... being able to actual see the tomb's contents and King Tutankhamun.



Many travelers and vacationers have included this event as a must see. We have included a package that will help to make the history visit even more fun! If you have a ticket for the exhibit, call in and we will offer you our Pharoah's Discount this week.





Just say "Pharoah's Discount" and you will receive a $99/person white water trip on any American One Day River Trip we offer. That includes lunch, whitewater trip, shuttle, guide service and all river rafting gear. Travel with us on the river and visit the historical gold rush sites in Northern California. What a great way to top off a history weekend!

de Young Museum
50 Hagiwara Tea Garden Drive
Golden Gate Park
San Francisco, CA 94118
415.750.3600
http://www.deyoungmuseum.org

Life Decisions : Family

Recently, I was speaking to one of the younger members of the blogging team. He writes about the foibles of his youth and how he resolves the pending issues of the day. I gather that his life is full of adventure as each day unfolds to bring either good tidings or sorrow. He is young and full of spirit. The decisions he makes daily are hard. There are so many temptations, so many wrong things that can happen. The one constant in his life is his family, his good friends, his music, his art and rafting on rivers.

From North Fork American HIgh Water

Was life this hard when I approached it as a young adult? Yes, it was. Sometimes, I didn't think I would survive. I was always worried about money. There never seemed enough funds to cover the daily living cost. I can remember eating top ramen noodles because it was dirt cheap and satisfying. I wonder if "they" eat that, too...

From Buff Castle 2nd Saturday with White Fang & Religious Girls

He said to me that sometimes he wished that he could just go back to the warm embrace of his family... have mom do his laundry again... have dad slip him a twenty for gas... and waking up in a bed with clean sheets. He said he never imagined how much he would appreciate all the little things that mom and dad would do for him. He missed it very much, but he knew that he couldn't go back. He knew that he was an adult in a sometimes, childlike mind.

From Buff Castle 2nd Saturday with White Fang & Religious Girls

From Buff Castle 2nd Saturday with White Fang & Religious Girls

I imagine how difficult it is to ward off the temptations, the bad friends, and to make critical decisions to launch himself into full adulthood. He told me that his music and being outdoors on river trips was his greatest joy. He will be on our rafting trips this weekend enjoying himself with his friends. There, he can forget for a while, the seriousness of life and just enjoy what Mother Nature brings.

Memorial Day Weekend 2009

What year is this? How could it possibly already be Memorial Day Weekend?

From North Fork American, Middle Fork American, South Fork American Spring 2009

People from all walks of life are entering the zone of relaxation and party mood this weekend. Some are on vacation while others are just doing a quick trip nearby enjoying great discount prices with their family and friends.

From Spring Middle Fork 2009

On our rafting trips, we are seeing a trend of last minute reservations. Not only does that stress out our staff, but it must also stress out our guests. We know that you are scrambling for something to do this weekend. We know you are trying to organize people who may be just as busy as you. Believe me, we know... as we repeat the same pattern for ourselves.

From Spring Middle Fork 2009

From Spring Middle Fork 2009

This weekend... I am not sure what I will be doing. I waited 'till the last minute, too! I think the easiest thing will be to get on the online rafting store to do a quick purchase for a trip this Sunday or Monday. I gotta go rafting... I just have to spend this hot weekend on the water outdoors. And taking the ski boat out is too expensive or going to the coast is daunting, because I don't know if I can get in at the last minute on a hotel or b&b.

From Spring Middle Fork 2009

So I am going rafting with friends... and I'll be thinking of all of you last minute, disorganized people like myself as I paddle the rapids and breathe a sigh of relief as I enjoy the river and the water. Peace...

From North Fork American, Middle Fork American, South Fork American Spring 2009

Props to PappaJah for the rafting photos from Middle Fork American 2009!

rafting trips in the great outdoors

rafting outdoors
Originally uploaded by W.E.T. River Trips

This past Mother's Day on Sunday, we went to a pool party. Yah... 90 degrees and melting in the heat. How can one day in California be raining and snowing and a week later, it's 90 degrees HOT!

IT'S THAT TIME AGAIN!

Come on down folks for the classic white water trips out here in the West! The most popular whitewater river is South Fork American, a California river trip full of rapids designed for anyone.



Bring your family and friends and tell them you did the whitewater rodeo section of the American River. They will be impressed! Now let's go!!!!!!!

Organizing Group Trips - LOL!

I want to share something with you all. My nightmare of trying to organize my friends to go rafting with me. Geesh, what a bunch of flaky friends! OMG! I can't believe it.

From Spring Middle Fork 2009

I started this project 3 months ago after the holidays. I saw everyone at Christmas and we all sat down to talk about our annual rafting trip this year. We always get together with about 18 to 24 good friends to catch up to the stuff from the year and to get crazy together.

From Spring Middle Fork 2009

No one could decide on a date, so I chose the date for everyone based on my needs and my schedule... yes, I was selfish, but I wasn't going to take 10 different dates to try and work it out with everyone. So I chose, June 6th... Saturday.

From Spring Middle Fork 2009

I contacted this rafting company (WET River Trips) to find out if the date was a good one to plan. They said yes and they put me on a courtesy hold of about 7 days. I had to extend that courtesy hold two times! My flaky friends...

From Spring Middle Fork 2009

Anyway, finally, I got a deposit to the rafting company and was confirmed. Weeeeee! Mission accomplished... or so, I thought. Then my wonderful, flaky friends started inviting their friends... omg! You wanna add how many more??? 10 more added, so 10 more to account for... I sent an update to the rafting company for my South Fork American trip. No problem there... now to collect the money from my friends' friends.

From Spring Middle Fork 2009

It's about a month to go and I am having the worst time collecting funds from these friends' of friends...

I contacted the rafting company and capped my numbers to 24 people. Those other last minute wannabees can book themselves! I have taken care of my 24 friends and the rest of the last minute flakys can organize their own. LOL! I am looking forward to rafting with my friends and I don't want to organize the last minute flakys... I just want to have a no stress time on MY rafting trip!

From Spring Middle Fork 2009

Note: from WET River Trips... does this sound like your trip? Then, don't stress, just take care of your close friends and family; let the last minute peeps, reserve on their own... we do not want OUR guest trip leaders to stress about anything!

If you need our help, let us know. The Online Rafting Store is a godsend for those of you who are organized. Every price is every 6th free, so when you reserve in the online store, remember to pay that way...

EX: you got 12 friends, reserve for 10 in the online store, and remember to tell us in the comment box that you actually have 12... not so difficult! We'll see ya on the river... where the water will make you stress free!

Pictures from Big Poppa Photo Album in Picasa! Thanks for the pics of the early Middle Fork American trips going on now... and these folks in the pics above were super organized when they reserved! Thank you to the peeps who just went with us on the MoFo!

SPRING RAFTING TRIPS 2009

Spring has turned it up a notch: BAM!

From Spring 2009 Whitewater Rafting photos

Sun, Rain, Snow, and Flowing California Whitewater Rivers!
Day One of Spring... travel time!

From Spring 2009 Whitewater Rafting photos

Day Two of Spring, we hit the South Fork and North Fork American American Rivers. Some adventurous couples ran the Chili Bar section of the South Fork American with Drew and Booty, and a bachelor party ran the North Fork with Justin, Alex H. and Greg D.

From Spring 2009 Whitewater Rafting photos

The flows were perfect and the weather cooperated. That night in camp at Camp Lotus we had students from UC San Diego that came up early for the NoFo on Sunday.

From Spring 2009 Whitewater Rafting photos

Day Three of Spring, we picked up the UCSD students at Camp Lotus and drove to the North Fork American...then the rain started... and by the time we reached Weimar and Colfax, it was snowing BIG FAT FLAKES of Spring snow!!!!! The North Fork American was 1,700 CFS (cubic feet per second) ...perfect... and the snow turned to rain. (UC Berkeley wha 'sup?)

From Spring 2009 Whitewater Rafting photos

By the time Justin and Alex hit the takeout at Ponderosa Way, the sun was out and the golden California Poppies were open and blazing orange: a beautiful California Spring on amazing California Whitewater!

From Spring 2009 Whitewater Rafting photos

We're now 18 days into our season and we've been on the river 15 of those days, and we've run the North Fork American and South Fork American repeatedly. What's next? Who's next? Back to it!

From Spring 2009 Whitewater Rafting photos

So far... Country Mike, Drew, Booty, Robin, Nick, Duff, Greg D., Chad, Bird, Alex H., Chris Z., RoBo, and Justin have answered the call... so where are you Saul, Jonny, Jason, Meg, Mag, K-Dawg, Rob, Wolf, D-Rex, Mac, Theo, Tom, Kyle, Ninja Mike, Disco E, Cool J, and Heffe?

From Spring 2009 Whitewater Rafting photos

Hehehe ... bring it.

... stay tuned... shhhhhh Triple Crown on American River next week!

Lars Holbeck

Lars Holbeck passed away Friday night after a battle with pancreatic cancer.

Lars and his friends: Chuck Stanley, Banducci, Richard Montgomery, and others took their kayaks, kayaking, and all whitewater sports to a level that no one ever realized was possible.

Lars and Chuck were the ring-leaders and scribes to an era of discovery that the California and World whitewater communities never saw coming. Lars Holbeck and Chuck Stanley wrote the classic: The Best Whitewater in California: The Guide to 180 Runs. (Third Edition)

This book is the bible for California whitewater. I would say 90% of all paddlers have purchased or traded that book... handing it down to the noobie paddler as they begin their journey into the world of whitewater. Mine simply fell apart after much use and being carried perpetually in my dry bag. Blogger BR Thomas wrote a review about the whitewater guide book for California as recently as in 2007.

UK Rivers Guidebook team member, Mark Rainsley wrote in his field report, "Lars Holbeck Must Die." His reference implied that Lars' book on California whitewater had taken the UK team from Wales on a dangerous adventure of Class 5+ rapids with no possible return.

British paddler Rainsley writes about Clear Creek; "All of a sudden, a horizon line came into view and like the close knit team that we are, we fought each other tooth and nail for the remaining break outs. That was a close one - a walled in hole immediately upstream of an undercut- unpaddleable (sic) by even the most hairy and gnarly of Pro boaters. It got worse, we then rounded the next corner only (to) be confronted with a huge steep walled-in rapid (Grade V? Grade VI?) which we couldn’t inspect or portage. There we were in a real live Foxy cartoon."

Lars also wrote: "The Rivers of Chile". Lars and kayaking friends ran the steepest rivers in the deepest canyons with skill, intelligence, and more than a bit of dumb luck ... they were the whitewater Jedi! He pioneered the now popular Futelafu River, a pristine whitewater river in Chile that is a true destination river for rafting and kayaking.

Within hours of his death, the news spread rapidly throughout the whitewater and river networks. In the Coloma - Lotus Valley in Northern California, the entire community gathered to honor this legend. Scores of kayakers and paddlers descended into the North Fork American to pay tribute to the man. The North Fork American River is a favorite for all the river community and now has conservation protection due to the Auburn Dam demise.

All of us (rafters, kayakers, paddlers) owe Lars Holbeck eternal respect for his exploits. The gift he shared of his California adventures, his paddling world, his love of the rivers, conveyed his passion for white water. His writing and journaling with no sponsors, no labels and no paychecks, is a testament to who he was as a man. Lars Holbeck loved whitewater rivers and the paddling community!

GoodOnYa Lars!

Namaste!
Stephen Liles
CEO, W.E.T. River Trips

Note: Thanks to UK Rivers Guidebook and BoaterTalk for photos...