Up Tha Creek Blog

Looking to plan that next family adventure and can’t seem to decide where to go? Sometimes it is the hardest to plan vacations as the kids get older, and their tastes change. Even more complicated is when you have a family of different aged youngsters and teens.

Offering a solution to the problem is a family river rafting trip. Just think about it. Almost all travel tours and activities it can be hard to have the kids keep up with the teens, and lets face it, the parents with everyone else. A great way to have a family bonding trip and know that no one will be left behind is on a rafting trip. Everyone goes in one boat, everyone’s abilities are noted, and everyone is part of the team that makes the boat guide it’s way peacefully down the river. Bring your family together this next vacation and check out five reasons why you should take your family rafting.

5. If your family finds that they like river rafting together, the opportunities are endless. Each river offers different sights, rapids, and difficulty level to be conquered. Take Upper Colorado River for example, the playful rapids are a challenge yet feasible for all ages, and the sense of accomplishment after a good day of rafting is one that is hard to forget. You can enjoy the sandy beaches, and view of rocky mountain wilderness. Once your family is comfortable rafting maybe they would even want to try some international locations.

4. The excitement of the day does not end with rafting. The kids can also explore the outdoors once you make camp, and the family can come together and roast smores and talk about the days adventure. What a great way to bond with your kids about a shared new adventure, and to daydream about tomorrow’s conquests together.

3. You are teaching your children a love for mother natures wonders. When you plan a trip with a T.V. in the hotel room, at the end of the day, the family more than likely will just veg-out in front of it. When you are enjoying a week long rafting trip it is like you go from one vacation to the next. Take this time to enjoy your children’s company, and to share stories of your family vacations when you were little. There are sure to be lots of laughs around the campfire on those nights!

2. Teach your children a bit about history; or, well let your river guides teach them. Each river has a tale to be told and your guide will know all about it. Let your kids connect with history and explore it hands on from the sight. This is sure to intrigue them a lot more than a trip to the library or even to a museum.

1. It is a safe vacation for all ages. When planning a trip with young ones, it is always a concern that all kids will be safe. With certified rafting guides along for the ride with you, you can be assured that you and your family are in good hands. The guides are also trained to help keep the kids entertained which is like having your own extra baby sitters on hand during your vacation. This means at the end of the day mom and dad can just sit back, relax, and enjoy staring up at the stars. If that is not a reason for a family rafting trip, I don’t know what is!

As a river guide you field all sorts of questions from folks in your boat. One of the most popular questions is “What do river guides do for fun?”

Today I took the time to put together a video blog to answer that question. You can find it on our youtube channel called UpthaCreekTV (click here).

Happy July 4th! We have been busy providing much needed relief from the hot dog daze of summer. The water feels absolutely amazing this year, warmest we’ve ever felt it (65 degrees). The low water levels and  warm water temps has been proving it can contend with high water thrills. It may even be more fun! Plenty of great swimming spots along with opportunities like kayaking and tubing has opened up great fun for our customers.

Don’t forget we have new options for you this summer. Rent your own raft, kayak, or tube and go Up tha Creek without a guide! All our gear is available for rent at the Sunlight Ski and Bike Shop in downtown Glenwood Springs. There is also great water to be had in the Upper stretches of the Colorado River. Got the guts for Gore? Gore Canyon is arguably the most extreme commercial whitewater trip in the nation. Class IV and V whitewater at its best, flows are perfect now but won’t last long. Now is also a great time for some overnight camping on the Upper Colorado River. Immerse yourself into the wilderness and forget about everything as our guides take care of your every need.

Celebrate safely and we’ll see you on the water soon!

We took some happy dads rafting last year with this awesome special. This year we decided to extend the special, so now its running the whole week of Father’s Day! Dads raft FREE* June 11 – June 17 *with three paying customers. The rivers are flowing good right now and should be at a super fun level for Dad’s week. Remember our local’s specials are still available as well, $40 on ALL Crystal River Half Day trips, and $55 for Upper Fork Inflatable Kayak trips! The water levels on the Roaring Fork River have created an awesome run that is perfect for the first time kayaker. Come try it by yourself!

Due to an early melt and scarce snow pack, we’re starting our Local’s Special early! The Crystal River is running now! We want all locals to be able to go Up tha Crystal with us for only $40! These trips won’t be available for long this season, and may not be available at ALL in the near future. Come find out what real rocky mountain beauty is all about, in the Crystal River valley!

Only 10 Days left to get 15% OFF your raft or kayak trip! The early bird discount deadline is approaching, save 15% if you reserve your spot on a river trip this summer by May 15.

We have lots of new and exciting news in the world of Up tha Creek, and we are pumped to get the season started!

The U.S. Forest Service has permitted us to move Up tha Crystal River! This will open up the fabulous Avalanche Creek section, a “local” favorite and arguably one of the best river trips in the world. We’re not sure how long the U.S. Forest Service will permit activity on this section of river. We know the water won’t last long in this part of the river this year. So be sure to call early if you don’t want to miss out on this awesome opportunity.

We have a new location in downtown Glenwood Springs! Teaming up with Sunlight Mountain Resort, you’ll find us in the Sunlight Ski & Bike Shop this summer!! Rafts, kayaks, tubes, and more will be available as daily rentals. Have a sales associate set you up on an adventure vacation. We’re packaging our tours to bring you discounts and convenience! Rafting, kayaking, horseback riding, biking rentals, jeep tours, and more can be combined any way you like, bringing you big discounts and adventure to remember!

We’ve added two new pages to the website providing the information you need for all this new stuff. So go check it out, and let us know what you think. Also be on the look out for our new brochure hitting a rack near you this Memorial Day!

Molly and I wanted to start the year off right, so we went where we’re most comfortable, the river! As newlyweds and new owners of a rafting company, we felt it was the proper way to bring in the new year. The weather in our area agreed that this year would be a great opportunity to fight the cold and icy conditions. The sun was shining a warm 40 degrees, and the both of us felt we have had way worse conditions on a river trip.

That didn’t stop the river from fighting back. About half way through the trip we ran into a sheet of ice completely covering the river. No worries… we saw it coming (we’re professionals)! Though it was a little harder to get across than it looked.

After passing the ice road, the river ran slushy. It was neat to be flowing along with the ice, pushing away mini-icebergs with your paddle. A stop at the natural hot springs along the river bank proved to be shorter than expected. Turns out the hot springs are hot… too hot! The cold river water was too low to mix with the hot springs properly and make a comfortable temperature. Which left us with boiling springs and an undesirable soak.

So we passed up on the boiling hot springs, and paddled through to the take-out. The sun and wind felt great, it was good to be on the water. Hoping your Holidays were as good or better than ours. Remember to do your snow dance, as we round the corner and head towards another great season “Up tha Creek”!

Hey there! We are still here and the water is feeling good! This season has been a lot of fun so far, and we aren’t ready to give up on it yet. Our order of brand new inflatable kayaks has arrived and has brought big thrills to low water. Just ask the Tomlin family who just got done with a Full Day Inflatable Kayak Trip on the Roaring Fork River. Here is some pictures from their trip.

Now is also the best time of year to be on the Upper Colorado River. Overnight Camping Trips are at there best, as the weather is perfect, and you couldn’t ask for better scenery. Not to mention the dropping river levels means Gore Canyon’s intense Class V rapids are almost at safe levels for rafting. Just last week we got to spend two delightful nights camping on the river in Little Gore Canyon with the Washburn’s and friends. They took advantage of the new Inflatable Kayaks for their overnight camping trip. Check out the memories created here.

Got plans for the weekend? If so, cancel them and join us for an unforgettable experience that few have the opportunity to share. As the only outfitter in the area to offer Full Moon Trips, our highly trained guides know the river and area very well, they will have no problem making your trip safe and memorable. We’re offering $20 OFF our first Full Moon Rafting trip this year on the Roaring Fork River. If you’ve never been out on the river at night, this is an experience that can’t be replaced. This Friday and Saturday we will be rafting at night under the guiding light of the moon. We start the evening with a riverside barbecue complete with all the “fixins” while the night approaches and the moon rises. What about the weather? All trips come with wetsuits, splash jackets, river boots, and gloves, everything you need to keep you warm along the way. This is a trip that is very unique and will be no doubt the highlight of your summer! The price $65 per person and you must be at least 13 yrs. old. Don’t forget your glow sticks!!

We a so excited that Glenwood Springs, CO is the site for the 2011 National Speleological Society Convention. We’re not only excited for them, because they’ll have a wonderful time here exploring our caves. We’re excited to see friends and family coming to town with the convention, and to meet new ones! So we hope all involved with NSS 2011 convention enjoy all there is to this wonderful area. Including these Special Rafting Rates with Up tha Creek Expeditions.

We will have three different departure times; 9am, 1pm, 4:30pm. All trips will meet at the High School campground 30 min. prior to trip departure. We use small paddle style rafts that are designed for maximum fun, not maximum capacity like every other company. We can fit 7 people per boat, and everyone is involved in the maneuvering, NO big boats, NO big oars, this makes for the most fun possible!

HALF DAY TRIPS:

Colorado River – Due to high water conditions the Colorado is a MILD and fast trip at the moment. The shoshone rapids through the canyon are closed to commercial rafting due to high flows. Everything below that is Class II even at high flow. We call this our express trip as it is quick and easy. Minimum requirement of 35lbs.
(Beginner)
Adult – $30           12 and Under – $25

Crystal/Roaring Fork/Colorado Rivers – This trip hits all three rivers in the valley, starting on the Crystal, get wet quick as we jump into Class III within the first mile. Then you join up with the Roaring Fork for the majority of the trip which includes Class III cemetery rapid. At the end of the trip we join the mighty flow of the Colorado River for the last leg. This is a family friendly trip, good for beginners, with a minimum requirement of 35lbs.
(Beginner/Intermediate)
ADULTS – $34         12 and Under – $29

Upper Roaring Fork River - We are the only company in Glenwood Springs to offer this trip of 11 miles of Class II and Class III rapids throughout. This is the most fun, while still keeping it safe, trip available in the area during these high water conditions. Our “Guides’ Favorite” this trip is for those who want to get wet! Minimum requirement of 50lbs.

(Intermediate)
ADULTS – $50        12 and Under – $42

*Slaughterhouse Falls – Let the name of this run intimidate you… because the water will. Six miles of continuous Class IV white knuckled adrenaline smacking you in the face. You are sure to get soaked with the refreshing waters of the Roaring Fork. Be sure to hold on when we go over an 8 foot waterfall!!

(Advanced) must be 16yrs. old.

ADULTS – $57

*we must have at least 4 customers to do this trip!

We are a small company, the earlier you make reservations the more likely we will be able to accommodate, don’t hesitate to call!! 970.947.0030