Staff Review: Favorite Trip of the Season

Ryan here! As the sales manager here at AVA, I sometimes don’t get out on the water as much as I would like. With so many incredible adventures in Colorado, it can be hard to pick which one is my favorite. Every summer, I always make sure I get out on each of our main rivers for an adventure. Whether it is navigating the pristine waters of the the picturesque Brown’s Canyon or a relaxing float on the Colorado, every river trip always has something unique to offer. For the 2015 whitewater season, I decided to take on a trip I had not done in years past to see what all the hype was about. That trip was The Phoenix Full Day on Clear Creek!

Those who feel that the Clear Creek at our Idaho Springs outpost is inferior to the famed Arkansas River should really think again. The Creek offers the same level of excitement with a much different feel. My favorite part about our Phoenix Full Day rafting trip is the opportunity to experience the entire raftable stretch of the Clear Creek with a delicious barbecue lunch mixed in. The trip started with myself, a few AVA coworkers and some of our guests meeting our guide Rachel at the put-in for the Phoenix. After a thorough safety talk, we began practicing our strokes on the first section of river known as Upper Clear Creek. The first few rapids of this trip seem small at first, but get ready because the intensity picks up quick! Before we knew it we were crashing through one class IV rapid after another with not much float time in between. Our guide Rachel even had to remind us to pay attention as the next rapid was quickly approaching and we were all chatting it up with our companions. This all adds to the excitement of the continuous whitewater of Clear Creek.

After completing the Upper Clear Creek section, we headed into the class II-III section of the Gold Rush. Here, we had the opportunity to practice our strokes and commands as we would soon be heading into the most advanced section of the Creek; The Lower Canyon. Luckily, we got to take a much needed break at the AVA riverside lunch area where a delicious barbeque meal was waiting. We enjoyed perfectly marinated pulled pork, chicken and beans, and chatted with our group about the events we just experienced.

Pretty soon the break was over and it was time to get back in the boat. Rachel reminded us that we needed to be on our toes as the Lower Canyon was quickly approaching. Before we knew it, we were heading into over a mile of continuous class V rapids. As we we entered the canyon, we had a moment to take in the incredible scenery that is Clear Creek Canyon. Rachel called out swift calls to navigate our boat through the section safely. We even lost one of our paddlers! Luckily we were able to pull him back into the boat quickly and were on our way. After a lot more class V excitement, the trip finally came to an end with our driver waiting for us at the banks of the creek.

This trip was one of the best river trips I have ever done and will not soon be forgotten. The Phoenix Full Day is a trip that anyone looking for serious adventure needs to experience!