River Rafting!

So I've been a little absent, yet again. But in my defense, I had a hectic week last week, and was out of town this past weekend. 

In fact, I just got home last night. 

To preface my weekend, let me begin by telling you that my birthday is this Saturday {Surprisingly enough, this year it is NOT falling on Father's Day}!

And to celebrate my birthday, my Mom had a GREAT idea! "Let's go River Rafting"! How could I say no to that! I have always wanted to go, and she has wanted to go again, for quit awhile now. It was pretty much a last minute decision, but she booked it! After all, that's pretty much how we roll! 

Now we have family that lives in Eastern Washington. East Wenatchee, to be exact. We had originally planned on going to visit them for a few days, soak up their sunshine, and RELAX! Which we still did, of course! But we through a little loop in the trip this time - Whitewater River Rafting down the Wenatchee River!

We booked our trip through Osprey, which is right at the end of Leavenworth. 

We went on Tuesday morning, got there around 10am. The trip ended about 4 hours later around 2pm. At that point they make everyone a BBQ lunch, then shuttle you back to Point A. But let me start at the beginning:

When we got there we had to sign in, and sign a waver {of course}, then go get our gear. Which includes a wet suit, booties, life jacket and paddle. After everyone had changed, we loaded up on their shuttle and headed down to the launching point.

Once there, we all got a crash-course on paddling and safety, etc...then we found our raft Guides, and loaded in!

Our guide had told us that the water was nice and high, and that we would be going through some Class 3 rapids! Woohoo! We actually hit a Class 4 at one point!

 This is not our raft - just a photo I found online

We could not have asked for a better day, or more beautiful weather! It was perfectly Gorgeous and warm outside! At the Class 4 rapid, the girl in front of my got ripped out of the raft, so that was exciting! Then our guide tried pulling us off shore so that the other rafts could catch up to us, and he ended up waist deep and under the raft! We had to pull him back in, too! Good Times! 

It definitely got my adrenaline pumping, which in turn made me CRASH by the time we had gotten back to my families house! And of course the next morning, my legs were sore as hell from using muscles that I didn't even know I had! You have to "Lock In" the raft with your feet and legs, which hold all of your body weight in the raft...Anyways, I was sore!

But overall, it was a GREAT water, and a GREAT experience for my first rafting trip, not to mention a KILLER birthday present from my Mom! 

After all, it is kind of her M.O. to go do something, rather than give something, as a present {which I love}! 

I was obviously unable to take any photos, but here is what I could find online:

If you have not yet had the chance to experience this, I highly suggest you do so! It is a BLAST!