Follow on Google News News By Tag Industry News News By Location Country(s) Industry News
Follow on Google News |  Yampa River and the Epic Force of Nature that Changed The Course of a River and One Man's LifeOn a June day in 1965, a massive debris flow, caused by a once-in-a-millennium rain event, formed one of the most notorious rapids—Warm Springs—in the western United States.
By: OARS 
George Wendt at the oars For George Wendt, President and Founder of O.A.R.S. Rafting Company (http://www.oars.com/) This tributary of the Colorado River system runs through Dinosaur National Monument and it’s the last remaining free-flowing tributary of the Colorado River. But on a June day in 1965, a massive debris flow, caused by a once-in-a-millennium rain event, formed one of the most notorious rapids—Warm Springs (http://www.oars.com/ “The roar was so all-encompassing that Wendt couldn’t hear the pounding on his outhouse door and the screams from two feet away. The world was melting in white noise. An inch of rain had fallen in about three minutes and now the lightning cracked across the western canyon sky in fast, strobe-like bursts…” So begins an account of that day (http://www.oars.com/ “By the time it was over,” Neville continues, “more than 33 million pounds of debris—enough to fill the floor of the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum—would sluice into the Yampa River, dam it, then breach and transform a minor wave train into one of the most famous river rapids of the West.” That experience changed Wendt’s life and “adds poignancy to my personal narrative about what running rivers has meant to me,” he says. This summer, members of that original trip in 1965 will reunite on the Yampa for the 50th anniversary of their trip and the formation of Warm Springs Rapid. Geologist Bruce Julian, who was also there to witness it all, will be joining the trip to recount the events and interpret the geological forces that conspired that day. Each year, from May through July, snowmelt in the Rockies brings Class III and IV whitewater coursing through the Yampa River Canyon with walls 1,000 feet that have their own stories to tell about the canyon’s various layers, each one representing an entire age of the earth’s development: Four- and 5-day Yampa River trips start at $849/person with launches in May, June and July. This special five-day Warm Springs anniversary departure June 6–10, 2015 is $1,199/person. See: http://www.oars.com/ After meeting in Vernal, UT, guests travel by van across the border into Colorado arriving at Deerlodge Park where rafts await. Along the course of the river, guests will hike to historic Fremont Indian sites and cowboy camps and to scenic overlooks and waterfalls. On the river, the vertical yellow and red sandstone walls squeeze the river through a narrow gorge with plenty of Class II-III rapids before arriving at the exciting Class IV Warm Springs Rapid. After the confluence with the Green River, the river’s gradient becomes considerably steeper and several Class II-III whitewater rapids deliver plenty of excitement during the last days on the river. To read Tim Neville’s recent account of the formation of Warm Springs Rapid, visit: http://www.oars.com/ About O.A.R.S. Since 1969, O.A.R.S. has set the standard in first-class rafting, sea kayaking and multi-sport vacations, with destinations and unparalleled experiences on over 35 rivers and coastlines of the world. O.A.R.S. caters to active travelers of all ages and abilities with more than 75 unique itineraries worldwide, including one-day and weekend escapes. For more information on O.A.R.S. eco-friendly adventures visit www.oars.com, email the company at info@oars.com or call 1-800-346-6277. Follow O.A.R.S. Twitter: https:// Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/ Instagram: http://instagram.com/ Blog: http://www.oars.com/ Media Contact: Steve Markle Phone: 209-753-4797 Email: stevem@oars.com Web: http://www.oars.com/ End
|
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Account Phone Number