paddle | Sage Outdoor Adventures

Update From Our 2021 White Water Raft Guide Training

Posted May 27, 2021 by by Ryan McSparran

We’ve had a blast at our annual Raft Guide Training Program and we’re excited to have a new class rookie river guides this spring. With rain and even some late-season snow, it has been an eventful start to the rafting season here in Colorado!

Our River Guide Training is a premier program that prepares our trainees with the skills they’ll need to guide commercial whitewater and fishing trips. Plus, it’s just a ton of fun!

White Water Rafting Guide Training Requirements

As a part of our raft guide training, rookies must complete a minimum of 50 hours of training. This 10-day program will focus on rescue techniques, rowing, paddle guiding, river features, hydrology, boat terminology, rigging, customer service and more. Prospective guides must also receive training in leave no trace ethics.

These state requirements are mandatory for all river guides in Colorado. We not only adhere to the mandated state requirements for river guide training, we surpass them in most areas. We begin by approaching all training exercises with a deep respect for the river. All our guides are trained specifically for the demands of commercial rafting.

During this exciting training program, our rookies will be challenged daily, having the opportunity to swim through intense whitewater, practice rescue situations, and maneuver boats with and without a paddle crew…and have a blast while doing it all. It all adds up to prime river rafting in Colorado for you!

What Makes our Training Different

What makes our program truly special is the group of instructors that are some of the friendliest and most knowledgeable river experts in the business. Instructors must have 1,500 miles of commercial and private experience. This year, we have eight instructors teaching our spring classes.

Our raft guide training is always exciting because these classes coincide with the start of spring runoff and high water conditions. Every day is a new day for our rookie guides. Every day come new skills, as the water levels get progressively higher.

Our crew here at Sage works tirelessly to make these adventures possible, and that’s exactly what sets us apart. We love the mountains and these rivers, and we are passionate about sharing that with our guests. We are proud to maintain a drug and alcohol-free workplace. And with this team, you won’t find a more fun, genuine, professional, and skilled group of guides anywhere else.

If you’d like to learn more about our annual River Guide Training Program or other career opportunities at Sage Outdoor Adventures, please check out our Careers Page.

To learn more about rafting with us, take a look at our Rafting Page. We’d love to see you on the river with us in Colorado this summer!

Different Types of Rafts and Why We use Them

Posted April 30, 2019 by by Ryan McSparran

aerial view of five people in blue and yellow whitewater rafting

If you’ve been on a guided rafting trip, you may have noticed that rafts come in a variety of different setups. Some rafts have the guide using oars in the center. Others place the guide and oars in the back. And some rafts are paddle boats with no oars at all. Each type of boat has its own advantages and disadvantages.

Here’s a quick overview of the different types of raft configurations, and why we use them for our trips whitewater rafting in Colorado.

Center-Mount Frame Raft

First, consider the raft with a center-mount frame. According to Sage owner and guide, Cole Bangert, these types of rafts are extremely agile, since the pivot point of the raft is in the center. You’ll most often see this type of setup on overnight camp floats for their ability to navigate big or technical Colorado whitewater rapids with large loads of gear.

Back-Mounted Frame Raft

Next is the raft with its frame and oars mounted at the back. This makes a great paddle-assisted setup, where the guide rows and calls commands to the crew equipped with paddles. Perfect for beginner whitewater rafting in Colorado.

“The paddle crew and guide work together to move the boat,” Cole said. “This is ideal for commercial outfitters. The guide can do most of the work but guests are still heavily involved. It’s a great setup for family trips with younger kids, as the guide has the ability to move the boat without much power from guests.”

Rafts without an Oar Mount

You have probably seen a paddle boat with no oars. This is the way you see most commercial trips structured. This heavily involves the customers, as they must come together as a team to move the raft efficiently.

“The guide and guest have to create a trust factor,” Cole told us. “The guide usually could not navigate certain whitewater without the performance of his paddle crew, and the paddle crew must trust that the guide knows how to command the boat. This is fun for the guide and guests alike. There is a lot of teaching and learning.”

Sage’s Custom Rafts

Sage uses a mixture of boats, but primarily SOTAR rafts. SOTAR and Sage have actually teamed up to produce an innovative raft design that’s ideal for our whitewater situations. We worked with SOTAR to build these rafts specifically for maximizing performance and fun.

“These custom rafts are 13.5 feet long and they track well, meaning they move in the direction you point the boat amid heavy waves and currents,” Cole commented. “They are balanced and stable with the 19-inch tube diameter, which is slightly larger than a standard 13-foot raft. The tubes diminish from 19 inches to 15 inches on the tip of the bow and stern to enable the raft to “punch” through big waves without getting stalled out.”

SOTAR also used a high-end material on our custom rafts that, when inflated, turns very stiff. This is crucial to have in hard whitewater. It makes the boat more predictable, faster, and stable for the paddlers. “The height of the bow is also custom,” Cole concluded. “We set it to have a good mixture of speed, anti-deflection, and wetness…because cause let’s face it, when waves cover the raft, it’s the best feeling ever!”

Expert to Beginner Whitewater Rafting in Colorado

For more information on rafting trips near Vail and Beaver Creek with Sage Outdoor Adventures, please visit our Rafting Page. To book your trip, call us now at 970-476-3700.

Colorado River Rafting 1-Day or Half-Day Trips to Get On Your Radar

Posted April 9, 2018 by by Ryan McSparran

Take it from your favorite paddle junkies: we’ve had the opportunity to explore rivers all over our home state. Colorado rafting adventures are unlike any other. If you haven’t had the opportunity to explore many of them, let us fill you in on how great a Colorado whitewater rafting trip can be.

Here are the Colorado whitewater river rafting trips that must be on your radar!

Northwest Colorado

We can’t talk about rafting trips in Colorado without getting into our state’s namesake river. Whitewater rafting on the Colorado River takes place on a number of great stretches that can all be done in one day. From the mouth of Gore Canyon, all the way down into Glenwood Canyon, there are a number of day-trip sections suitable for a wide range of abilities.

The Eagle River also offers some outstanding day-trip stretches. Check out the upper Eagle from Minturn to Edwards and the lower Eagle River from Wolcott to the town of Eagle.

Another Norwest Colorado favorite of ours is the Roaring Fork, particularly the Slaughterhouse section.

The Yampa River offers visitors the chance to experience a 5-day wilderness trip. The scenery will leave you dumbfounded, and then you add in the class III and IV whitewater, and this one is a winner.

The Northwest area undoubtedly offers some of the best options for both expert and beginner white water rafting in Colorado. We specialize in white water rafting near Vail.

Southwest Colorado

The Animas River is a great one near Durango that offers excellent day trips, and is probably one of the best family rafting trips in Colorado. The Animas has everything from kid-friendly excursions to difficult whitewater.

The San Juan River is unique in that visitors can experience an extended, 7-day wilderness adventure. With no difficult rapids, it’s great for families with young children. You will feel like you are the first person to ever be there.

The Dolores River also offers overnighters, from 3-day to 7-day wilderness trips. The Dolores travels through different micro-climates, starting in the mountains with tall ponderosa pines, and then turning into a classic desert canyon trip near the Utah border.

Southeast Colorado

The Arkansas River is the undisputed Jewel of southeast Colorado and perhaps some of the most famous whitewater in the state. Well-known adventures include Arkansas river with Browns Canyon rafting trips along with the Numbers, Pine Creek, Bighorn Sheep Canyon, and the Royal Gorge.

With great day trips that are easy to reach from the front range, it’s easy to see why rafting trips on the Ark are so popular. Perfect if you’re looking for difficult or beginner white water rafting in Colorado. Browns Canyon white water rafting trips in particular can be great for a wide range of skill levels.

Northeast Colorado

The Poudre Canyon is a Front Range favorite for a Colorado whitewater rafting trip. This wild and scenic River is home to day trips just outside Fort Collins, Colorado on class III sections of the lower Poudre.

The North Platte River is a hidden gem in Colorado. But don’t let its sleepy status fool you. The Wild & Scenic North Platte offers some awesome multi-day wilderness trips that cross from Colorado up into Wyoming.

Clear Creek is a popular paddling playground that’s close to Denver and the Front Range metro area. Visitors here can enjoy day trips on several different sections of Clear Creek for a different levels of Clear Creek Colorado rafting.

If you’d like to learn more about the awesome Colorado river rafting 1-day or half-day trips that we offer here at Sage Outdoor Adventures, please check out our Rafting Page. You can also contact us online or simply give us a call at 970-476-3700. Come enjoy white water rafting near Vail, CO with us!

The Spring Melt: Impact on Rafting and Fishing

Posted May 5, 2017 by by Ryan McSparran

Another late blast of snow across the Rockies can dump feet of wet spring snow in some locations. But that doesn’t stop the sun from shining, and temperatures will continue to climb back up into the 70s in many places across Colorado. The smaller creeks will fill up and the water will start to rise. In summary: the spring melt is underway, and that’s the best time to raft in Colorado!

Spring Weather and Rafting

Even as late as May, Colorado’s snowpack can stand at over 100%, leading to higher than average surges of water. This means when the runoff begins, there will still be a ton of snow up high. Depending on how rapidly summer temperatures arrive, runoff could last weeks longer than normal. At its peak, that means these weather conditions will bring some epic whitewater rafting conditions, making spring one of the best times for rafting in Colorado!

Pro tip: the Arkansas River and the Colorado River often give great insight into when to expect peak rafting conditions. If you don’t want to miss the excitement, give us a call at 970-476-3700 to reserve your spot. Or check out our rafting trips.

Early Spring Weather Impact on Fishing

While the rafting community will be celebrating outstanding whitewater conditions, fly fishing enthusiasts might be less enthralled with the prospect of an extended high-water spring season. However, many veteran anglers will tell you that runoff is not the time of year to sit on the sidelines.

Among many in the fly fishing world, runoff gets a bad rap. Water is high, often muddy and many of your favorite holes might be unrecognizable. But that doesn’t mean the fishing isn’t great. It just means you have to fish differently.

In some ways, runoff provides advantages that help offset the challenges. During high water, fish concentrate in predictable locations. They tend to get pushed out toward the banks and into any slack water where they can find reprieve. You may not be able to wade during runoff, but you probably don’t need to. With fish in these more reachable locations, they can be easily targeted from shore. Check out our fly fishing page for more information.

No matter what you find yourself doing this spring, whether you’ve got a paddle or a fly rod in your hand, have fun and enjoy all that Colorado has to offer! If you have questions about trips with Sage Outdoor Adventures, call us at 970-476-3700 or send us a message.