Whitewater Rafting in Taos
County
By Linda Thompson
Rafting on
the Rio Grande ©Terry
Thompson, HighMesaProductions.com
(Taos, New
Mexico) As powder draws skiers from miles
away to Taos Mountain in the winter, the word
'whitewater' attracts rafting enthusiasts in the
spring. In Taos County, the Rio Grande River
offers some of the Southwest's most thrilling
spring and summer outdoor recreation. One
48-mile section that includes the 'Taos Box,'
has rapids as challenging as any river runner
might desire. The Box itself is about 16 miles
of tumbling rapids amid boulders as large as
buildings, which have fallen into the river from
the sides of the gorge.
The Rio Grande River flows southward from its
headwaters in southern Colorado across the
entire length of New Mexico. The 1,885-mile long
river is the third longest in the United States,
forming a boundary between Mexico and Texas on
its way to the Gulf of Mexico. The section that
crosses Taos Mesa won the nation's first
designation of Wild and Scenic River in 1968.
The Rio Grande flows through a gorge that
reaches 800 feet deep in places, thundering its
way over sudden drops, with towering basalt
cliffs on either side. Eagles, falcons,
mergansers, geese, herons, and ducks build their
nests in this spectacular habitat. Rafters
frequently spot elk, deer, beaver, and-though
much less often-a mountain lion.
This section of the Rio Grande has something for
rafters of every age. The lower Taos Box is for
the more experienced-or at least the most
daring-with many Class III and IV rapids. With
names such as Rock Garden, Ski Jump, and
Powerline Falls, you can anticipate the thrill
of facing them. North of the John Dunn Bridge
near Arroyo Hondo is a tamer section called the
Middle Box. South of Taos Junction Bridge near
Pilar, the river widens and becomes more
suitable for family outings along the Orilla
Verde, or 'green shore.' The five-mile
Racecourse near the village of Pilar is a
popular half-day trip, suitable for children who
are strong enough to hold on tight.
Whitewater experts grade rapids on a scale of 1
to 6. The Rio Grande has seen all six grades,
depending on the season, the location, and what
the year's precipitation has been. Class 1 is
mostly flat, gently moving water. Class 6 is
impossible for most people to navigate. Class 5
is like a spinning, drenching roller coaster and
the other classes are in between. Some tours are
more appropriate during spring and early summer,
when the river is a maze of churning whitecaps,
sudden dips, and swift, spinning currents.
Other runs are better in the later summer, when
water quantity and speed have diminished and the
challenge consists of navigating around boulders
and through chutes without getting stuck.
Rafting companies offer one-, two-, and
three-day trips on the Rio Grande, as well as on
the more docile Rio Chama to the west. Some of
the better known companies include:
Some companies also offer kayak tours and 'funyaks,'
which are small, canoe-shaped inflatable rafts
that are paddled with kayak paddles. When you
sign up for a tour, you receive detailed
information on what to wear and bring, along
with facts about safety and the releases you
will be asked to sign. Note that blue jeans and
other cotton clothing are not recommended, as
they stay soggy, inviting chills. On overnight
trips, most companies provide tents, cooking
utensils and food, at the very least; and your
guides prepare your meals. The experience of
exhilarating whitewater rafting followed by
camping alongside a beautiful wild river eating
delicious food and laughing with congenial
friends is something you'll remember for years
afterward.
During the peak rafting season (May through
August), a professional company, Southern
Exposure Inc., photographs rafters on the
Racecourse and in the Taos Box. These photos
can be viewed and purchased at
www.raftphotos.com
For current river conditions see
http://waterdata.usgs.gov/nm/nwis/
Information and photo submitted
by:
Article:
Linda Thompson
Photo: Terry Thompson
High Mesa Productions
HCR 74 Box 22273
El Prado, New Mexico 87529
505-751-0051 |
Linda and Terry Thompson |
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Linda
Thompson, co-owner of High Mesa
Productions, writes children’s books
and magazine articles, among other
things. She is an online instructor
for U.C. Berkeley Extension’s
intermediate copyediting courses.
With her husband, Terry, she lives
in Taos, New Mexico, which they
consider to be like no other place
they’ve ever been. During their
joint and separate lives, they’ve
lived in the San Francisco Bay area,
Los Angeles, Seattle, rural England,
Barcelona, Honolulu, and Washington,
D.C. Now, their camera and keyboard
are mainly focused on the western
states and Texas, with occasional
excursions to other parts of the
world. See their
website for additional
background and experience. |
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