It’s springtime, so naturally we are thinking about being on the river with you.
The baby chicks are here and chirping nonstop, the garden is springing to life in the long hours of Idaho daylight, and the gear is shined up and ready for another season on the river.
And we are planning to start running Hells Canyon Raft trips on June 17! As of now, our first raft trip departures begin mid-June and will run through September. The season may be slightly delayed, but as of now we will be back on the river this summer. We are cautiously celebrating.
Although this has been a tragedy for the world in so many ways, it has also allowed us to stop and savor the little things. And the big ones. We are cherishing our safe and sweet little homestead and our loved ones here with us. We appreciate our hometown and the small businesses that weave the fabric of this place. We are in awe of the beautiful Idaho mountains. We are grateful to be at the helm of the rafting company that’s been in our family for almost 40 years. And most of all, we value our days on the river and our connections with you, our guests, more than ever.
We’ve been looking to the future and all the things we can do to create a safe and supportive trip for you. Not everything is within our control, but we are proactively considering all that is.
We promised you that once we were running trips, we would go above and beyond in our safety precautions and preparations. We want to detail a few of the changes we’ve made to trip operations this year to accommodate you, help keep you safe on the river, and put your mind at ease.
So, start planning a river trip with us – it’s time to go boating! (And if things change, we have a super flexible cancellation policy – see the end of this list.)
- More Launch Dates: We’ve expanded our launch dates in Hells Canyon and we have flexibility to add dates on the Salmon River as well. This allows us to book more small and private trips that depart more often. Do you want your own private trip? Give us a call – let’s set it up.
- More Guides and Boats: We have increased the number of guides and boats on trips so each family can have its own boat. This means that during the day when you’re on the river, it’s just you and your loved ones on the raft with your guide.
- Flexibility with Shuttles: On the day of the trip, you can drive yourself right to the put-in and then have your vehicle shuttled to the take-out. We will also have more shuttle vehicles available in order to space people out who are riding in our company vans.
- Quarantined Tents: Tents and pads will be assigned and used by the same person/people throughout the trip. After the trip we are sanitizing and quarantining our tents, pads and bags after each trip so you can feel safe about where you are sleeping.
- Additional Hand Washing Stations: We have so many extra hand wash stations, you’re going to wash your hands more on the river than at home! If you haven’t used one before, our hand wash stations allow for hands-free running water (using a foot pump) where you can get all lathered up for that full 20 seconds or more.
- Guide Precautions: Our guides will self-quarantine in between trips so as to not be in the community at large. We deeply value their dedication to us and their work – thank you, dear guides.
- Safe Food Prep: We have always taken careful precautions with your food preparation, cooking and delivery but we have fine-tuned this even further. All food will be processed and cleaned prior to the trip according to CDC recommendations.
- *Flexible Cancellation Policy and Trip Changes:* None of us know exactly what’s in the future. We want you to feel comfortable planning your Idaho wilderness rafting trip with Hells Canyon Raft. If you book a trip and then are unable to make your trip or to travel due to COVID-19 restrictions or your own illness, you can delay and move your trip to later this summer or anytime in the 2021 season. It’s insurance that we will get you on the river with little financial risk to you. In turn, your investment in us keeps us afloat right now. If we have to cancel because of restrictions, you will not be liable and may move your trip departure later into this year or to 2021 or take a trip refund. Please note that Hells Canyon Raft is not responsible for parts of your trip cancellations that are outside of our company realm, such as airline tickets. We are encouraging many of our guests to consider driving to our location this year to avoid additional issues.
We understand there are lots of questions on your mind, so we are here to answer them and to talk this through. Let’s find a solution that works for you and your loved ones so we can take you on the Idaho whitewater rafting trip you’ve been dreaming of. Call us today and we’ll set you up on the perfect trip, whether it is later in the summer or 2021. We are booking 2021-2022 now.
To summer adventures!
