It’s no surprise that we love what we do, so hearing us gush over our river trips might not be enough to convince you to pull the trigger on booking your own. That’s why we’re so excited to feature one of our former guests and hear a little bit more about their personal experiences on the river.
We hope getting a guest’s perspective will help you decide to book your own river trip with us, and as always, we’re here to answer any questions you might have and help you choose the best trip to fit your wants and needs!
First up, we’re going to hear from Nick Dugan, who recently left this wonderful online review for us:
Our 4-day Snake River trip with HCR was top notch from start to finish. Everyone we encountered was professional, friendly, and went above and beyond to make the trip memorable and enjoyable.
In true “choose your own adventure” style, we were able to choose between cruising down the river as a relaxing passenger, actively paddling through the rapids as a team, or going solo in an inflatable kayak. The guides explained everything in great detail and made sure everyone was comfortable before we set off.
The food was above and beyond, excellent meals every day with every detail thought of. Campsites were amazing – you’ll rarely wake up with a better view. Wildlife was abundant in Hells Canyon – countless bald eagles and other birds, bears, deer, etc. I didn’t fish but the ones in our group who did caught countless smallmouth bass and rainbow trout.
Thank you Kurt, Heidi, and crew for a once in a lifetime trip. Actually, maybe more than once. We’ll be back!
We were so flattered by his review that we reached out to Nick with a few additional questions!
Q1: What stood out to you most about your experience at HCR?
The crew. Everyone on the trip from the most seasoned veteran to the newest recruit was kind, thoughtful, patient, entertaining, and really seemed to love what they were doing. They anticipated our needs, knew the river inside and out, and worked their tails off to make everything a memorable experience.
Q2: What was your favorite meal of the trip?
The fresh trout and dutch oven beer bread!
Q3: What was your highlight of the trip?
The scenery on the Snake river is just beyond comparison. Every bend in the river brought a different vista – it’s very special to spend that much time on a river and cover that many miles without seeing a single road, bridge, car, house, etc. Most days it felt like the entire canyon was ours. If I had to pick one highlight, it would be the last night, sleeping under the stars on the sand bar just below the Snake/Salmon confluence.
Q4: Knowing what you do now after rafting with HCR, what expert tip would you pass along to someone thinking of booking with HCR?
The rain gear is key, even if it’s not raining! It was a little cool at times on our early June trip and sometimes you just don’t want to get wet! Good boat shoes that you can hike in are also key. Other than that, you really don’t need much.
We look forward to getting you out on the river!
