A Brief History of Rafting

Back in the old days a few adventurous folks rafted the rapids using wood rowboats called dorys. This type of watercraft provided exciting but frightening whitewater rafting. These boats did not fare well when they crashed into rocks. What was needed was an airbag……..

After World War II, there was a surplus of rubber rafts used to cross rivers by our troops in the invasion of Europe. These rafts were bought cheap and the sport of whitewater rafting was born. When these rafts hit rocks they bounced off instead of breaking into pieces as the dorys did.

Since those days, river rafts have been improved with stronger and lighter materials, better handling and self-bailing.

In case you were wondering how self-bailing rafts works. There are holes in the bottom of the raft to let the water out. The floor of the raft is inflatable to keep the floor above water level. When water is splashed into the raft, it falls to its lowest point which is through the holes. This is a nice because there is nothing less maneuverable than a raft filled with water.

Rufus

Dan Little has been the head river guide for River Runners since 1978.   Dan had a dog named Rufus who was a scruffy mutt.  People would comment that Rufus looked a lot like Dan.

Rufus loved to go rafting.

One afternoon Dan, Rufus and a boatload of guides went rafting down the lower section of the river.  Eight miles downriver, in the rapid Satan’s Cesspool, Rufus fell out of the raft and disappeared into the rapid. Expecting the worst, Dan organized a search party. They combed the shoreline and finding nothing, solemnly rafted to take-out.

Dan and the guides drove back to camp in silence.  Dan sadly drove home.

No sooner had Dan drove into the driveway when he was met by Rufus, wagging his tail; happy and unhurt.  When he fell out of the raft, he swam to shore and walked the 8 miles home.  No big deal…for Rufus. 

1990 Grey Suburban

Last year my car mechanic in Woodland Hills asked me if I wanted to buy his 1990 Suburban.  He could no longer afford the gas for this big monster.  I bought the truck and drove it to River Runners’ camp where it is being used to transport the rafts to and from the river.

Recently my mechanic told me that the previous owner, a retired woman had asked about the Suburban.  He told her that he sold it to a whitewater rafting company.  This caused the elderly woman to cry. 

Her late husband was an avid rafter and had bought the Suburban to go on rafting trips.  She was so happy the truck found such a good home.  Her husband would be happy.

We try not to thrash the truck.

Brush Fire

Boeing employees were at the river on their annual rafting trip in July 2005.  On Saturday morning during our safety orientation a brush fire broke out along the river.  We immediately grabbed all the five-gallon bailing buckets from the rafts and passed them out to our customers from Boeing.  The bucket brigade stood in the river and threw water at the fire. The fire was out before the local fire department arrived….with their buckets.  The fire engines couldn’t get to our camp, so they brought their own buckets.

The Boeing group had a fun time putting out the fire.  Sorry Boeing, we can’t arrange for a fire next season.

Riverside County Sheriffs Department

For many years members of the Riverside Sheriffs Department rafted with us.  One of the deputies reported to us that they did a drug raid on a house.  As they were searching the house they came upon river rafting pictures hanging on the walls.  On closer inspection they discovered that the bad guys had been rafting with River Runners.  At least they all had something to talk about on the way to jail.