Photo courtesy of New Wave Rafting. |
With so much snow in the mountains this winter rafting
guides and outfitters are expecting a great runoff season.
“It should be a banner year on the Rio Grande Box,” says
Steve Miller, president of the New Mexico River Outfitters Association.
And that means it should be a great year to take a
hair-raising, white-knuckle ride guaranteed to make you feel alive.
The “Box” runs through a deep, rocky gorge in the Río Grande del Norte National Monument
between the John Dunn
Bridge at Arroyo Hondo to the Taos
Junction Bridge
above Pilar.
It’s 16 miles of whitewater thrills and chills and one of
northern New Mexico ’s best
outdoor adventures, Miller says.
Whitewater enthusiasts from around the country converge on
the “Box” during high water years and this year is shaping up to be one of
them.
Snow pack surveys by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s
National Resources Conservation Service (USDA NCRS) show well above average levels
in the mountains of southern Colorado
and New Mexico . Visit https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/site/nm/home/for more detailed information.
When all that snowpack melts and flows downstream through
the state’s rivers, creeks and streams it produces great conditions for
rafters, kayakers and canoeists.
Those interested in the sport can get a taste of all the fun
by booking a trip with an experienced outfitter through www.raftnewmexico.org, Miller says.
Miller, who operates New Wave Rafting out of Embudo, says
there are many different kinds of rafting trips to enjoy on the Rio
Grande .
Rio Grande's "Race Course." |
There’s a fast, furious five-mile run featuring plenty of
thrills that can be taken in the morning or afternoon on the “Race Course”
between Quartzite and the County Line
takeout.
Those more interested in sightseeing including wildlife can
take a gentler, seven-mile float through the Orilla Verde Recreation Area
between the Taos Junction
Bridge and the Quartzite take out at Pilar.
Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep at Pilar. |
There are also backcountry trips on the Chama
River and angling adventures as the
season progresses through the summer, Miller notes.
Last year was one of the worst years on record for snowpack
and the lack of runoff left many in the rafting industry struggling.
“We’re looking to rebound this year,” Miller says.
The great snowpack this year also should produce some much
needed relief for many of the state’s reservoirs.
Reservoir levels monitored by the NCRS show many are at well
below their average capacity and in need of replenishment.
The great winter snows combined with a good monsoon season
this summer should go a long way towards reducing the drought conditions that
have repeatedly plagued the state in recent years.