It's just a boat ride, right?

I went White Water Rafting in early September with some friends. It was something that has always been on my "Bucket List". It was absolutely awesome!!! EPIC even!! My only complaint was that there weren't enough Class V rapids! Those are the big ones that keep you hanging on for dear life, and are constantly threatening to toss you from the raft!!

We used a company called Moxie Outdoor Adventures ( http://www.moxierafting.com/ ) located, you guessed it, on Lake Moxie up in the deep backwoods of Maine. (So far up in the Maine woods that there is no Cell Service or Internet access, which is not a bad thing.) Moxie offers rafting on three different rivers. We chose the Kennebec River.

This company was awesome. From the office staff who helped us book the trip, to the owner Cliff ( a fellow Dead Head), to the River Guide Josh (more on him later), the entire experience was top notch. If you ever decide to try this, I highly recommend this company. Anyway, our adventure consisted of two nights, with the rafting trip in between.


Part of the price includes two nights of lodging in a cabin, farmhouse or tent, plus a cookout on the river.

The cabins and camping are at their base of operation. With our big group, we chose the farmhouse since it was about 10 miles from everyone else. We figured we could have some fun and not worry about upsetting anyone near us. Most of the group slept in the farmhouse, while my friend Richard and I chose to camp in the backyard.

On the morning of the rafting trip, we arrived bright and early at Moxie Outdoor Adventures
and found lots of other eager adventurers. We paid our fee and were given the opportunity to rent wetsuits or river shirts.

After getting them, we got our life jackets and had them adjusted by a member of the staff, we were given our paddle, and told to choose a helmet from a big box. You might think the helmets were a safety precaution. If you saw the state of the helmets, you would know that they really just for show and wouldn't help if you hit a submerged rock!

After a brief safety speech, we were assigned to specific guides. We got Josh, whom we did not meet until we got to the River. Let me tell you, the women in our raft were all gaga over him, and still are at the mention of his name. We later learned that he served two combat tours (Iraq & Afghanistan) as a Marine Sargent in a Rifle Company. We also learned that since returning home, he was using the GI Bill to go to Dartmouth College to study medicine. Josh was a very cool guy, and made our trip great!!

When we arrived at the river, Josh went over some commands and instructions while we waited for our turn to put our raft into the river. There are many companies besides Moxie that offer this service, so we had to wait a bit before we could launch.

I should point out that the rapids are caused by a release of water from a dam. This is what causes the water to be high and rough enough for a raft trip. Without the release, the river is so low you can walk across it. For this trip, the release was 8000 cfs!! That is a
a lot of water!

Soon, it was our turn, and we put into the river. There were several companies that offer rafting, but they try to keep each company's boats together as best they can.

Once in the river, we paddled to the opposite shore to practice the commands Josh gave us, and to wait for all the rafts from Moxie to launch. Once all was set, our adventure began.

The Kennebec is ideal for the first time rafter. It starts off gentle, with mostly Class II & Class III rapids, giving you a chance to become familiar with the raft, and the feel of the river.

Soon enough though, the river runs wild and you begin to understand the awesome power of water. The rapids begin to increase in size and the current gets faster and faster.

Then, you meet up with the first BIG Class V rapid. The cool thing is that these rapids have such distinct personalities, that the rafting companies felt they deserved names such as Maytag and Big Momma.

Let me tell you, the power of these big rapids is amazing!

I was in my element, on the edge of excitement. I couldn't stop grinning and yelling with happiness. I loved every minute of it. I wanted the big rapids to go on and on but I will have to wait until next year and try one of the other rivers that Moxie uses. 

Once before and after the big rapids, we were given the chance to jump in the river. I jumped in before the big rapids in Class II rapids. I grossly under-estimated their power, thinking "they're just Class IIs". It was very difficult swimming in them. I cannot imagine what it would be like in Class IV or Class V rapids (and I hope I never find out.

As I said, we got to have some fun in the river. Being a very helpful person, I helped some of my raft mates get in the water. They were very appreciative of my my efforts.

Well, some were more appreciative than others! Actually, I am just kidding. I didn't push anyone in!

As I said above, this was a very amazing experience and one that I already plan to do again next Summer. I invite you all to come along with us and have the time of your life. You will not regret it!!

Here is a video of all the fun we had that weekend. I hope you enjoy and thanks for reading!!