A Family Adventure on the Rio Grande Racecourse!

The Bertain Rafting Team Gearing up for their run!

The racecourse section of the Rio Grande... A treasure of class 3 rapids. Aptly named for the annual Mother's Day race, this section is fun, exciting, and very challenging. The perfect way for a family to spend half a day, an a great taste of whitewater on the Rio Grande. 

This June the Bertain family decided to take a cross country road trip, and the girls of the family were on the hunt for adventure! Clad in PFDs they set off one morning for the Rio Grande Racecourse!

Picked up at the Rio Grande Gorge visitor center they were whisked off to our "put-in", known as Quartzite for the pinkish metamorphic rock decorating river left. The Pilar cliffs contain Precambrian rocks, and the pink coloration of the quartzite is from the manganese-rich epidote mineral. Much of the Racecourse follows the famous Embudo Fault line, a very active geologic feature, creating a fascinating geology along the river.

Safety speeches given, hand signals taught, into the raft they go to brave the beauty of the Rio Grande Racecourse.

River Guides always point Positive!

First: a paddle lesson. In good hands with senior guide Suzie Benton, they learn paddle commands, proper paddle position, forward and back, as a team we'll get this boat through!

Senior Guide Suzie Benton, Box Guide and Bird Expert!

Bump off a rock, learn how it feels, most important rule of boating: Stay in the boat! 

First big section of rapids: The Maze. Technical class 2 and 3 rapids, it's the perfect training ground for our new boatmen! While we float down, check out the red willows along the shore, the pueblo people are known as the red willow people, using these plants for making baskets and other crafts.

Next up on the rapids list, the Narrows, a fun set of 3+ rapids, our heros practice thier new paddle commands and work as a team to brave the wave trains! At the end of the Narrows is Eye of the Needle and a very quick left-right turn is made to thread the infamous "needle!"

Entering Herringbone Rapid!

Now on to Herringbone, stay river left so the boat can make it through this tricky channel! After making it down comes Albert Falls, aptly named for the famous scientist Albert Einstein of whom would visit this section to fly fish with the scientists of Los Alamos. The fractured and faulted quartzite on this section indicates the continuation of the Embudo Fault.

Los Rios is ready to ride the Rio Grande!

Our family-team couldn't believe the excitement was only half over when they floated under the Glenwoody Bridge, installed in 1902 it is one of the oldest bridges in Northern New Mexico. In the early 1900s it was used to connect the road to a failed gold mining camp on river right.

So many moves to make! Good thing Suzie knows this river!

Taking a break under the bridge, Suzie explains the dynamics of a proper "high-side" technique in preparation for the wild rapid known as Big Rock. Going down an S-shaped wave train the raft must avoid slamming into the boat-flipper rock Co-Pilot, slide through without getting caught on the sneaky stone aptly named Velcro without getting stuck and finally slip through the slot right of Big Rock while performing a well timed "high-side."

Co-Pilot from above!

 Paddling in our group is on the top of our game, navigating safely around co-pilot with a well placed back-paddle, then gliding effortlessly through the slot at Big Rock! This group was born to be river runners!

Resting at the bottom of Big Rock next to Baby Huey

After the harrowing escapade that is Big Rock, a moment to catch their breath is taken at the base of the huge boulder Baby Huey. Huey is a 360-ton "staurolite-garnit schist" that fell from the Pilar Cliffs above in 1991. This behemoth crashed down the slope, crushed the road (river guides jokingly say it was the only pot-hole New Mexico has ever fixed) and slid into the river to rest on the right-hand shore.
Once the moment of rejuvenation has passed it's on to Sleeping Beauty, a lovely class 3 rapid boats can traverse side ways, backwards, or even spinning over. At the bottom we take the opportunity to "surf" the rapid, catching the revolving water and splashing our crew with the river!

Setting up to Surf...

Caught the perfect surf! What a smile!

Catching sight of some petriglyph images of a lizard and shield symbols, our group gallivants off to Souse Hole. A great class 3 rapid that can be come a class 5 at higher water~ Created by the cienega wetland constricting the water channel, our team puckers up for their picture taken by the photographers of Southern Exposure which hang out to catch the action at Souse Hole.
When the photo-shoot finishes, its down the curve to Last Chance, the final rapid of the Racecourse. This is your final opportunity to fly out of the boat on a rapid! Our girls make it and it's the gentle last mile of the racecourse, filled with birds, scenery, and a little swimming.

Cooling off in the river!

Spotting some international wildlife!

When they finally make it to the take out County Line our team is exhilarated, exhausted and ready for that delicious snack of cookies, fruit, and chips and salsa waiting on shore! They made it! What a fabulous way to spend an afternoon!

A happy (and a little soaked) family!

Thanks to the Bertain family for letting this Los Rios blogger photograph them, it was great to get to experience the river with your family! Hope to see ya'll again on the river!!!

For more information on our Half-Day Racecourse Adventure visit:
http://losriosriverrunners.com/racecourse

For more information on the Southern Exposure Photography Team:
http://www.southernexposurephoto.com/mp_client/pictures.asp?eventid=0&eventstatus=0&categories=no&keywords2=no&groupid=246&bw=false&sep=false