Good morning, rafters! This is the second edition of our Morning Mountain Minute.
We are here today to speak about rafting safety. Big Creek Expeditions prides itself on rafting and river safety. Prior to each trip, we run all the rafters through a safety talk. The talk encompasses things to remember such as:
- "Nose and Toes" in the air if you happen to go overboard, although your guide will make every effort to keep your group in the boat.
- Always keep the top of the paddle in hand as you do not want it to hit your neighbor when going through a rapid.
- Keep your helmet and PFD (personal floatation device) on at all times.
- Listen to your guide as he will direct you when to paddle and when to relax, shouting out commands like "All Forward", "Relax", "All Back".
- Foot protection is required. You will need old shoes or sandals that go around your ankle. FLIP FLOPS ARE NOT ALLOWED ON THE RIVER.
Additional information can be found on our site on our safety page and our questions page. Remember that the Pigeon River has several Class III and Class IV rapids. There are both Upper and Lower Trips. Upper Trips are more technical and are restricted to those 8 years of age and older and 70 lbs. and greater. The Lower Trips are suited for younger groups ages 3 and up.
Upper Trip
Lower Trip