Arkansas River: Mild to Wild (3 Days)

This was our first mom and son Colorado whitewater rafting/camping trip, we did the 3 Day Mild to Wild on the Arkansas River... our guides, Zach, John and our gear guy, Jason, took such great care of us and made sure we had a great experience from start to finish (and were just such cool guys). From the adventures on the water to the meals the cooked for us, which were beyond what we expected for camping out, we were never dissappointed that we chose to go with AVA. We also had did a zip line tour, also rock climbing and rappelling tossed in there, which were all a ton of fun. We have already started plotting our trip back there in June for high waters, see you guys then!!!

Many thanks to all the crew of AVA and I mean there were many experienced hands at work; from John and Fish, our fantastic guides, to our rock climbing and rappelling experts, to our wonderful cooks! All four of our nearly-grown children came on this Colorado family vacation with me and my husband. They are all experienced outdoorsmen and rockclimbers and they, too, had a fantastic trip. The entire staff is well trained and competent. Look out, y'all, we might come back for Gore Canyon in August!

My 15-year old son and I had absolutely the best time. The staff was amazing: very friendly and professional. The rafting was INTENSE and very fun. Our guide Jason was the consummate professional exhibiting incredible knowledge of the river. He was very entertaining yet always focused on safety. Because he kept us on the perfect line, no one ended up in the river.... even through class 5 rapids. Matt was also great. He drove the gear boat and cooked for us. The meals were awesome and he too was very friendly while delivering great service. We also went rock climbing with Chris and repelling with Sally and Shamus. All were very friendly and very professional. All in all, this was a WONDERFUL Colorado white water rafting trip and well worth the price. The combination of Brown's Canyon rafting and the AVA crew made for a truly awesome and unforgettable experience for my son and I.

My experience on the water was beyond awesome!!! When my friend left the outpost right before the trip started, Kevin and Ryan made sure I had a great time. They were wonderful guides!! And they were fantastic cooks. Even if they made fun of my rare steak.:) Kevin was a good teacher when we got into the duckies. It took a bit but I finally got the hang of it. And I loved the rock climbing! Sally was a great teacher! And the rappels the next day were awesome! I am planning on getting into climbing here in NM n AZ. The girls in the outpost were great too. When I called with questions before the trip they were very friendly and very helpful. And on the day the trip was over, I had trouble with my pickup in town and Fish came to my rescue. The crew at AVA are super great!! I look foward to another trip in the future!! AVA is definitely the greatest!! Thank You for a Great Time!! Peggy Sue Cobleigh

Our trip was a smashing success. You guys are awesome! Everyone aboard had an absolutely excellent time. The 3-Day Mild-to-Wild river rafting trip was the perfect blend of Colorado summer activities and leisure. The river was awesome, and our time on shore offered plenty to keep us entertained between the hikes, rappelling, rock-climbing, and socializing around the camp fire. Our guides took care of absolutely everything, and truly went out of their way to make sure we had a great experience. Even the food was amazing. I never knew one could live in such luxury outdoors. Please pass our sincere thanks to Miles, Adam, Jeb, Cheyenne, and Sally, as well as the rest of the crew at AVA who helped make our group rafting trip a success. Last, but not least, thanks for all of your help and personal attention in planning and coordinating our trip over the preceding months. Your firsthand knowledge and availability to address any questions we had from required gear, to travel routes, to lodging options in the area for the night before made putting such a large group on the river a cinch. Here's to you all at AVA! Hope the rest of the season is as big a success as it was for our trip! Sincerely, The Nebraska Bachelor Party: Jim Swoboda, Tyler Christensen, Jim Swoboda Sr., Scott Gifford, Brian Gifford, Nate Egbarts, Paul Radtke, Dan VonDollen, Jake Lang (The Singing Cowboy), Pete Hall, Barry Burks, and Tony, with special guests Mike Schooley, and Dave and Jake Decoteau.

As I sit here at my totally fake hotel here in totally fake Las Vegas, waiting for someone with totally fake boobs to bring me a totally fake drink at this concrete pool with plastic trees and synthetic lawn, I can't help but yearn for Arkansas river rafting and my totally real crew of guides that made the experience one of the most real things I have experienced in my recent life. The contrast between the first two days of "mild" rafting and camping and the "wild" class five challenge of the Gauntlet advanced white water rafting trip was exactly what I was looking for. My son is turning 16 very soon. This means a drivers license, and a job in the next few weeks. I wanted to spend some time with him before our schedules make a trip like this impossible. Your trip gave us the venue in which to enjoy nature and each other's company. I have been in a service business since 1986, so I know that pleasing "the public" is a tightrope walk at best. You have to be professional without crushing fun. You have to command respect, without being a Nazi. You have to make the difficult appear to be effortless. Your Crew of Cheyenne, Sally, Adam, Miles and Jed accomplished this tightrope walk with ease. I anticipate booking new river rafting trips in the future. Possibly Gore Canyon or the Grand Canyon. I will consider AVA when I make my choice. Thank you and the crew for a great experience!