Guide Training Continues at JTRA


Cold temperatures this past Saturday made the lower gorge a very chilly place to be at 4pm in the afternoon.  You begin to realize, however, just how well the seasoned guides know the river.  There are not only a dozen named rapids in the lower gorge, but the guides even have names for individual rocks, here's a sampling:

45 Minute Rock, Flipper Rock, the Three Sisters, the Picket Fence, Millennium Rock, Battleship Rock, and more . . .

As of yesterday I logged my third training raft trip and after CPR training I will be certified to guide in the State of Pennsylvania.  Two more river trips are required before I can become a paid guide at JTRA. 

Most of the time the guides at JTRA are in their own personal craft while the guests pilot their own rafts.  It's been interesting to see the boat choices made by individual guides, everything from full Colorado-style "oar-rigs" to sit-on-top or inflatable-kayaks.  For the moment I'm not deciding on anything, just going with the flow, and I hope that I'll quickly develop the skills needed to guide in the gorge from my "hard" boat, a Wavesport Diesel 75 (at the moment).

Next weekend, my first trip in an inflatable kayak, stay tuned.

LK

Sorry, no pics this week.