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There is nothing better and more exhilarating than going through outdoor adventure therapy on the San Juan River.
I am 28 years old and I have been a client at Back 2 Basics Sober Living for about 5 months. On one of the many outdoor adventure therapy trips we take here, we went rafting on the San Juan river for three days and it was an awesome experience. The river guides taught us a number of things about how to navigate a river. I learned that there are eddies throughout the river, which are areas small inlets where the current swirls upstream. These eddies are ideal places to pull up onto shore safely. There are also many hazards on the river, such as “strainers” which are low hanging branches that you can get caught in or knock you out of your boat. These strainers become more numerous the higher the river’s water levels gets. There are also undercut rocks that the current can push you under and funnel you into a space where the water can get through but larger objects get stuck. It is important that when you are floating outside of your raft that you have your legs up so they don’t get caught on any debris. We also learned good techniques for maneuvering a two man kayak and how to navigate rapids. We got to check out a cliff dwelling inhabited by indigenous people over a thousand years ago.
I had a few favorite parts of the trip. One was when we went through a class three rapid which was a pretty intense experience. We also got to float down some tamer rapid in our life vests. I also really enjoyed the food that was prepared for us by the guides my favorite meal was steak, salmon, and salad. I think that my favorite part of the trip was the time that we all got to spend with each other during the more mellow sections of the river. I had so much fun with the other B2B guys while we had water gun fights and boarded each other’s boats like pirates. I also got to have some really meaningful conversations with a few guys while we were floating.
My least favorite part was probably having the guides cater to all of our needs. I felt like I being pampered a little. Although that was all part of their job. The heat down in the canyon was oppressive, and the sun did bake us pretty good.
The trip challenged my abilities in navigating a kayak. It also challenged me to work with another person to paddle down the river successfully. We had to have constant communication between us so that we could coordinate our movements.