Knife, Fork and PADDLE!!!White water raft trip on the Snake River!!

 Upon arriving at the Boat House for Mad River Boat trips...we were told due to the temps of the water, WET SUITS were required.....ok, I was told we MIGHT get wet.....but really?????I was told by the staff....do NOT bring your good camera on this white water raft trip......it WILL get wet and perhaps dumped in the river.....OH MY...what have I gotten us into!!!!

 Once inside the raft...our guide Jim Stackhouse(just throwing that name out in case you do this raft trip....he has Never in 16 years flipped a boat over)Went over all the rules and the What ifs........so the first 5 miles, I sat with my butt UP on the side of the raft...if you sit inside the raft they call that the ejection seat....so I followed all the rules.....the first 5 miles, we encountered one #3 rapid, several #2's and of course alot of slow moving water....well the day we did it the water was moving at about 9,500 CFS or cubic feet per second.....the guide said every second 60,000 gallons of water flow one foot.....that is alot of moving water!!!It was fun and interesting, you paddle as fast as you can to get you through the rapids...then you sit back and rest......so the paddling really was kind of fun!!!

 Here comes a #2 rapid.......

 After 5 miles we stopped at the rivers edge for a BBQ dinner....the chef......we had Steak, Grilled trout, potato salad, pasta salad, corn on the cob, garlic bread and the best part.....Peach Cobbler!!!!Made in a big giant cast iron skillet!!

 So I needed a fork-knife and a Paddle for this trip!!!

 it's about time to get back in the raft for the final 3 miles.......I not only wore a wet suit, I chose to wear a rain jacket over my wet suit to help keep it dry....it was COOL out...maybe in the upper 60's......we also had to wear a PDF(Personal flotation device) ONCE inside the raft...our guide WENT over the rules again...Stating that the next 3 miles are the WORSE part and the BIGGEST 2 in a row #3 rapids on the SNAKE RIVER...it is called Lunch Counter Rapids....you may google the Lunch Counter Rapids on the Snake River for a video of what we experienced........I chose to Give up paddling and sit in the middle....as JIM said IF THE BOAT is going to FLIP this is when and where.......sitting in the middle might be a safer spot......

 We got in and I dug my feet under the seat in front of me and I hung on for dear life!!!And I was Praying.....HERE WE GO.....

 The last pic I snapped before hanging on.....

This is a PIC I bought from the Raft Company.....I may try and post the series of pics of US going through the Lunch Counter Rapids.....In two of the pics...NO ONE is Visible as the Entire BOAT is covered in a GIANT WAVE of Water!!!      After making it through the first rapid.....the boat tilted to the right......MY HUBBY got flipped out.....I remember looking back at him and HE WAS NOT THERE...I was Scared to death....I looked in the water and there he was floating on his back...he is a GOOD swimmer and he did exactly as the guide told him, flip on your back and wait for the boat to rescue you...the LOOK on his face was of SHEER terror.....HIS fear....that he was to big for someone to pull him back in...he also said that 50 degree WATER hitting you in the face was COLD!!!!I was so relieved when the two young guys behind me pulled him in....I would HAVE died right then if it had been me......he said if I had not moved I would have fallen in as well.........After getting in the boat....everyone was cheering and told him.....YOU HAD AN OUT OF BOAT EXPERIENCE!!!!