Day 15: Foamy Rapids and Beer

It felt like summer camp sleeping in bunk beds. Nearly bumped my head when I got out of bed but it didn't matter. Today, we were going white water kayaking. After saying goodbye to Christian, Carl and I left for Rendezvous River Sports in Jackson to meet our guides. Sam and Brendan would be leading us down class 3 rapids on Snake River. There were four other participants on the trip. After suiting up, we headed out by van to the launch point.

By the end of Sam's safety briefing, we were all sufficiently scared but headed to our kayaks anyway. Carl and I would be riding tandem. We dropped our raft into the river and began practicing different turns and maneuvers. Neither of us expected kayaking to be so different from normal river rafting. The boat was far more responsive and we didn't have the comfort of a guide steering in back. Still, Carl and I eventually got the hang of things.

The 10-mile trip down Snake River went very quickly. We passed through sections of white water where massive waves nearly knocked us from the boat. One rapid, known as Lunch Counter, sent our kayak flying over three 6-foot waves. Carl and I managed to stay afloat but another group flipped and was tossed around quite a bit. Other parts of the river were so gentle that our guides recommended we get out and swim. The sun was shining and 53°F water didn't feel so cold, especially through all our waterproof layers.

After an awesome morning on the river, the guides recommended we try Thai Me Up for lunch. Sam aptly put that Jackson Hole is a "drinking town with skiing problem." Along with great lunch specials, the restaurant had its own brewery. Carl and I were happy to try their Smelvin brew after such a hard workout. We then headed back to Victor to have a relaxing afternoon catching up on the computer and watching TV.

By 7 PM, Carl and I were hungry again and decided to have dinner in Jackson before leaving for Idaho Falls. The night before, Christian recommended we try Wildlife Brewing, a local restaurant known its microbrews and delicious pizza. Since I was driving, Carl got to enjoy two Buckwild Double Blondes but we both shared the BBQ chicken pizza. We're finally in Idaho Falls, staying in our first hotel in nearly a week. It's nice to have a massive, comfy and dry bed all to myself.

Carl enjoying his Buckwild Double Blonde and pizza