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More Leavenworth River Rafting

Leavenworth's Chamber of Commerce would have you believe we see blue skies over the Bavarian-themed village all year long with nary a break.  After re-locating Orion River Rafting to Leavenworth in 2005 and living here twelve months of the year, I can report that - if you believe the Leavenworth Chamber of Commerce's version of the weather - I have some property in south Florida you might be interested in that I guarantee has no pythons living on it.

Of course, Leavenworth is a good deal warmer and drier than the Cascade's wet side, but, before you head over here on vacation, be sure to check the forecast.  Most of the time, as you are driving over one or the other pass en route to what we affectionately refer to as Der Town, you will break out of the choking grey of the Sound's maritime climate, and glide down into a valley of ponderosa pine forests illuminated by clear blue skies.  Occasionally, the maritime precipitation crawls over the passes and rains on our recreational nirvana.

When this happens, one of our MOST frequently asked questions is - Does the river trip get canceled?

Maybe if unrelenting lightning strikes are bolting across the skies, non-stop, then we will more than likely call the trip off.  But, if it is just raining?  Not very likely.

We tried to cancel a trip once during a gully-washing rainstorm.  We even went so far as to not bother inflating the rafts before we met with our guests, so sure were we that they would be grateful to be let off the hook.  But, when we went to greet them in the morning (this was before wetsuits and wetsuit boots were an industry standard, which means it was well before self-bailing rafts and high tech synthetic gear), we found the entire group - an employee group of engineers - decked out head to toe in the kind of foul weather gear you might find on fishing rigs in the Bering Sea.

Needless to say, we could tell by their attire that they were ready to go boating.  We haven't thought about canceling a raft trip due to foul weather since.

The good news about white water rafting is - you are going to get wet anyway!  If not by the waves and the weather, then it might be at the hands of your fellow rafters who are loath to see a dry boater.  Water fighting during a river trip is not uncommon and it is especially not uncommon when your river adventure includes your supervisor, boss, best man or father-in-law.
You ARE going to get wet white water rafting.
Wet is s state of mind while rafting.
The moral to the short post is this - even if you are rafting the Wenatchee River out of Leavenworth, come prepared to get wet.  One way, or the other.  Consult our how to dress for success article.
And - if your weather ap indicates inclement weather, don't call the office thinking the trip has been canceled.  These days, we will equip you with neoprene for your upper body and your feet, and a splash jacket to shed MOST of the water.  And, we promise you won't melt.
~~~
Following a cool weather trip, check out Snow Creek Yoga and see if they have a class in hot yoga, or call Solstice Spa for a treatment that will work out the kinks and ward off all chills.

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