In the early days of modern-day river running in the state of Washington, when white water rafting was still relegated to the easier stretches of
accessible Class I-III rapids found on the Skagit,
Suiattle and lower portions of the Stillaguamish, only intrepid kayakers chose to trek to Darrington, Washington, to dip their paddles in the milky green waters of the Sauk River.
At the start of the 1970s, the only commercial rafting company operating in the state rowed their guests down the river in rafts that needed bailing after every set of waves to keep them from getting too unwieldy from thousands of pounds of river water as ballast. The brightly colored orange Rogue inflatables this company used were manufactured from incredibly durable material but this also added to their unwieldiness. In addition, they were lengthy and not well-suited to the boulder-clogged channels that were common on the glacial-fed Sauk River. To top it all off, the Sauk River access points were primitive …
At the start of the 1970s, the only commercial rafting company operating in the state rowed their guests down the river in rafts that needed bailing after every set of waves to keep them from getting too unwieldy from thousands of pounds of river water as ballast. The brightly colored orange Rogue inflatables this company used were manufactured from incredibly durable material but this also added to their unwieldiness. In addition, they were lengthy and not well-suited to the boulder-clogged channels that were common on the glacial-fed Sauk River. To top it all off, the Sauk River access points were primitive …