MaKenzie Beck Photography: An Adventure on the Mountain Water

Back at the end of April, or maybe it was the beginning of May, I was at a Bar- Be- Que visiting with various people. Some I knew well, others I had only just met and then everyone else in between.

At one point a group of us were all visiting and this guy Kaleo, whom I’d met here and there, but never really talked to, asked at random if anyone would be interested in a white water rafting trip. Not knowing any specific details, the word “adventure” simultaneously formed in my mind as I raised my hand like a school child in excitement and said “I AM!!!” There was no second thought. No retreat in my desire to try this. It was a new experience and I was ready for it! I was the only one in that group that day who was interested in this adventure and over the weeks both Kaleo and I tried to recruit others among our peers to join in, but no one was interested or available… I found this hard to believe, but at the same time I didn’t really mind. Yes, it would have been great to have one of my friends come along, but I didn’t NEED them to. I was sure of what I was doing. I was going to have an adventure and I wasn’t going to let the lack of my friend’s interest keep me from going.

June 29th, the day was finally here! We (Kaleo, a co-worker of his and another lady) met up and carpooled to the location. When we arrived at Aquired Tastes Rafting we met up with the rest of the people who were part of our group (our car was only a small part of a very large random group- but that was O.K., we all wanted this adventure) and got organized. We divided up into six or seven rafts, my raft containing the four of us who drove together along with a girl from Colorado Springs and our guide. When we first started dividing my initial thought was that I should go in a different boat -I might as well meet new people while I’m here, but it was too late. And that was O.K. after I thought about it, because I didn’t really know the people on my assigned raft either.

When we finally got in the water I felt content. I didn’t need to go fast and I didn’t need to talk. I felt like I did when I would canoe solo on the lakes growing up. Being on the water an oar in my hands- to me it is so right! Natural. Like going home after being gone for so long! If heaven is anything like the feeling I was experiencing then it is indeed a wonderful place! Finally we were off with 16miles ahead of us!

The conversation was good and the people great! The weather was nice: worm sun, cool breeze, the smell of fresh water and pasture grass in the air. I wish I had invested in a waterproof camera for this trip, because no words can do justice to the beauty I witnessed that day on the Arkansas River!

I didn’t have a watch on me-and had no desire to know the time (Yes, I am my father’s daughter- to be so content in nature you feel the desire to be a hermit.), so I don’t know what time we stopped for lunch or how far we’d gone. After lunch we got into Brown’s Canyon where the good rapids were! And even better conversation!

Our guide Dustin is honestly a person after my own heart! He lives the life I wish I had the courage to live! He’s a 24 year old who has travel to 49 countries! Lived in India; working for a non-profit organization. He has a college education. He is what I consider a good Christian to be: has his beliefs, accepts that others have theirs, has a good heart and helps others, and doesn’t get involved with what “religion” says. I just loved hearing him talk about all the places he’s been and all the experiences he’s had. I honestly ate it all up! It’s strange, though it goes the opposite direction of where I wanted my life to go as a little girl, I feel like I'm meant to live life and travel before I get to the “kids, house, and dog” part of my future. I aspire to be as good of a person and as adventures as Dustin seems to be! How do I go about this? That is the question… Stay tuned until, or rather, stay tuned AS I discover how to answer this question.

The rapids came and what a rush! The spray of the water in your face. The instant chill. The need to paddle faster to avoid danger. The adrenaline. The joy. It's weird to think that something so simple could make me feel so happy!

My favorite part of the trip down river though, was while we were in the canyon. We were between rapids, the sky was over cast, and a soft rain was falling. The sight of ripples as the raindrops hit the slow moving water. The smell of the mountain fresh air. No one spoke. It wasn't that there was nothing to say, it was that we all just knew. We knew we didn't need to speak. What we, each of us, wanted was the peace and tranquility. We wanted to soak up every moment of this mountain paradise. And we did.

All too soon the trip was over. We got in the vans and headed back to base: Acquired Tastes Rafting

We stopped on the side of the road on the way up because of this breath taking view!