AvidEuropeanTraveler
Apr 2022
As part of our weeklong stay in Gardiner to explore Yellowstone, we had booked a private boat half-day (2 hour) rafting tour with Wild West Rafting ahead of time. It was not cheap, but it turned out to be a lot of fun and absolutely worth the money. The young, dynamic and well-trained team displayed the kind of typical joking comradery, but also impressed with their emphasis on safety. We were all involved right from the beginning by having to carry down our boat to the river and obviously by doing the paddle work, following the commands of our guide - I believe it was Cole. As it was August, the river was a lot calmer then we had expected and our boys were allowed to go out for a quick swim during a smooth section of the river. But we were still able to enjoy some rapids, diving deep into the splashing water, reminding me of my rafting experience in the European Alps when I was a teen. The excitement never fades. Afterwards, we were shown a lengthy series of pictures taken of us during the rapid section by one of their photographers (don't even think about bringing a phone into the boat. You will loose it!). They were ours for $50, again not cheap, but worth it - and downloaded straight to my IPhone - fantastic. An awesome adventure and welcome break from our daily Yellowstone excursions.