"It's a privilege to live in Colorado and have access to these types of adventures," said Dirk. "I want my entire family to experience the fun. Every trip has been a success, but this latest was the best trip ever."

Dirk and his family recently took a full-day trip with Wilderness Aware Colorado Rafting, a member of the Arkansas River Outfitters Association. They started their trip in Buena Vista and enjoyed a full day rafting, hiking and lunch in Browns Canyon. They finished their trip at Stone Bridge, near Salida. This trip included three of their grandchildren; 16, 10 and seven years of age. Dirk, 69 years old, is an active grandparent who wants his kids and grandkids to experience and enjoy outdoor adventure.

Safety was particularly important to Dirk given that his grandkids were along. "The guide provided a thorough safety briefing in advance giving special attention to the kids. Knowing that risk can be a factor with any adventure sport, we also practiced each potential situation in advance. The section of the river we chose included some Class 3 and 4 rapids," said Dirk, "but felt well prepared should something occur. It was a blast of excitement for us all."

AROA outfitters have trips specifically designed for family fun. During the high water in early June, Dennis Wied, Raft Masters owner and an AROA member, guided a boat with a seven-year-old, a 92-year-old woman and all ages in-between. "On this particular trip the water was at a high flow of 4,200 cubic feet per second," Dennis said. "We were rafting Lone Pine to Pinnacle Rock, about 10 miles. At lower water levels the same trip would go from Salt Lick to Parkdale. By moving the trips to different sections based on water levels, we're able to assure that family trips will be doing Class 2 and 3 rapids, which are appropriate for children as young as five years of age."

Another AROA outfitter, Echo Canyon River Expeditions, often guides trips down the river with senior citizens. "Although many of these seniors are older than 70, they are fearless thrill seekers and are looking for some adventure, which we can provide," said Andy Neinas, Echo Canyon River Expeditions owner.

One of the great things about the Arkansas River is the ability to adjust trips to provide guests with the level of difficulty appropriate for their outing. While not unique to the Arkansas River, very few rivers actually offer this kind of flexibility.