Rafting, in my opinion, can be either one of the most exhilarating or relaxing things you can do on a moving body of water. Most of these bodies of water are located in beautiful national forests and varied wilderness areas. In order to preserve these scenic wild areas for future generations, it is important for the rafting community to limit their impact on these areas by following this simple statement: take only pictures, leave only foot prints. Rafting itself already has enough impact on the rivers we use, so we must take it upon ourselves to make sure these areas stay pristine so our children can experience the beauty and adventure that we already have.

To quote Laura Pritchett:

Of all the water that exists on Earth (326,000,000 cubic miles), less than 3 percent is fresh and most of it is locked up in icecaps and glaciers. The Cache la Poudre is a vessel that carries a tiny amount of fresh, and my body is a vessel that carries a smaller part of this river’s waters. But how big we can seem, from this small perspective.

– Zach Butler, River Guide since 2009