SAUK RIVER, DARRINGTON, WA :: Kristie rounded up our brave friends for another excellent whitewater rafting trip on the Sauk River. The sun was out and the air was warm, which was great for enjoying the mountain views and drying out from douses of icey cold snow melt. The Sauk offers one of the best river experiences in the state, featuring class 3-4 waves and coursing through federally protected wilderness. Unlike the Wenatchee, there are usually only a couple runs on the Sauk each day, and the waves and scenery are much more wild...

Wild enough to toss me overboard! I can't recall the name of the section we were bouncing through (Boneyard, Gums, Jaws, Alligator or Popeye) when the front of raft quickly spun and/or dipped into the river and I was forced backward into the rapids. At first, I wasn't the slightest bit concerned as I calmly swam back towards my spot towards the front and grabbed onto a rope alongside the raft, trying to keep my feet pointed downriver to protect my body from rocks as our guide, Allen, shouted orders to stabilize the raft before a rescue.

This is when I quickly discovered the last place you should be in the water is latched onto the very front of a raft sliding over whitewater. My left heel smacked into a rock and the force of the water spun me around as the raft ran completely over me. I let go and popped out on Jessica's side. I gasped repeatedly and got equal amounts of air and water splashed into my mouth. Jessica was extending the handle of her oar out to me, but I refused it, thinking there was no way she could bear my weight - I'd pull her right in with me! I remembered to turn again so my feet were facing downriver, not wanting my head or shoulders to be the next part of me to smack into a rock, and then made my way back towards the raft to grab onto the rope.

This is when I heard Allen ordering Jessica and Brent to haul me in. Despite being the two lightest people on the raft, they each hooked into my life jacket's shoulder straps and easily pulled the heaviest guy up and over the side like a large fish. I floundered on the floor for a couple seconds and resumed my spot, paddling through the remainder of the rapids. The entire episode was probably just a couple seconds long, but I felt like I was in the water for a couple minutes. Allen asked if I was okay. I felt a little dazed, but not cold or hurt at all. My heel would bruise a couple days later and cripple me for the next week, but I was happy that was the worst of it. Thanks to Jessica, Brent and Allen for saving me!

About midway through our trip, we stopped for lunch on a beach. Orion Expeditions always offers the best spread of food. Lots of lemonaid, hot cocoa and water to drink. Plenty of yummy chips, fruit, salads, cookies and sandwich-makings to fill us up. We got back onto the river and managed to make it through several more runs of rapids. Another raft had completely flipped over, and we waited a while for everyone to re-assemble.

Before reaching our takeout point, we paddled under a bridge into the mouth of a creek to hike up to a swimming hole and dive spot. The area was lush and beautiful, and I'm glad we took the time to explore it. Caroline, Pete and Brent made the jump into the water, as I swam around shooting photos. I couldn't stay in the water too long, however, because it was too cold.

It was a long day. We started at 10:00 AM and didn't get back into our cars until a little after 6:00 PM. A bit of logistical confusion (caused by another outfitter) resulted in a long delay at the start of our trip, but everything else was handled very professionally and went very smoothly. Our guide, Allen, was excellent at reading the water and maneuvering us down the river, while being entertaining and informative all along the way. And of course, thanks again to Kristie for organizing another fun trip around the schedules of everyone who wanted to go. Join us again next year!