Salmon River Weekend Reflection On the weekend of April 22nd through the 23rd, the University of Idaho Recreation 224 class led by Bruce Saxman took a trip to the Lower Salmon River for a spring whitewater rafting trip. With a group of fourteen people, we brought two separate rafts for individuals to get different experiences piloting each style of boat. The first raft, which was slightly smaller, was a frameless paddle boat that could hold a few less people but was also more maneuverable. The second boat was a stern-framed raft that was a few feet longer and had quite a bit more capacity for both people and gear. Since the group was not camping on the river, the amount of space that was left was largely unused on account of all the gear being left in the vehicles. Participants had widely varying expectations of this trip and many were apprehensive about the river, weather, and other factors, but they pulled together and actually created an exceptional recreational experience. There was one student in particular, named Grant Curtis, who seemed to really enjoy himself during the entire trip. The outcome he excelled at the most was absolutely the river running portion. Though he had some experience with maneuvering through swift water, he had never experienced anything like the Salmon River. The water was running exceptionally high at an accelerated pace which made most of the rapids far less daunting. That being said, from the road, it seemed as if both boats would have an exceptionally bumpy ride. Another outcome that he seemed to handle well was the trip planning and preparation. Though he had a large list of trip leading experience under his belt, he truly had no idea how much preparation and risk management is required while planning a trip over swift water. Though he did not participate much during the planning portion of the trip, there was much more learned and experienced than he had anticipated. The outcomes he struggled with the most was the river reading skills. The fastest water Grant had experienced before this trip was a small creek outside of Leavenworth, Washington so the differences of said experiences were very large. Though he had a decent command of both the stern-frame and the standard paddle boats, he did not have a solid grasp of where the water was trying to take him. This is where the height of the water created an environment where mistakes could be made without dire consequences. With all of the major rapids as washed out as they were, many of the most dangerous ones could be avoided or navigated with very little to worry about. After observing the participants for the duration of the trip, nothing seemed to be experienced that negated from the outcomes of the trip. All individuals seemed as though they were maintaining positive attitudes throughout the trip in the face of poor weather conditions and a camp site that many believed to be not ideal. Considering the only two factors that could have hampered spirits in any way did not succeed seems as though the trip was a positive experience for everyone!The group and personal ethics outcomes are definitely the areas in which people have the most to gain and grow from. Many times during these experiences, individuals will feel inclined to take shortcuts with gear, packing, waste removal, and cooking. After getting to know everyone in the classroom through the previous classroom sessions, once the participants got to the river, everyone seemed to morph into a moderately cohesive unit. Once this is achieved, there are far less shortcuts taken because the repercussions usually land on others in the group. Another area in which the participants seemed as though they grew large amounts was in the proper use of equipment. Specifically with the carabiners, pulleys, and z-drag construction. Not only were people using them correctly, but they were thinking of many different scenarios in which mechanical advantage could be used in daily tasks. The most fun part of this course was easily the campfire and second day of rafting. Bonding with classmates over a nice fire and a plethora of drinks was easily the most anticipated experience of the year. Pair that with an excellent day of rafting the next morning and we are in business for an excellent river adventure. The parts of the trip that were disliked the most were doing the dishes, and being woken up on Sunday morning. This is a testament to the quality of friends and experience of the trip. The biggest thing that surprised me about this course was how much I got to know people I have had class with for the past two years. I knew almost everyone to some extent but after the trip, I felt as though I had a far deeper connection with my classmates than before. I truly believe that all of the outcomes that were presented in the syllabus were met in absolution and almost all of them will be used in my future recreation choices. I know for a fact I will be using all of the rope and rescue skills in the future as motorcycle riding is a favorite recreational outlet. Doing so, I have stuck many a bikes down different embankments with no way to retrieve them until now! Many of the things learned during this course could easily translated into my career field as I hope to work with groups of similar size doing similar activities. Being an adventure guide with and strong educational aspect is an area of the recreation field I can absolutely get behind. All things considered, this was one of if not the most recreation trip I have ever been on and I can truly say that I would not have changed a thing.