Planning a white water rafting trip, either for a few friends or a huge family reunion, can be quite the undertaking. Here are some questions to ask yourself as you start to layout plans for your adventure!

•When are you looking to go on your trip?

Rafting seasons are different everywhere you go!

•Where are you planning on going to?

Don’t know? We can help you decide!

•Length of the trip you are planning?

There are options from a few hours to multiple days. Overnight trips can be relaxing and fun, just make sure it is something everyone going with you would be up for. You can ask a reservationist about food options as well as camping equipment.

•Ages in your group?

Many rivers have age restrictions for the safety of all rafters.

•Activities you are looking in to (Rafting, Jeeping, Train, Mesa Verde, anything and everything?)

A rafting trip can be combined with lots of options and generally these packages are discounted!

•Adventure Level of your group?

Mild, Intermediate, Wild, or somewhere in between!

•Size of your group?

Party of 2, family of 10, or a school group of 200? There’s options for all!

•Where you are coming from on your trip, and where you are heading after your trip?

This information can be used to incorporate a rafting trip into your already scheduled vacation.

Keep in mind you do not need to know which river and what trip option you want before calling a rafting company. Reservationists are there to help you figure out what trip is best for you and your group.

What is the number one reason to take a Jeep Trail Tour this fall? The spectacular Colorado fall colors in the High Country. Take in the sights of Aspen leaves turning to gold with contrasting red Gambel oak brush and green Lodgepole Pines! We have two great options:

Ghost Town Tour

La Plata Canyon Tour

You can also combine a Mini Ghost Town Tour with a ride on the historic Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad! Click here for video!

Looking for a great way to stay in shape and have a GREAT time? Check out Ultimate Frisbee! It’s kind of like Frisbee and kind of like football, but more fun than both! Durango and the surrounding areas are full of Frisbee folk who love to share the game with beginners and pros alike. There are pick-up games twice a week to help you get into Frisbee shape, but be sure not to miss one of the largest tournaments in the Southwest….The Durango Hat! A hat tournament is perfect for making new friends and you don’t need to be an expert to play! When you register, you fill out a form rating your experience, athleticism, and competitiveness, then, the tournament director “draws from a hat” to make the teams as even as possible. Check it out!

The 16th Annual SKA Brewing Durango Hat will take place again this year on Labor Day weekend, September 2 – 5.  We only play the tournament on Saturday and Sunday, the 3-4, but you will want to come early and stay late for some extra fun! You are welcome to come pick-up at our league on Thursday night, then road or mountain bike…or hike…or rock climb…or enjoy the Animas River on Friday morning!

Friday afternoon at 4:30 we gather at the top of our in town ski hill, and huck discs down.  Win a dollar for every ultimate disc you put into the parking lot, and win a new disc if you make the road.  From 6:00 PM until dark is pick-up at Riverview Elementary School (2900 Mesa), and then 8:00 PM to midnight is Beach Volleyball under the lights at Santa Rita Park (Santa Rita Dr. and S. Camino del Rio).  At midnight a convoy to the campground East of Durango will commence.

On Saturday games start at 10:30 AM. After games, dinner and a party will be provided at SKA Brewing World Headquarters (225 Girard St.)  We will have great food from Zia Taqeria, $1 beers all night long, at least 1 live band, a new stand up comedy routine from Chad Peyer, a joke competition, and don’t forget the indoor and outdoor games! After the party, we will head out to the campground again for some more socializing and fun!

On Sunday breakfast and a late lunch are provided on the fields. In the morning we cook you pancakes and scrambled eggs at the fields, and then burgers will be grilled up for finals.  Sunday evening we’ll have some bar specials lined up downtown for those wishing to discover the Durango nightlife.

On Monday you can get out and enjoy the beautiful mountains around Durango, or play in a special Ultimate only Beach Volleyball tournament.  The rest of the town has to wait until the afternoon to play.  Oh yeah, I forgot to mention we play on the nicest fields in town, and there will be tons of field food.  And every player gets a limited edition disc and shirt.  So limited that if you show up late you may miss out so be sure to pre-register!

For more information on the tournament and how to register, check it out on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/#!/event.php?eid=253550727989766, and for more information on Durango Ultimate in general, check out http://www.facebook.com/#!/groups/189620671081406/.

When do we need to make reservations?

During peak season, many of our trips book out. It is best to make a reservation as soon as you know when you want to go on a trip. Our revervationists can help you choose which trip is right for you!

What should we wear?

For spring trips, wetsuits are recommended on most trips and are required all season on the Upper Animas and the Piedra Rivers. Swimsuits are worn under the wetsuit. Synthetic fleece, poly-pro or wool tops keep you warmer as well. In the summer months, swimsuits and nylon shorts are sufficient on our milder trips. Cotton t-shirts, sweatshirts and jeans will stay cold (the temperature of the snow melt water) when wet, so are not suggested. Shoes are required at all times. Wetsuits boots, better known as booties, work best and are available for rent. Since the water is from snow melt, wetsuit boots are always valued. Sandals with straps or old sneakers will do if you do not mind cold feet.

Do we have to know how to swim?

You do not have to know how to swim to go rafting! PFDs, your personal flotation device, are worn at all times on the river and are designed to float you face up. The guides instruct you before the trip on what to do in the small chance (more likely on higher adventure trips and inflatable kayak trips) you take a “swim” in the river.

How big are the rapids?

All rivers are different. Most rivers in the world are rated on the International Scale of Whitewater I – VI.

• Class I is “moving water”
• Class II is “splashes”
• Class III is “wet and fun”
• Class IV is “big drops”
• Class V is “violent rapids”
• Class VI is considered “unrunnable”.

Each of our 27 raft trip options details the class of rapids to guide you on what trips are best for you. Mild to Wild Rafting and Jeep Trail Tours, Inc. offers trips for all adventure levels- on the river in a raft or inflatable kayak and in the high country in our custom jeep trail tour vehicles.

How deep is the river?

River depth changes at different points depending on the gradient and width of the river.

Can we bring cameras or video cameras?

We suggest bringing waterproof, disposable cameras and leaving the video camera at home unless it is waterproof. There is no guarantee that your camera and video camera will not get wet. Photos are taken on some of our more mild rafting adventures and are available for purchase after your trip.

Do we have to paddle?

There are different types of raft boats used for different situations. Oar framed boats allow the guide to use a pair of oars to control and move the raft. Often, customers paddle along with the guide according to his or her commands. Since the guide essentially has control, guests may opt to get involved and help paddle or simply sit back and enjoy the scenery. “Paddle” boats do not have the frame so participants and the guide all have a paddle. No experience is necessary for either type of raft configuration. The guide will teach you how to paddle in your pre-trip instructional and safety orientation.

On our high adventure trips (Upper Animas and Piedra) all participants are required to paddle. On many medium adventure trips, most participants in the raft may be required to paddle, depending on the river.

How cold is the river water?

The rivers we run rely on snow melt (as opposed to dam releases) as their main source of water. This means that in the early season, the water is very cold (40-45 degrees). Later in the season, the water does warm up to about 50-55 degrees. Splash jackets are provided on all of our trips. Wet suit boots are recommended all season, wetsuits are recommended early to mid-season on mild trips, and they are required on most intermediate trips, all high adventure trips and most inflatable kayak trips.

How do we get back to our car?

We provide transportation in quality, well-maintained vehicles back to the meeting place at no extra charge on all of our trips.

Will I get wet?

The trip, the water level and the class of white water will determine how wet you get. Our milder trips have smaller rapids so you get less wet. Also consider the season. If you raft when the snow is rapidly melting and the water is higher, you will get wetter than later season. If it rains, you get more water for you money…and the rainwater is warmer than the river water!

What are the minimum and maximum age limits?

With 27 different trip options for people ages 4-104, you are sure to find the trip that is right for you. All trips have recommended age minimums. These age minimums can fluctuate depending on the water level. See each trip’s specific detailed outline for age requirements. We do reserve the right to raise age minimums at higher water levels.

With over 300 days of sunshine annually, it’s no wonder Durango is popular among local farmers and urban green thumbs. Late spring I decided to start a little garden of my own in the front yard of my apartment.  At the first Durango Farmer’s Market of the season I was amazed by what people had grown in yards as small as my own. I immediately headed to the hardware store and bought seed packets of every “cute” plant I found and a large bag of potting soil.  My excitement vanished when I pulled up next my place and realized what I had just signed up for. A previous tenant had decided the grass was in fact not greener on the other side and put down wood chips over the entire yard.  Since then a variety of death-defying weeds have grown up through the wood chips and completely taken over any other sign of life. I had my work cut out for me.  After hours hunched over in the hot sun, and a quick trip to cool off in the river, I had cleared the yard of most of the weeds and plotted out space for my garden. With absolutely no idea about sun exposure or watering, I planted butternut squash, pumpkins, basil, cilantro and tomatoes. The cilantro sprouted quickly and died just as fast. Two month in my basil looks the healthiest though has not produced as much usable leaf as I had hoped. The squash and pumpkin vines have taken over most of my yard and some of my neighbors’. They’ve flowered a ton and have not produced on small little nugget of a vegetable.  Last but not least come my tall, bush like tomato plants. So far I have one medium sized green tomato growing and little sign of much more.  After weeding almost daily, I wash my hands in the sink and stare at my thumbs, neither green.  Hope is not gone though, I’m still hoping for a great fall harvest, whatever that may mean for my plants.  I’ve also started planning for next season.  I’ll be searching for some inspiration at the fifth annual Durango Tour de Farms that features a bike tour celebrating Durango’s agricultural and gardening communities.  Get more information on where to eat local, buy local and grow your own on Four Corners Farm to Fork Forum.

Colorado is popularly known for its mountains, white water rivers, ghost towns, old mining districts and various other outdoor enthusiast activities.

One of the primary reasons Durango and surrounding towns even exist is due to the gold rush of the 1800’s.

One of the many old mining towns down in our area is Ouray, CO. Ouray is a quaint little town nestled in a beautiful box canyon. The elevation there is around 7,760 ft, though the mines can be higher than 12,000 ft in many areas!! Another great quirk of the area is the Million Dollar Highway. This is the paved road leading into the town from Red Mountain Pass. In 1883 Otto Mears built the original section of the Million Dollar Highway as a toll road to connect Ouray and Ironton, Another toll road was created to get from Ironton to Silverton. In the Late 1880’s Mears went from building mountain roads, to building railroads. He built the original Silverton Railroad north from Silverton running over Red Mountain. Back then the rail ended at Albany about 8 miles south of Ouray. Mears deemed those remaining eight miles to steep and difficult for the railroad. There was talk of building a cog rail at one point, but it never made it past the planning stage. In the early 1920’s Mears’ road was rebuilt. The highway got its name for a few reasons. One is that Mears used tailings from old mines around the area to pave the road. The other is that in the 1920’s the original rout was rebuilt at a cost near $1,000,000,000. Today the entire rout is part of the San Juan Skyway Scenic Byway.

With in a 10-mile radius surrounding Ouray there are still over 10,000 old mine shafts, prospect holes and tunnels. Over the years they have been purchased up by private land-owners, or had claims posted, but there are still some areas open to the average enthusiast.

Probably Ouray’s most famous mine is the Camp Bird Mine located in the Uncompahgre National Forest (privately owned). In 1985 Thomas Walsh started digging around for some ore to be used as flux for his small smelter in Ouray, and discovered that the ore was tellurium with a gold content worth $3,000. He purchased claims throughout the entire basin, and they are known today as the Camp Bird Mine. Between 1896 and 1910 the mine produced over $26 million in gold. The mine was so profitable that Mr. Walsh was able to purchase the Hope Diamond for his daughter.

Another mine located in the Uncompahgre National Forest is the Senorita Mine. The primary materials coming out of this mine are malachite and azurite; both are very calcium rich minerals. Malachite is a deep green color, while azurite a deep dark blue. A lot of the time they are found intertwined with each other. Though there are specimen all over the dumps, and is a beautiful color, they are typically just surface coatings. So these samples are great for collecting, but we wouldn’t recommend it for jewelry, unless you’re going for that raw look!!

-August is just around the corner and theres no better way to spend the last weeks of summer then in Durango. It’s a great time for our inflatable kayaks! As we start to experience lower water conditions, these single man mini-rafts are perfect to navigate the technical challenges of the Lower Animas.

-With our late snow fall finally clearing, the wildflowers are in bloom! Explore stunning panoramic vista and Colorado wildflowers on a jeep trail tour.

-La Plata Count Fair August 6-14 – Authentic and family-friendly county fair! Check out the list of events here.

-Durango Railfest August 18-21 Celebrate all things that go by rail!

-San Juan Brewfest – August 27 – From noon to 6 p.m. in downtown Durango on Main Ave. between 12th and 13th Streets. The event is sponsored by Purgatory at Durango Mountain Resort, planned by CookManFood.com, and benefits United Way of Southwest Colorado.

-Tour de Farm – August 27 – A Bike Tour, celebrating healthy eating, active living and all that is unique and homegrown in Durango.

• Anasazi Indians were the first settlers in the area.                                                                                                                                       -The term Anasazi Indians has been replaced with Ancestral Puebloans and their early residences can be seen at Mesa Verde National Park, which was established in 1906.

• The Denver & Rio Grande Railroad Company founded the town of Durango in 1880.
• The railroad tracks reached Silverton in July 1882.  The labor force was paid an average of $2.25 per day.
• Throughout the course of many years the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad has carried over three hundred million dollars in precious metals.
• The Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad uses 10,000 gallons of water per round-trip and 12,000 pounds of coal; the coal is shoveled one shovel full at a time.
• The Animas River’s official name is El Rio de Las Animas Perdidas, roughly translated means, “The River of Lost Souls.”
• The Animas is one of the last free-flowing rivers in the entire Western United States.
• There are more restaurants in Durango per capita than in San Francisco.
• Two miles of the Animas River are “Gold Medal” waters, a classification for the highest quality of fishing for large trout.
• The Iron Horse Bicycle Classic began in 1972, and is the longest continuously run cycling event in the U.S. Road bikers race the Durango-Silverton Train to Silverton over Memorial Day weekend.
• Durango is the hometown of the original Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory