AO Gives Our Most-Frequent Floaters a Chance to Get To Know Each Other

Posted October 1, 2006 by Robyn Suddeth

We’ve talked about it for years, saying what a shame it was that “Bob” and “Joe” have never been on the same trip together, because they’re both pretty neat guys and apparently love rafting almost as much as we do. But the trip just never materialized. Until this year. We finally got it together, and invited all of our most-frequent floaters along on a special river trip and barbeque… our way of saying thanks for rafting with us so many times and for giving all those fellow enthusiasts a chance to finally meet each other. Some of the guys and gals that joined us on this trip are folks who came rafting 15 to 20 times, just this year! Incredible. Others have come on trips consistently over the past 20 years. Either way, we figured they already were a de facto part of the AO community, so why not welcome them in and celebrate it?

The trip consisted of either a one-day South Fork Lower or a one-day Middle Fork, with an evening of barbeque, slide shows and socializing in between those two days. I have to admit I was a little worried at first that the evening wouldn’t have the bonding and celebratory vibe that I was hoping for, but it ended up being even more fun and special than I had anticipated.

Multiple stories, memories, and bouts of laughter were shared during our slide-show of all the rivers that AO runs, (especially when those pictures of swimmers, flips, and other types of mayhem started showing up on the screen)…George (who has come on many trips with his wife over the past 10 years or so), brought out his bagpipes and played during dinner, ending the concert with a beautiful rendition of “Amazing Grace.” Wine was tasted and shared, and a game of Cranium even got started at eleven at night. I have to say; it was hands down the best trip I worked all year… because it didn’t actually feel like work… it felt like a gathering of old friends.