Author Archive

Ok so it’s just our local paper in Placerville, the Mountain Democrat, but it’s still exciting to see AO Rafting owner and guide extraordinaire Scott A in print!  His photo accompanied a lovely article on whitewater rafting back in June […]

We here in our Lotus River Operations office (ie HQ for AO Rafting) have a new neighbor just up the road!  South Fork Farm at Wakamatsu.  This organic 10 acre farm is located on the historic site of the 19th […]

Being heavily regulated and legislated (and damned), the Middle Fork of the American River can basically be turned “on and off” by the Powers that Be.  And this year, those powers have decided to turn off the spigut at the […]

Summer is winding down and for many of you that means the kids will soon be headed back to school, buried under homework, band practice, and track meets.   Before you lose them to Academia, spend some time reconnecting and hanging […]

A new Blazo champion was crowned, the balloon-toss went into overtime, and even though the Triva contest had rules this year it was still…………..a hot mess.  But, the carnitas were tasty, there was an abundance of guacamole–which is so rare, […]

This past weekend we saw more Armstrongs than Napa has wine grapes:  it was the annual Armstrong/Angeli Family Reunion hosted here at our River Center on the South Fork of the American River.  Four generations–from age 3.5 to 88!–, 50+ […]

The Huz-band and I recently got away for a little overnight excursion and I was reminded of the power a wee vacay can have.  Don’t get me wrong–I love an adventure of any size, but if you can swing spending […]

The inflatable lobster is out of storage and you know what that means–it’s the last day of our beginning Whitewater Guide School.  Full dossiers aren’t in yet, but we in the office have heard pretty dang good reports about this year’s […]

Trips on the Creek start tomorrow: it’s the moment you’ve been waiting for.  Well, the moment that the less sedentary and higher-octane among us have been waiting for anway.  Me?  I’ll see you on a Tom Sawyer Float trip or a […]

That’s it, the Merced is offline!  If you want to raft in the Yosemite Valley area, best turn your attention to the Tuolumne River.  It’s not sourced in Yosemite like the Merced is, but it’s still close enough to add […]