Dinosaur National Monument Rafting Tours Help Support Mission of Rocky Mountain Public Broadcasting Station

From PRWeb: Dinosaur National Monument Rafting Tours Help Support Mission of Rocky Mountain Public Broadcasting Station
Adrift Adventures, an expedition rafting company operating seasonally in Dinosaur National Monument, has teamed up with Rocky Mountain Public Broadcasting Station(RMPBS) for the third consecutive year to host two four-day rafting tours through Gates of Lodore on the Green River, set to launch July 27 and August 16 (sold out), 2012, with a portion of the proceeds going back to the station.

Dr. Pat Tierney, professor and chair of the recreation, parks and tourism department at San Francisco State University and co-founder and former owner of Adrift Adventures, will be the keynote interpreter and guest guide for the July 27 Green River rafting trip.

“Dinosaur National Monument is unique and special in many regards,” Dr. Tierney explained. “The area’s diverse natural and environmental history really epitomizes the canyons of the west…it may be lesser known than the Grand Canyon, but in a lot of ways it’s just as beautiful.”

Dr. Tierney said he has been exploring Dinosaur National Monument for 34 years – starting out as a kayak-based river ranger for the National Park Service, then conducting research on boater impacts of the area and eventually founding Colorado Canyons Whitewater (later expanding to include Adrift Adventures) with his wife in 1980. They sold Adrift Adventures to River Runners in 2006, but he still works as a guest guide and interpreter for the Utah rafting company and the Sierra Club in Alaska.

“Dinosaur is a convergence of ecosystems and past Native American cultures,” Dr. Tierney explained. “With its beautiful 2,000 foot deep canyons, 800-year-old Indian rock art, exciting rapids and optional hiking – every day is different and has something new to enjoy.”

Adrift Adventures will donate a portion of the trip cost back to RMPBS. This amount is based on participant levels and will reach $200 per adult with a full trip of 25 participants. Both rafting trips sold out in 2010 and 2011.

Penny Mitchell, general manager at KRMJ in Grand Junction, is responsible for coordinating the two Gates of Lodore whitewater rafting fundraisers with Adrift Adventures. She said she is excited to again partner with the Utah rafting company.

“In addition to being a fundraiser, our hope with these trips is that the participants – who already appreciate what we do – become even more involved with RMPBS,” Mitchell said.

The keynote interpreter for the August 16 rafting tour will be Dr. Andrew Gulliford, professor of southwest studies and history at Ft. Lewis College in Durango, who will participate for the third consecutive year.

“I have been involved with interpretive programs in and around Dinosaur National Monument for twenty years, and by far the best way to experience it is from a raft,” Gulliford said. “The geology is spectacular and it has such a unique history…not only the pre-history and that of Native Americans, but also the stories of cowboys, outlaws and famous explorers like John Wesley Powell.”

According to Adrift Adventures, limited space is still available for the July 27 launch, but the August 16 date is sold out (call to get on a waiting list). Both Green River rafting trips are open to the public and are capped at 25 participants by the National Park Service. Cost is $765 for adults and $250 for children between six and 12 years old. A $200 deposit is required at time of booking. To make reservations contact Adrift Adventures at 800-824-0150 or learn more about these and other rafting expeditions at http://www.adrift.com.

Four-day Gates of Lodore rafting trips on the Green River cover 44 river miles in the heart of Dinosaur National Monument. These wilderness rafting trips launch at Gates of Lodore in Colorado and take out at Split Mountain Campground in Utah. Intermediate class III and class IV rapids will be encountered on both trips, but no prior rafting experience is necessary. Camps are remote and accessible only by watercraft. These Utah and Colorado whitewater rafting tours are professionally guided, all-inclusive and self-contained.

Adrift Adventures is an authorized concessionaire of the National Park Service that offers fully guided whitewater rafting trips on the Green River and Yampa River in Dinosaur National Monument – May 1 through the first week of September. To learn more about these and other family-friendly Utah and Colorado whitewater rafting tours log on to http://www.adrift.com or call 800-824-0150.