Narrow Ridge (formerly Mountain Man Rafting) offers guided rafting trips, climbing, and more!
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Narrow Ridge, LLC is an adventure recreation guide service located in the San Luis Valley, Colorado. Narrow Ridge was established in 2021 as the first locally owned professional climbing guide service in the region. In May 2022, Narrow Ridge purchased Mountain Man Rafting which has been running rafting trips on the Upper Rio Grande since 1985. Combined, we are the premier source for guided climbin
g and whitewater rafting in the San Luis Valley. Our guided rafting adventures will take you to explore the river within the majestic river canyons and valleys near Creede and South Fork, Colorado. We know that you will find that we offer remarkable adventure experiences! Proudly serving the San Luis Valley, Creede, South Fork, Lake City, and Pagosa Springs!
A few guides were itching for a Creede Box run. Yesterday the flows were about 1,200cfs and we expected a lot of debris. So we took handsaws and cut what we felt safe cutting to attempt to remove strainer hazards. We cleared one channel where there was a river wide strainer. There are still several sketchy spots but is navigable if you’re experienced with such wild rivers. Still, as the photos show, one wrong move can lead to being where you never want to be. Be safe out there.
Our boats are shiny and ready for the river. Now we just need you!
Want to learn more about the owner of Narrow Ridge? Here is a recent article from Shoutout Colorado
https://shoutoutcolorado.com/meet-curt-howell-professional-outdoor-educator-and-guide/
We had the good fortune of connecting with Curt Howell...
Book before March 31st and save on summer fun!
www.narrowridgeoutdoors.com
Congratulations to several Division of Water Resources staff who completed a 3 day Wilderness Medicine Training Center Wilderness First Aid course in Alamosa this week! We had a great time learning and practicing skills that might (but hopefully not!) come in handy when on the job or out on our own time. Thank you to everyone who participated in the training!
Sunday fun day! Narrow Ridge offered a guided ice climbing trip as one of the options for the Rio Frio festivities this past weekend. What a fantastic day to climb some ice!
Just wrapped up a fun but chilly week at the University of Nebraska Outdoors Adventure Center. Check out the photos below for a glimpse of a Hybrid Wilderness First Responder course. Kudos to the students in this course for working long days and out in the negative teens. Buurrrrr.
In the Pagosa Springs, South Fork, Del Norte, or Creede area for Labor Day? Why not go rock climbing?!
We’re offering 20% off climbing trips this holiday weekend.
www.narrowridgeoutdoors.com
Here are some fun pics from a couple weeks ago. This a Wilderness First Aid course hosted by the BLM at the Field Office in Canyon City. Fun times. Good people.
We’re still rafting and kayaking this week if you’re itching to get on the river. Just give us a call at 719-873-0188 or visit our website at www.narrowridgeoutdoors.com
At the end of last week our staff snuck out to run Westwater Canyon on the Colorado. It was a fabulous trip. Relaxing and enjoying each other's company, experience the incredible desert ecosystem, and run fantastic rapids! Here are a few pics.
Also, we're still running kayaking, rafting, and climbing trips so if you're in town and looking to get on the Upper Rio or have some fun, give us a call or book online at www.narrowridgeoutdoors.com
719-873-0188
Happy Independence Day! Our guides are joining the parade and festivities up in Creede today. Watch out, you may get a treat and a splash!
In town for the 4th and kids want to do something totally different? For the first time ever, there is guided rock climbing for all skill levels, including beginners.
This is your chance to be one of those cool folks, hanging out on a rock wall. Climb the cliffs near Big Meadows Reservoir or in Penitente Canyon.
Trips meet at the venue or at Narrow Ridge Outdoors/Mountain Man Raft shack, 30923 US-160, South Fork, CO 81154. Learn from a former outdoor education professor with 20 years of experience teaching and guiding rock climbing.
Your kids will learn a new skill from the best teacher, and they'll think you're super rad. Book now.
www.narrowridgeoutdoors.com
We're having a fabulous summer so far! The weather is amazing and our guests have been awesome. Next week's raft trips are almost sold out! Don't miss out on the fun!
This afternoon our guides cleared the debris from the trestle bridge at Wagon Wheel Gap. If you plan to navigate under this bridge, use caution and pick your line based on what you observe, not what people tell you. We recommend scouting this bridge before running it. It is possible to it scout from river left or right and from the pullout just beside the bridge. There is a canoe currently submerged and wrapped near the middle and will likely be there until the level drops a few hundred CFS.
Be safe.
That's right, we're now offering guided inflatable kayaking trips on the Rio Grande! We believe that proper instruction in river safety and paddling techniques is essential to maximizing fun on the river. Before renting kayaks and trying it on your own, it is recommend to have learned the basics under the instruction and supervision of professionals.
On these inflatable kayaking trips, you will learn about river hazards, reading the river, self rescue, fundamental paddling techniques and maneuvers.
River stretches include Wagon Wheel Gap, Town Park, and the cottonwood bottoms between CR 19 and 17. For more information visit:
www.narrowridgeoutdoors.com
Thank you to South Fork Fire and Rescue for allowing us to use their facility for our WFA course. It was a great training with great people!
We're ready for you! Book online at www.narrowridgeoutdoors.com
or call us at 719-873-0188
We had a fun week training our new guides. Here area few pics. Our guides are eager to get folks out on the river this next week! If you haven’t booked a trip with us yet, it’s time!
See you on the river!
Here are some pics from last week’s Wilderness First Responder in South Fork. Thank you to South Fork Fire and Rescue for gracious allowing us to use their base for the course!
Colorado Parks and Wildlife has proposed changes that would have a drastic and negative impact on outdoor recreation in the San Luis Valley.
Prohibited Activity #17
"To launch, or take out vessels, except those being actively used for fishing and/or hunting."
That is one of the proposed changes to Colorado Parks and Wildlife's regulations for all State Wildlife Areas. This means that you could no longer use Airport Bridge, The Hatchery, all of Coller, and the Hannah Lane boat ramps to launch or take out unless you are fishing or hunting. Thus, you could no longer enjoy an afternoon float with your kids or grandkids on the Rio Grande. This also means that commercial rafting, kayaking, etc would be so restricted that the service we provide our customers (and have for nearly 40 years) would severely impacted. The negative implications are significant.
See for yourself. Please submit your thoughts by the close of their public comment period which is May 24th.
https://engagecpw.org/general-provisions
https://engagecpw.org/property-specific-provisions
This is bad for South Fork, bad for the SLV, and bad for Colorado.
General provisions are regulations that are applicable to all State Wildlife Areas (SWAs), except for State Trust Lands (or if explicitly allowed or disallowed in property-specific regulations). CPW is proposing revisions to the general provisions for SWAs, including
If you spend time on rivers this course is for you. Blue Spruce Outdoor School offers high quality courses to give you the knowledge and skills to help you recognize and avoid river hazards as well as assist in emergencies. This is an excellent course. Don't miss out!
Register now at www.bluespruceoutdoorschool.com
Here's a little highlight reel from last week's Hybrid Wilderness First Responder at the University of Michigan's Adventure Leadership Center. Super fun course with great students in a beautiful location!
If you're looking for wilderness medicine courses, we're offering at Wilderness First Aid and Adult/Child CPR/AED course in South Fork, CO June 2-4.
www.narrowridgeoutdoors.com
Here are some photos from last week’s Wilderness First Aid course I taught for several field researchers at Stanford University. Wonderful people doing cool stuff!
This is a fun event. 3 of the Howell’s won the family category last year!
This year, the Rio Races /Rio Trio Adventure Race will be graced by the presence of Wilder, Generation Wild Colorado's 7-foot tall "spokescreature". Bring your kids out to the kid's race and meet this friendly half mountain goat half yeti! 🐐
Register today!
https://rioraces.com/rio-trio-race-home
Visit Alamosa
San Luis Valley Great Outdoors
City of Alamosa Activities
Are you coming to Creede or South Fork this summer? Then you should also come rafting with us! We're going to have an excellent season with great flows!
Book now to ensure you get the dates you want.
www.narrowridgeoutdoors.com
Attention outdoor recreators! Would you know what to do if someone got injured and needed help? Or if someone became suddenly ill? If you spend time outdoors hunting, fishing, riding, hiking, this is a class for you.
This 3 day Wilderness First Aid course introduces you to wilderness medicine. It will provide you the understanding needed to help you identify medical, trauma, and environmental problems that may occur in the outdoors. The practical labs and simulations give you the skills necessary to help others when you are an hour or more from definitive help.
Don't miss out on this opportunity to take this high quality course!
Register now at www.narrowridgeoutdoors.com
Our friends at 8200 give a brief summary of the general consensus of how this season’s snowpack water equivalency is lining up agains some historical data. This summer season is on track for good flows. Check it out!
Snow pack update:
The Upper Rio Grande is sittin' pretty at 181% of median. This is a massive change from a couple weeks ago when we were only at 107%.
A couple fun items to look at on the graph below.
The dark green line is from 2019, the year of the floods.
The red line is from 2018, the year of the severe drought.
The black line is our current year.
Many models still show that we are in for a wetter than average Spring.
As long as we don't have some crazy heat wave this is going to make the mighty Rio Grande even more mighty!
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Last day of guide training. We had some fun on the Animas!
SUPing on the Rio! Here we are entering the Rock Garden testing out our new Badfish SUPs 😬😀🤞 #riverpaddleboarding #coloradorafting #narrowridgeoutdoors # whitewater #raftingadventure #familyfun #mountainmanrafting #coloradoadventure #riogranddriver #getoutside #summeradventure #rivervibes #riverpaddleboarding #suplife #rafting #mildtowild
We’re getting pumped! The river is running and today we tested out some new inventory. That’s right, we’re adding river stand up paddleboarding to the menu this season!
Just finished facilitating a Wilderness First Responder (WFR) Recert this weekend. What I enjoyed most was working with people dedicated to self improvement and helping them hone the ability to orient their thinking to what is most important, make decisions, and take appropriate action in stressful situations. I believe that this particular skill is one of the key outcomes for a WFR course, especially a Recert. What do you take away from a wilderness medicine course?
Here's a little highlight reel from last week's Hybrid Wilderness First Responder at the University of Michigan's Adventure Leadership Center. Super fun course with great students in a beautiful location! If you're looking for wilderness medicine courses, we're offering at Wilderness First Aid and Adult/Child CPR/AED course in South Fork, CO June 2-4. www.narrowridgeoutdoors.com #wildernessmedicine #wmtc #universityofmichigan
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