caterpillar collecting

On Easter Sunday we held our annual Easter Egg Hunt here at the Blue Heron Whitewater nest/base/outpost.

happy deviled eggs

It’s been a warm early spring with good water levels for some great whitewater rafting on the French Broad River and what better way to celebrate spring and the unfolding of a new rafting season then with a gathering of friends and

A Basket Full of Chocolate

family.

For more information on the whitewater rafting trips we offer on the French Broad River near Asheville, NC check out our website at www.BlueHeronWhitewater.com or give us a call at 888-426-7238.

Dan and Robbie on the Hunt

The Trail to the River

What do river guides do on their day off? Why, they go rafting, canoeing and kayaking of course. Sometimes they stay close to home and go down the French Broad River, and sometimes they venture off to see and explore new rivers, or maybe visit an old friend they haven’t seen in a while. Thats what

Kayaking on the Chattooga River

Eye of the Needle Rapid

happened last Sunday when a group of old and new friends met at our old friend the Chattoogga River for a day of fun and comradarie. Many of us left from a cold and rainy Asheville, NC that morning to meet friends from Atlanta and Chattanooga at the river. Fortunately the sun came out and it turned into a beautiful day on a beautiful river.

As much as we all love the French Broad River, it’s good to get on a different river every now and then. Sort of like continuing ed., it keeps you sharp and excited about running rivers. Something we all love. For more information on the trips we run on the French Broad River near Asheville check out our web site at www.BlueHeronWhitewater.com or just give us a call at 888-426-7238.

Bull Sluice Rapid

Guide School Classroom Session

Many thanks to Ed Daugherty for coming over for the day and helping us with a training session for our new Guide School instructors . We have known and paddled with Ed for over twenty years. He is the creator and coach for the freshman odyssey program at Davidson College and has been an ACA (American Canoe Association) instructor trainer for more then a decade. Although these men and women have many years, even decades of whitewater guiding, training and teaching, it’s always a good idea to get everybody together to brain storm and get

Trainer training session on the French Broad River

on the same page. It was a fun, productive and inspirational day. A little chilly on the river but it was great to get together with old friends and share ideas about the best way to train new guides. For more information about Guide School, or Blue Heron Whitewater’s rafting trips on the French Broad River please check out our website at www.BlueHeronWhitewater.com or give us a call at 888-426-7238 (H2O- RAFT).

A Beautiful, Cold Day on the French Broad River

January Rafting on the French Broad River

We had our first trip of the 2012 whitewater rafting season on January 20. Many thanks to Max and Gabe for joining us and getting us off the couch and on the river, and for allowing us to be a part of Gabe’s eleventh birthday celebration. The weather is mild and we have plenty of warm fleece and wetsuits for your comfort. It’s been a mild winter so far and the water is at a great fun level. The French Broad River is never really a crowded river and it is even less crowded now. The water is clear and beautiful and the views are even more spectacular without all those pesky leaves getting in the way. There is nothing like a brisk day on the river to make hot chocolate and warm clothes feel luxurious. Give us a call at 888-426-7238 and we can customize a unique, winter whitewater rafting trip on the French Broad River. Check out our website for more info or give us a call. www.BlueHeronWhitewater.com

First Rafting Trip of 2012

Digging the Post Holes the Hard Way

Now that our rafting trips have slowed down a bit we have had time to work on our sign. We didn’t really think it was a sign that would bring in business, it was designed more as a directional sign so that folks who already have a reservation to go rafting with us could find us more easily. But a couple of folks have already come rafting with us even though they didn’t have a reservation because they saw the sign. So kudos to the sign team: Sandy, Eric, Wags, and Jimmy. And to Brian, who designed and fabricated the metal sculpture. It looks great.

For more information about the rafting trips Blue Heron Whitewater offers check out our website at www.BlueHeronWhitewater.com or give us a call at 888-426-7238. And don’t forget, rafting through the mountains in autumn is spectacular. We will be open through October and into November.

Blue Heron Whitewater's New Sign

Whitewater Rafting in the Rain

Many people don’t want to go rafting on the French Broad River when it’s raining. But it can be some of the most beautiful time on the river. The mist rolling through the mountains is spectacular. When our guests get back from these trips they are so excited. The rain adds a whole new dimension to a rafting trip. It does help to be dressed for it though. Don’t hesitate to take a splash jacket, splash pants, or even a wetsuit (all at no extra charge) if it looks like it might rain or you get cold easily. So if there’s rain in the forecast don’t let that deter you. People who were nervous about the rain at first have come back smiling and saying that they loved the rain and that it had added so much to their trip.

For more information about whitewater or calm water rafting trips on the French Broad River with Blue Heron Whitewater check out our website at www.BlueHeronWhitewater.com or give us a call at 888-426-7238 A Beautiful Rainy Day on the French Broad River

A Beautiful Rainy Day on the French Broad River

Black Bear on the French Broad River

This is a great time of year to see wildlife on the French Broad River. The weather is a bit cooler, there is less rafting traffic on the river. And animals are on the move, getting ready for winter. We are

Bear Swimming on the French Broad River

seeing lots of Herons. The ospreys are still around, and the occasional bald eagle is still spotted. Just the other day a river otter was seen (they are very cute). And if you are very lucky you might see a black bear amble, swim and jump its way across the river. The water is still warm and the rapids are still fun. And there’s a lot going on in the animal kingdom. The leaves have started to change too.

For more information on Blue Heron Whitewater rafting trips check out our website at www.BlueHeronWhitewater.com or give us a call at 888-426-7238

Bear Jumping on the French Broad River

(H2O-Raft)

Three Generations Floating Down the French Broad River

There’s a lot of great things about our float trips on the French Broad River. Kids as young as four can raft with us on the float trip. It is the closest rafting trip to Asheville for kids that age. All of our float trips have a guide, and it is a very scenic section of the French Broad River with a couple of good swimming opportunities. We see lots of great Blue Herons and have pretty regular sightings of bald eagles and osprey. And occasional sightings of otters.
This year we have had several trips that included three generations paddling together. This happens on the whitewater trip some times as well. We’ve even had a few well behaved, water savvy dogs join us on the float trip.
For more information on the float trips and white water trips we offer on the French Broad River check out our web site at www.BlueHeronWhitewater.com or give us a call at 888-426-7238.

Cooling Off on the French Broad River

Headed for a fried chicken dinner on the French Broad River

In the 3 years since we started Blue Heron Whitewater we’ve had a lot of ideas about trips we would like to try out. We have been busy finding a spot and building the nest and now we are finally ready to try out a few ideas.
We often paddle after work. On those paddles we often discuss how great it is to be on the river at the end of the day. The crowds are gone, we often see birds and other critters and the evening light is beautiful.

An IK (inflatable kayak or duck) on the French Broad River

Last summer we did one evening rafting trip quite by accident. Some folks showed up really late and really wanted to go rafting. We had willing guides and a driver and away we went. It was a fantastic trip. We even wrote a blog about it. Discussion of what a fine time we had on that trip lead to the idea of an evening trip with a fried chicken picnic dinner. And since the fourth of July conjures up images of picnics and fried chicken for many folks we decided to give it a try. The trip was a resounding success.
For more info on chicken dinner rafting or any of our other trips check out our website at www.BlueHeronWhitewater.com or give us a call at 866-426-7238.

Bald Eagle Spotted Near "The Maze" Rapid on the French Broad River

We are seeing more bald eagles this year. Just about every day an eagle is spotted either on the float trip or the whitewater trip. And it is always a big deal. Come whitewater rafting on the French Broad River with Blue Heron Whitewater. We are just downstream of Asheville, NC and we lead river trips on one of the oldest rivers on earth.

For more info check out our website at www.BlueHeronWhitewater.com or give us a call at 888-426-7238.