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Filmed by Logan Bockrath during the 2024 Yampa River Awareness Project river trip, A Guide to Fighting for Wild Rivers illustrates how OARS, American Rivers and Friends of the Yampa have worked together for more than a decade to build a coalition of support for the last free-flowing river in the Colorado River Basin. Every spring, the organizations invite key decision-makers, stakeholders, and activists on a mulit-day Yampa River rafting trip, offering them a chance to experience firsthand what could be lost if the river is threatened by a major dam, diversion, or dewatering project. For participants, it’s often a transformative journey that fosters deep, personal connections to the river, inspiring long-term advocacy efforts.

“The reality is that the Yampa River in the Colorado River system needs people to care beyond this basin, and OARS and American Rivers help us expand that network,” says Lindsey Marlow, Executive Director of Friends of the Yampa.

“We grow our network in support of wild rivers, healthy rivers, then their networks grow,” explains Matt Rice, American Rivers’ Southwest Region Director. “That’s how you build a movement for river conservation.”

The conservation model highlighted in the film takes a lead from early river crusaders David Brower, Bus Hatch, and Martin Litton, whose advocacy efforts in the 1950s and 60s helped achieve several major conservation wins for western rivers, galvanized by people’s love of a place. It’s a blueprint that the organizations believe can be applied to other wild rivers and public lands that deserve long-term protections.

“If there is ever a threat to the Yampa, there’s an army of folks who are connected to it through these YRAP trips—people that love it, that know it, that have gotten the silt under their fingernails—and they’ll fight for it,” said Mike Feibig, American Rivers’ Southwest River Protection Program Director. “They’ll protect this place.” 

Quite simply, A Guide to Fighting for Wild Rivers is a testament to how rivers are protected by love.

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Filmed on an OARS-guided trip in August 2023, and produced by Wondercamp studios in collaboration with Eddie Bauer, Mikah says that Canyon Chorus is the culmination of five years he’s worked with the brand to make the great outdoors a more welcoming place for all people. 

It’s a powerful story about self-discovery, advocacy, and connection, but it’s also filled with plenty of spontaneous singalongs and light-hearted moments that can only happen when people feel like they can be 100 percent authentic. “Nature provides a place that humans can’t, and that’s a judge-free zone,” says Mikah in a Colorado Capital Public Radio interview about the film.

In this case, the river, the dramatic red rock canyons of the desert Southwest, and an all-LGBTQ+ group, gives the men—some who’ve never been on a trip like this before—the space to fully let go and be their true selves.

“These river trips with queer people are extremely special because it feels so much safer,” says Amar Bonsor in the film.  “You can be yourself. You don’t have to put up an act. You don’t have to hold back.”

Learn more about Canyon Chorus and the cast of characters.

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An easy drive from San Francisco, Sacramento, and Lake Tahoe, a 2- or 3-day Tuolumne rafting trip works perfectly into a California vacation itinerary and pairs perfectly with a trip to Yosemite National Park. Short on time? Make it an epic 1-day whitewater adventure.

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Whether you’re getting ready for summer splashes on a Gates of Lodore trip, venturing out on an epic two-week Colorado River rafting adventure, or another multi-day river trip with OARS, you likely have some questions about camp life. 

Watch now for a quick run-down of what you can expect when you arrive at camp on an OARS multi-day river trip from set-up and meals to take-down the following morning. You’ll also get a sneak peek at some of the amazing campsites we get to call home when we’re on the river.

The post Camping on a Multi-day River Trip with OARS appeared first on OARS.

Whether it’s your first time on a multi-day river trip or you’ve been on an overnight rafting trip, but maybe not with OARS, you’ll likely have some questions about what to expect. Our Multi-day Rafting 101 video sets out to answer many of the most common questions about multi-day river trips whether you’re headed out on a short and sweet 2-night adventure on the Tuolumne River or a two-week Grand Canyon rafting expedition.

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On the ultimate desert hiking and rafting adventure, explore narrow red rock canyons, otherworldly sandstone landscapes and some of the biggest whitewater in North America. Float through the heart of Canyonlands National Park, camp on stunning sandy beaches and visit fascinating cultural sites. Highlights include hiking to amazing geologic formations like the Doll House, stand-up paddling down meandering sections of the Green and Colorado Rivers and diving into hearty OARS fare.

The post Stillwater & Cataract Canyon Hiker appeared first on OARS.

As their week of learning wraps up, the group looks back at the many takeaways. For some, the end of guide school means earning an opportunity to sit in the guide seat. For others, the course offered lessons in leadership, self discovery and what not to do in Hospital Bar rapid.

Produced in partnership with NRS, the full 5-part series is available on our YouTube channel.

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Miss earlier episodes? You can catch the whole series on our YouTube channel.

The post Guide School: Episode 4 | Strong Bonds appeared first on OARS.

Miss earlier episodes? You can catch the whole series on our YouTube channel.

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