I try America’s most beginner-friendly (yet thrilling) rafting trip

“Just stay in the boat and nothing else matters,” says guide Evon Fitts during the safety briefing enroute to the put-in. We’re about to spend two days rafting the Middle Fork Flathead River, a glacial-fed torrent that squirms between Glacier National Park and Flathead National Forest in north-west Montana. Along the way we’ll tackle 11 rapids with menacing monikers like Bonecrusher, Big Squeeze and Jaws. Trust me, I have every intention of staying in the boat.

Smooth start on the Flathead River.VisitMT

On paper, this two-day trip sounds like a wilderness expedition for expert paddlers. In reality, it’s surprisingly accessible and, depending on the time of year, can accommodate children as young as five. In fact, it’s a compelling contender for America’s most beginner-friendly overnight raft trip.

After being kitted out in wetsuits, booties, fleeces and lifejackets at Glacier Guides’ headquarters, we launch into a benign, fir tree-lined section of the river where the clear, blue-green water is a finger-numbing nine degrees.

We’ve already packed our overnight gear into dry bags and they’re being whisked ahead to camp on a gear boat piloted by Fitts. A second guide, 22-year-old Luca Welle, has the task of steering our raft, the hardest part of which is getting our group of six to paddle in unison.

Today’s only rapid is the class 3 Browns Hole, which we navigate with ease because the boulder that creates the raft-gobbling hole is visible when the river is low. The rest of the day is spent leisurely paddling downstream and admiring the majestic scenery. On our right is Glacier National Park’s huddle of snow-dusted peaks; on our left is the 400,000-hectare Bob Marshall Wilderness Area, one of the US’s best-preserved mountain ecosystems.

Welle explains that the colourful rocks beneath us are from a 3-billion-year-old seabed that’s been forced to the surface by a tectonic plate collision called the Lewis Overthrust. He also points out a surprising array of wildlife given the river’s proximity to a road and a train line. Highlights include a mule deer, two bald eagles and a rare sighting of a golden eagle.

Dinner at the Glacier Guides camp.

When we pull into camp around 6pm, Fitts has already built the kitchen, set up our tents and prepared a range of delicious appetisers.

Dinner is a feast of salmon with herb butter, steak, garlic bread, green beans and a strawberry salad followed by sponge cake with huckleberry compote and whipped cream. Today’s lunch was a similarly lavish spread of cold meats, cheese, fruit and dips. I’m starting to see why this trip is nicknamed “float and bloat”.

While one of our group fly fishes from the river bank, the rest of us sit around the campfire, drinking wine and swapping stories as darkness descends.

Glacier has the highest density of grizzlies in the lower 48 states, so all food and toiletries are stored overnight in the kitchen area, which is surrounded by an electric bear fence. For additional protection, the guides also carry bear spray.

Rafting the Middle Fork of the Flathead River.Mountain Photography

Day two starts with another avalanche of food (hot coffee and a hearty breakfast burrito of scrambled eggs, peppers, guacamole and salsa) before we pack up and get back on the river.

Fitts is piloting our raft today and ahead of us is a rapid succession of 10 class 2 and 3 rapids. “Are you ready?” he asks, in his rapid-fire Georgia twang. “Cos’ I’m going to paddle the heck out of ya.”

What follows is perhaps the most fun I’ve had in a raft – a series of splashy, whoop-inducing wave trains interspersed with calmer sections to catch our breath.

For the final rapid, Fitts encourages one couple to sit on the bow with their legs over the front and one hand held aloft rodeo-style; 10 seconds later, they’ve fallen backwards in a heap and are howling with laughter. At least they stayed in the boat.

The details

Tour
Glacier Guides’ two-day raft trip runs from June to August and includes all equipment and meals; from $US475 ($710) for adults and $US399 ($604) for children, plus 8 per cent river fee. See glacierguides.com

Fly
United Airlines flies to Glacier Park International Airport via San Francisco. See united.com

Stay
A former railway hotel, Belton Chalet has characterful accommodation and a fabulous restaurant. Rooms from $US180 ($270) a night. See glacierparkcollection.com

More
glaciermt.com

The writer was a guest of Western Montana’s Glacier Country.

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