2020 Season

Originally published October 20, 2020

I suppose I wouldn’t be the first person to be inspired by the changing of the leaves; the golds and reds signaling our departure from long, hot days and preparing us, along with cool whispered breezes for the long, cold nights to come.

Walking along our river today, which is now restive and clear and seemingly content with having much less to deal with, I couldn’t help but smile. You can hear it gurgle and even quietly laugh at itself for its wild, muddy ravings of just a few months ago, like a man settling into the couch after losing his temper over something silly, sighing an interminable sigh and vowing- like every other time- to not let such things get to him in the future.

As 2020 draws to a close, it seems a good time to reflect on what was actually a tremendously fun and successful Spring and Summer river season, despite obvious challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic.

This year, RGRio officially became a bona fide 501C-3 non-profit organization, founded by Chris Moffett and other earnest whitewater enthusiasts, coming together to promote responsible and sustainable river recreation, conservation, and education in the Arkansas River valley and particularly the Royal Gorge region in Canon City, Colorado. While events were necessarily cancelled, that didn’t stop RGRio from continuing to grind, laying the groundwork for numerous projects and events for next season and beyond!

Thanks to our partnership with the Canon City Parks department, our PFD (personal flotation device) loaner program was instituted. This program proved even more popular and successful than anticipated and brought a new level of safety and river awareness to the Canon City area.

Another successful project was the installation of the Rapid Block system on the popular Ice House Wave in the Canon City Whitewater Park! This system allows the wave to be tailored for different water levels, and this was the first season the blocks were installed for higher flows. This wave was an exciting and busy hub for paddlers, surfers, swimmers, and tubers all season long.

Overall, it’s been a great whitewater and river season in Canon City with promises of many more to come. Soon, like many of us, our river will be waiting patiently under the ice, taking a well-deserved rest from a crazy year; remembering the good times and looking forward to the Spring when big flows come rushing irresistibly downstream and it starts all over again! Until then, it’s nice to take a walk- or a ride-or simply sit on the bank and enjoy the marvelous treasure that is our river.