Rafting & Adventures

General Information

The Guides

Kumsheen’s Guides are the top in the industry and the Fraser River Voyage is reserved for our experienced guides who go that extra step towards making trips extraordinary.  Although our guides find that this trip is a lot of extra work compared to our normal one-day trips, this is still THE favourite trip of the season.  They are all pleasant, intelligent individuals who have the highest training and expertise in the whitewater rafting industry, and they are very excited and happy to be on this specific trip.   

The Luxury Camp

Much more than roughing it and staring at your beans and potatoes cooking on an open fire, the Kumsheen Luxury Camp is as close bringing all the amenities of home to an outdoor-living environment as you can get.  Our large, specialized, Fraser River Voyage Whitewater Rafts allow us to bring much more camp gear than your typical outdoor trip.  Cooking is done on our 8 burner stoves, underneath our open or closed freestanding canopy, and besides having great whitewater skills, our guides also have great outdoor culinary skills.  Everyone gets their own LoungeLizard chair for lounging around the fire, or the option to jump into our river-side sauna.  Food and relaxation outdoors was never this easy and we even get to sample fresh, home-made ice cream one day while onboard the rafts.    

The Rapids

The upper Fraser has 36 rapids of class 3 to 5 (on a 6 point scale), depending upon the flow of the river, with the majority of those in the last 100 kilometers. This mighty river has a unique type of rapid caused by constrictions, usually in canyons, and is characterized by pressure-waves, foaming boils, huge eddy lines, and impressive whirlpools. The river volume along our route may exceed 200,000 cfs during spring runoff. Our departures are scheduled to take place just after the peak runoff. Always swift and strong, the average flow of the river is 13 km per hr (8 miles per hr).  Bridge River Rapid, on the second-to-last day, is probably the largest rapid in North America, and unfortunately for the thrill-seekers, we are required by law to ask you to walk around them at specific water-levels.

Wildlife, Flora and Fauna

The Fraser cuts through the Chilcotin Plateau , home to the largest herd of California Bighorn sheep in the world. It is also the home of black bear, grizzly, mule deer, moose and mountain lion. Beaver, river otter and mink can also be seen along the riverbank. Over 25 species of birds have been counted on this trip including majestic bald and golden eagles, peregrine falcons, and many species of hawks. Often present are Canada geese, great blue herons, sage grouse, Lewis woodpeckers and many varieties of songbirds.
The Fraser river has the largest salmon runs in the province and is a spawning route for sockeye, spring and coho salmon, and steelhead trout. It is also home to ancient, and very large, white-sturgeon.  In this semi-arid desert, insects are rare.  Between the canyons and hoodoos along the riverbanks we see large open grasslands interspersed with cottonwood and ponderosa pine along with sagebrush and prickly pear cactus.

Scenery

The scenery is always indescribable and spectacular. From the gently rolling hills near Soda Creek, to the steep granite walls of Moran Canyon, to the awe-inspiring basalt columns of China Gulch, and the towering hoodoos along the way, the variety is endless.  We pass two bridges, one ferry, and about five signs of civilization along our 300km route, with magnificent BC wilderness the usual.  Seasoned rafters consider the Mighty Fraser to have more variety and intrigue than the famed Grand Canyon of the Colorado in the U.S.A.  Be sure to bring lots of film or memory cards and plan on shooting more than usual.

Fraser River History

Inhabited by the Chilcotin and Interior Salish Indians for thousands of years, the Fraser corridor contains a plethora of pithouse and fishing sites.  We have opportunities to stop and explore some of these ancient sites, and traditional Native fishing, via the dipnet, is still witnessed at Bridge River Rapids.

May 28, 1808 Simon Fraser loaded four large freight canoes and began his journey down "the great and hazardous river". His expedition involved 24 men in a journey from Fort George to the ocean, a 640 km (420 mile) journey. He arrived at the ocean on July 1, 1808. Simon Fraser's voyage tested his endurance beyond heroic limits. He was lucky it did not kill him. He wrote "we have to pass where no human being should venture". We will bring a copy of his journals and read his comments as we trace his remarkable voyage.
The first Gold Rush along the river started in 1858 and lasted several years. Several more took place in both the 19th and early 20th centuries. We explore several abandoned cabins and mines along the way, a legacy of fortunes made and lost. This is also ranching country and we look for the wild horses of the Gang Ranch, one of B.C.'s oldest and the world's largest ranching empire. For more than a day we pass through the territory of this massive operation.

Weather

The Fraser River corridor is one of the driest regions in Canada and forms its own, very dry, micro climate. Average rainfall during July and August is less than 1 inch.  Temperatures can reach 42 C (100 F) during the day, but sometimes drop to 10 C (50 F) during the night, and in those hot summer days there is a chance of convection showers in the late afternoon. Basically, like everywhere, the weather can be unpredictable and extreme so it's important you come prepared for the worst and expect the best.

A Typical Day

A typical day on the Fraser River Voyage starts with a leisurely wake-up to the smell of fresh brewed coffee and the rustle of the guides through the breakfast food boxes.  After a delicious and filling breakfast, camp breakdown begins and everything is stowed on the boats and secured for the whitewater about to be encountered later that day.  The on-raft portion of the trip is focused on the history and exploration of the area, with numerous stops to take pictures and see new sites, or go for short hikes (even the guides get to see new sites, as this is a 300km journey with a lot to see).  Typically, a warm light wind begins to blow around noon, and we either stop river-side for lunch or continue downstream and prepare and eat on the rafts.  More relaxation is the theme of the afternoon, with maybe an on-boat siesta, maybe a few rapids, and more than likely some soaking up the sun, some guitar and some story-telling.  We start looking for a suitable river-side campsite (quite often either near or on a giant sandy beach) in the late afternoon and then pull over to set up camp and prepare dinner.  While dinner is being prepared it’s possibly time for a beach-volleyball game, some frisbee, crocket, or exploring around the campsite.  After a huge, delicious feast, (yes this happens every night), we start the fire, watch the stars come up, maybe have a sauna, then head to bed feeling tired, content, and excited for the next day.  

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