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30% off Drysuits

NRS Inversion Kayak Drysuit

Regular $694.95 Cutthroat Price $486.47

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Witz Sportcase 8 inch by 5 inch

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20% off all kayak and canoe paddles

Werner Player Paddle

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20% off all PFDs

Stohlquist Women’s Kitty PFD

Regular $109 Cutthroat Price $87.20

Thanks everyone for turning out for an amazing day last Saturday for the first annual Middle Fork Marathon–A Downriver Race for the First Best Place.  With just a few weeks to prepare, Glacier Raft Co guides and managers hit the street to drum up support from many area businesses.  We were blown away by how receptive the local community was, and we are beyond grateful.  Glacier Raft Co managed to raise nearly half of the total fund raising amount–wahoo! We won the award for “Most Money Raised” and we couldn’t be more pleased.  So, here’s a special THANK YOU to all of our $100, $200 and $400 sponsors.
Edward Jones

Glacier Bank

J.A.T. Electric

Big Horn Divers

Newman & Buffington

West Glacier Merc

Whitefish Credit Union

Freedom Bank

Historic Tamarak Lodge

Belton Chalet

Glacier Grill

Three Forks Grill

Fashion Finds

Napa Auto Parts

Ogle & Worm

Western Building

Brian Caroll

The Shops at Station 8

Eagle’s Nest Antiques

We came in second in the race–and while we were gunning for the win, we would like to whole-heartedly congratulate our friends over at Montana Raft Company for their triumphant first-place finish.  They hauled butt the entire time and had us working to keep them in our sights.  Well done, guys!

From the First Best Place Press Release:
Montana Raft Company paddled away with 1st place at the inaugural Middle Fork Marathon downriver race on Saturday June 12th. Rafters and guides from Great Northern Resort, Montana Raft Company, Glacier Raft Company and Wild River Adventures participated in the event, with a total of 13 rafts racing the 27 miles from Moccasin Creek to the Historic Red Bridge in Columbia Falls.

With donations from Flathead Valley businesses and community members, the Middle Fork Marathon raised more than $7,000 to benefit the First Best Place and its efforts to rehabilitate the Historic Red Bridge over the Flathead River in Columbia Falls. The bridge would be a pedestrian walkway and part of a proposed county park, including a possible whitewater kayak wave feature at the bridge.

Guided by Keith Meehan, the 1st place team paddled 27 miles from Moccasin Creek to the Historic Red Bridge in 3 hours 5 minutes, beating Glacier Raft Company by two minutes. Team members included Eric Boyd, Kelly Ruffato, Ben Ruffato and Dan Block. The Montana Raft Company team was presented with a handcrafted medal trophy created by local blacksmith and long-time river guide Rick Schmidt.

Rick is, as many of you know, a legendary fishing guide for Glacier Raft Co.  Seriously, this trophy is amazing–thanks so much, Ricky Ray!

Rick and his masterpiece

Following the race, First Best Place hosted a barbeque and awards ceremony at Glacier Discovery Square in uptown Columbia Falls. With burgers and brats donated by Perfect Cuts (and a grill from Cimarron Deli) and beer from Tamarack Brewing, more than 200 paddlers and community members enjoyed dinner and music by the Flip Wilsons.

Some hearty guides stayed at Discovery Square after the BBQ for some good ‘ol fashioned tug ‘o war.  Our “everything guy” Colt, actually pulled two guys his size across the center line all by himself.  He’s a one-man army.

Thanks guides, thanks families, thanks business community–and thanks First Best Place.  Looking forward to next year.

And, if you’d like to get involved in working on a whitewater park in Columbia Falls with the Historic Red Bridge Committee of the First Best Place, send an email to hilary@outsidemedia.com.

Take a look at the event poster below.  And for more details see the Facebook event page here:

Be sure to take note of the specifics of the race–you have to sign up with one of the local raft companies, you can’t have more than five people in the boat including the commercial professional guide from the raft company, and one of the paddlers has to be a woman.

Get your teams together and we’ll see you on the water.  Actually, we might not see you since you’ll be behind us–haha–had to get a little trash-talking in there to get the stoke up, right? It will be a great time for an important cause–we want to save the Historic Red Bridge in Columbia Falls and secure its spot as a county park, complete with a kayak play feature.

Click here to view the embedded video.

The water on the Middle Fork is at a great, fun level and people are psyched to be on the river again! Rafters were plenty warm in Glacier Raft Co standard issue wetsuits, splash jackets and booties.

Come join us for a great season on the river!

Recently Glacier Raft Co marketing guru Rachel VandeVoort and Great Northern Resort GM Carl Motes-Conners brought the Glacier River Schools’ youth river safety course called The River Sense Program to sixth, seventh and eight-graders. Sixteen of Whitefish Middle School’s health enhancement classes learned basic skills regarding rafting equipment, self-rescue, risk awareness and navigation. Carl is an independent River Rescue Instructor for Rescue 3 International as well as an American Canoe Association Raft Guide Instructor, and is certified in First Aid/CPR.

Whitefish school administrators say river safety is an important part of their students’ overall education, especially as young people prepare to enjoy local waterways with their friends and family this summer.

We’re bringing the course to Whitefish High School later this month.  Whitefish school administrators encourage parents to talk with their children about the importance of river safety.   Parents can also sign their kids up for The River Sense Program taught on the Middle Fork of the Flathead River this summer.   Registration is open through both raft companies.  Both companies also offer river safety, whitewater skills and boatman classes for adults through Glacier River Schools.

Shallow Water Crossing

We’ve got our course dates dialed in for the 2010 season! Join The River School at Glacier Raft Company to brush up on you boating or river rescue skills. Learn more about individual courses at The River School. Hope to see you on the river!

• Apr 30 – May 2        Whitewater Rescue Technician
• May 15 – 16                Intro to River Skills
• May 17 – 23               The River School
• May 28 – 30              Whitewater Rescue Technician
• Jun 7 – 13                   The River School
• Jun 18 – 20                Whitewater Rescue Technician
• Jun 26 – 27                Intro to River Skills
• July 17 – 18                Intro to River Skills
• July 29                       Level I River Sense
• July 30                       Level II River Sense
• July 31 – Aug 1         Level III River Sense