Rolling on a River

A sunny afternoon for a float trip on the Nenana River which runs through Denali Park. It is cold for me and I have on three thermal layers plus two pairs of heavy socks. And... a wool hat and gloves. At the staging center we are issued Goretex dry suits and they are a challenge to put on. First you step into the legs which have latex booties attached. The whole front of the suit has a diagonal zipper with a latex bands around the neck and wrists. Rubber booties go over the latex booties and then you are zipped up and look like a fat spaceman or the Pillsbury Doughboy or Michelin Tire Man. There was a pouch below the neck where I stowed my gloves and camera. Have to say I was comfortable and not chilled on the trip so it was worth the effort. They drove us to the river in buses and then we boarded our rafts. We had eight passengers and Jen, our guide. She is a lovely and strong gal working here for the summer. She controlled the oars and worked hard to make us all get splashed and have some fun. The scenery was breathtaking with mountains and greenery all around us, but no animals. The dry suit did its job and only my hands and face got wet. The ride was about two hours and really great.