Frequently Asked Questions

How long has Adventure Bound been in business?

    Adventure Bound was started in 1963, with just two boats and a permit to run the Yampa River. Since then, our business has steadily grown to keep pace with the increasing popularity of outdoor recreation. Today, we offer nearly 100 trips in six locations throughout the Colorado Plateau. The company has been owned and operated by Tom Kleinschnitz since 1985. Tom started with the company in 1971.

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    What are your guides like?

    We understand that guides can mean the difference between a good river experience and a great one. That's why we take pride in staffing our trips with some of the best in the business. To start with, all Adventure Bound guides are certified in advanced first aid and CPR, proper food handling procedures and are licensed by the State of Utah. But there's more to being an AB guide than just certifications. Each one is expected to contribute his or her skills, unique personality and expertise as part of our exceptional team.

    Our guides join and return to Adventure Bound each season from many walks of life. They might be teachers, ski patrollers, builders or students. Some are older while some are younger. But they all have one thing in common — they truly enjoy sharing the river and its surroundings with our guests.

    When it comes to assigning staff to your trip, our philosophy is simple: any guide might work any river with any other guides. We believe that mixing it up in this way is a benefit for both our guides and our customers. On average, our guides have about seven years of service with the company, while a few have more than fifteen!

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    How many guides will be on our trip?

    Your trip may employ up to five guides working together to ensure your safety, comfort and enjoyment. Of course, it all depends on how many guests there are. In the interest of safety, however, there are always at least two. We also don't believe in packing our friends onto over-crowded boats, or causing our guides to look after too many people. That's why we typically staff our trips with at least one guide for each 3 to guests. This might increase our costs, but we believe it makes a difference.

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    Is a gratuity for our guides included in the price of the trip?

    No. Tipping is strictly optional. However, if we made your time with us special in some way, you are welcome to give something to your guides. Life on the river is fun, but it's also hard work. That's why everyone will appreciate your recognition for a job well done.

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    Meeting Places, Getting to Colorado and Getting to the River


    How do we get to Steamboat Springs for our Lodore or Yampa trip?

    By air:

    The Steamboat Springs/Yampa Valley Regional Airport (HDN) is served by United Airlines via Denver. The airport is located 22 miles from Steamboat Springs, with shuttle service offered by Alpine Taxi, and rental cars available from Hertz, Budget and Avis. Please visit our transportation page for more information.

    Driving from:

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    How do we get to Grand Junction for our Ruby, Cataract or Desolation trip?

    By air:

    Grand Junction's Walker Field (GJT) is served by Delta Airlines (via Salt Lake City), United Airlines and Frontier Airlines (via Denver) and US Airways (via Phoenix). The airport is located close to town with free airport shuttle service provided by many nearby hotels and motels. Rental cars are available from most major car rental companies. Please visit our transportation page for more information.

    Driving from:

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    Are we required to meet you at the designated meeting place?

    In some cases, we can make special arrangements to meet you en route to our trip. For example, if you're driving from Salt Lake City, we can meet you in Maybell, Colorado, on our way to the Lodore or Yampa trips. This means you wouldn't need to drive the extra distance just to meet us in Steamboat Springs.

    We also offer a "River Trip Only" alternative for our Cataract trip. This option allows you to meet us at the launch point near Moab, Utah, and then continue on in your own vehicle at the conclusion of your river experience. Ensuring that your car is waiting at the takeout point would be your responsibility. We will be happy to provide a list of reputable shuttle services if you need help arranging your vehicle shuttle, or refer to our transportation page for more information.

    Other options may be available. Please call us at 1-800-423-4668 to discuss your specific needs.

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    How do we get to and from the river?

    We'll pick you up in one of our 14-passenger vans, take you to the departure point and bring you back again at the end of your river trip. We stop along the way for essentials like sunscreen, beverages and snacks, so it's a good idea to bring some cash along.

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    How long does it take to get to and from the river?

    That depends. The shortest drive takes around 45 minutes to reach our Ruby Canyon trip. The longest ones take about 3 hours for our Lodore and Yampa trips. The scenic charter flight included in our Desolation trip is sually about 45 minutes long. In each case, the return trip takes longer because of the extra distance we travel on the river.

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    When will we get back to our hotel?

    It's our goal to get you back in time to clean up and have dinner at a reasonable hour, or even drive onward if you're not staying in town overnight. Please keep in mind however, that driving on to Denver, Salt Lake City or elsewhere might be a bit taxing after an exciting day on the river.

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    What to Bring and Weather Conditions

    What should we bring with us?

    Please refer to our packing list for information about the essential (and not so essential) gear you should consider bringing with you. You are welcome to bring more, but please keep in mind that most of your belongings will need to fit into a large dry bag.

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    How do we keep our belongings from getting wet?

    On our multi-day trips, we provide each guest with a large dry bag, about the size of an army duffle bag. This is used to store extra clothes, a sleeping bag and whatever else won't be needed during the day. Once these are packed and sealed, each is securely stowed away on a raft until we reach camp for the night.

    For items required during the day on each of our trips, we offer accessible dry storage for personal items such as rain gear, cameras, sunscreen and outerwear, etc. You are also welcome to bring along a small daypack or dry bag for your personal daytime items.

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    What will the weather be like?

    Good Question. The weather in this part of the country is not only difficult to predict, it can also change very quickly. It's not unusual to see a variety of conditions occurring over the course of a multi-day trip. Generally, the climate on the Colorado Plateau is drier and we enjoy more days of sunshine than many other places. A good thing to keep mind is that trips in early spring or late fall can be cooler and wetter than mid-summer trips. The Yampa and Lodore stretches typically see somewhat cooler temperatures throughout the season, compared to our other trips. This is due to their higher elevation and latitude.

    To give you a better idea of what to expect, we've put together the following chart showing monthly average temperatures and precipitation for each river section we run.

    Average Maximum/Minimum Temperatures (°F) and Precipitation (Inches)
      May June July August September
    Lodore 72/36/1.07 83/42/0.74 89/47/0.68 88/45/0.59 78/36/0.90
    Yampa 70/34/1.11 80/41/0.95 87/47/0.83    
    Ruby 80/44/0.61 92/52/0.26 98/61/0.37 94/58/1.03 86/47/0.80
    Cataract 81/51/0.77 92/60/0.45 98/67/0.76 96/66/1.01 87/56/0.96
    Desolation 81/45/0.57 92/53/0.33 98/60/0.54 95/58/0.79 86/47/0.70

    Our advice: expect the unexpected. It might be warm when it should be cool, cool when it should be hot. And even though it's a desert, it still rains, but usually not for days on end.

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    Inflatable Kayaks (also called IKs or "duckies")

    Do we have to pay extra to use your inflatable kayaks on our trip?

    No. We include 2-person inflatable kayaks on our trips at no additional charge. They will be available at the beginning of your trip — enough so that everyone can share the ride with a partner.

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    If we start out in an inflatable kayak, do we have to stay in it for the whole trip?

    Absolutely not. You're always welcome to hop aboard a large raft if you just need a break, get too tired or find that paddling your own boat is just not your cup of tea.

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    Can we start out in a big raft and then use inflatable kayaks later?

    That depends. You're welcome to start out in either a raft or an inflatable kayak. However, if you think you may want to try an inflatable kayak at some point, we ask that you start out in one at the beginning of your trip. This allows us to take only the craft we require, without having to haul excess boats along just in case someone wants to give it a try later. If you do start out riding on a big raft, chances are you'll find a vacant spot in an inflatable kayak later on, as others take breaks or decide to ride on the rafts.

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    Can we use inflatable kayaks on every trip you offer, and at any time during the season?

    Our goal is to provide inflatable kayaks on each and every trip we run. However, the safety of our guests always comes first. Consequently, there will be times and places where we decide inflatable kayaks are inappropriate. Those decisions rest with our management and your trip leader, taking into account the local water conditions, various risk factors and the demonstrated skill of each participant.

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    Appropriate Age for River Trips

    Are there age restrictions?

    We have age recommendations depending on water levels and the time of year, although the final decision is left to the parent or guardian.

    High water Cataract Canyon trips in May and June are quite aggressive and are for adults and children 12 years of age or older. The Yampa Canyon trip is our next most aggressive trip and has similar recommendations for the "peak" season, this would be during the May and early June time frames. The Desolation Canyon and Lodore Canyon trips are less aggressive and many youths begin their multi-day rafting experiences on these sections, usually starting at age 7. Many families begin rafting with their very young children on our 1 and 2-day Ruby Canyon trip; children as young as 5 are perfectly acceptable on this easy float.

    Again, our recommendations are not hard lines. If you would like to discuss rapid conditions and wilderness camping considerations with us, please feel free to call our office and we would be happy to find the best trip for your group.

    There is no maximum age for adults.

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    Toilets and Sanitation

    How and where do people go to the bathroom on a river trip?

    We all have to go sooner or later, but doing so on a river trip isn't a lot different from going at home.

    For No. 1: All LIQUID human waste is required to go directly into the river. Swim breaks during the day make this easy. On land, it's simply a matter of finding a bit of privacy at the water's edge.

    You might think this is bad for the river. It's not. The contribution of a few people to a very large river has no detectable impact whatsoever. On the other hand, if everyone used the same spot behind a tree, the result would be VERY undesirable. There's just not enough rainfall in our desert environment to wash away the waste.

    For No. 2: We're required to pack everything out, including our trash and all SOLID human waste. To make this easy and comfortable, we bring along a portable toilet similar to what you'd see in an RV or camp trailer. here's even a seat and we supply the toilet paper. These are set up in well-hidden locations as soon as we get to camp each day. They are also readily available should an unexpected need arise during the day.


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