When I was a teenager, the best weekend of the summer was the float trip down the Wenatchee River.  Some friends of my parents owned a small cabin on the banks of the river, and every summer they would organize a hundred-person-plus river running weekend.

Back then, it was all about whitewater rapids and water fights.  There were always plenty of girls to flirt with, and in August, eastern Washington temperatures routinely crack 90 degrees, so it was the one weekend you could count on to be scorching hot.

In light of that, it shouldn’t be a surprise that I wanted to carry the tradition of a summer float trip into my adulthood.

Last weekend, I lay on the bow of the newly christened “Sloppy Swish” a two person inflatable raft making her first appearance on the Wenatchee River. Below me, the water was so clear I could see the spawning salmon darting among the rocks below me – just out of reach.

Six years running now, and the annual rafting trip over Labor Day weekend has become a bookend to summer. At its conclusion, the hissing sound of deflating rafts would whisper another farewell, but for the moment I could feel the sun on my back and the deliciously cool water on my fingertips.

Sharing this moment with me are 14 of my closest friends, our collection of rafts clipped together with cheap carabineers so we form what we call a “ninja star” shape that gives our flotilla enough bounce to amble down the river with minimal effort on our part.

These are my favorite hours of the summer.  I rarely think about looking at a device or “checking something” unless you count the next turn in the river.  Far more interesting is the osprey shrieking overhead and the way rock slabs seem to form a staircase beneath the rippling water.

There was a time when we rafted the more challenging stretches of the Wenatchee. We would almost always flip a raft or someone would run into an overhanging branch capable of cutting your boat (or your back) to shreds.

But these days we prefer the calmer portions of the river – the slow float – where we can link our boats together, drift and drink cheap beer for hours, forgetting time and letting the river, our laughter and laziness guide us where they may.  Our camaraderie is more important than honing our river navigations skills or aggressive water fights.

Jokes about someone peeing while they swim never grow old.  We tell stories of float trips past and we are thankful that we are part of a tradition that adds a new layer with each passing year, growing richer with each outrageous occurrence of alcohol fueled stupidity.

Traditions are important.  They make us feel connected to one another, and to a specific place over the long haul.  On the Wenatchee, I can feel the river’s influence imbedding itself in my friends, who now remember its landmarks as well as I do.

The weekend river run is a dependable three days of utter relaxation and beer influenced goofiness.  Though we are only two and a half hours from home, all of us drift in the moment – our togetherness and our rafts gently flexing and pulling against one another the only things that matter.

Float Your Boat

Summer float trips on the Wenatchee River can be self-organized using inexpensive boats.  The easiest stretch of water begins at Milepost 17 on Beaver Valley Road near Lake Wenatchee.  There are two good take out points – one at the bridge in the town of Plain, and the other at the railroad bridge about 5.5 miles downriver from MP 17.

In August and it takes us around 5 hours to float to the train tracks (with almost zero paddling) but earlier in the summer when the water is higher, you can do it much faster.

A more challenging portion of river runs from the train tracks to the Highway 2 bridge at Tumwater Canyon (although we’ve done this section plenty of times using cheap inflatable rafts, there are a few more hazards and it tends to be shady and cool in the afternoons).

Boats cost around $80-$120 for a three person boat including paddles and a pump.  Seyvelor is a common brand although we’ve learned they’re not as durable as The Seahawk II.

Where to Stay: Rental cabins are plentiful around Plain, Lake Wenatchee and Leavenworth.  We organize meals so that each couple is responsible for cooking and cleaning one meal during the weekend – the rest of the time, you can relax guilt free.