2021 was a big year for GoRafting.com
And it’s hard to pick out highlights because there were just so many. Importantly, my sentiment towards this project remains the same today as when I first wrote about our launch: We’re having fun, we’re passionate about the rivers we’re writing about, and our thirst to continue building a great resource is vastly motivating and rewarding. But a lot has changed, which is covered below.
We’re a team of three now
Augie, Byron, and myself. Augie is a geologist turned river guide. Byron was born into a river family, can’t say no to a big adventure, and is also a river guide. And of course, there’s me, a former river guide demoted to running a river company. But we’re not done yet as we’re at the point where we need to hire. Drop us a line if you’re great with computers, are interested in rivers, and have a good sense of humor.
Our river database has grown from three rivers to thirty four
And by the time this post gets published, we’ll probably be closer to 40. As mentioned on our homepage though, no river is ever finished or 100% mapped. There is always more that can be added, stories to be told about certain rapids, and pieces of history waiting to be discovered and added to the project. And that keeps it fun and interesting. Sometimes we make mistakes too, which is why we really enjoy this being a digital project and not a print one, as we can quickly edit and fix whatever may need to get patched up.
We’ve connected with amazing companies and paddlers
While we know some rivers like the back of our hand, others we have needed outside information to map to our standards. We have had to reach out in the river community to verify data or in general, ask basic questions about a certain river or run. And the organizations, companies, and people that have helped us have been tremendous allies and a number of them have grown from a connection into a true friendship. This isn’t surprising for anyone that knows the river and guiding community, but in the times of COVID, quarantines, and Zoom, these new friendships have proven to be far more important today than ever.
2022 is looking bright
I was half joking when I told Augie and Byron the other day that despite all that we’ve accomplished in 2021 we are now just arriving at the starting line. But it’s true. We have some big news coming out shortly, which we can’t wait to share, and our momentum is growing as interest builds in the community and requests for rivers to be mapped and added grows.
We’re excited to discover what 2022 brings, and can’t thank you enough for the support in the last year.
Best,
Matt Volpert