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GLACIER DOG |
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 Sonya whitewater rafts on the Tat © Ravay Snow |
Back in town, a bunch of kids were climbing into a van. "Hey, you want to come with us?
We're going whitewater rafting."
"Whitewater rafting?"
"You know, riding through rapids on the river. It's really cool. Come on!"
"Thanks!" Sonya leaped into the van. They drove for miles past forests and beautiful blue lakes.
"Ah, what are rapids?" she whispered to the boy next to her.
The boy shouted to the other kids, "Hey, she doesn't know what rapids are!" They started laughing and Sonya blushed.
"Be nice," an older boy named Jim scolded. He turned to Sonya and explained, "A rapid is a place in the river where the water moves really fast! And the water gets white caps just like waves in an ocean."
"Wow. The raft must shoot down the river!"
"Yup! It's fun!"
 Rafters dip into a trough. © David Muenker |
"What river are we going to?"
"The Tatshenshini River. We call it the Tat. It's in the province of British Columbia south of here."
"In the Tatshenshini-Alsek Park? That means it's in the World Heritage Site, too."
"Just stick with me and I'll teach you all the ropes."
At the rafting center, everyone got wet suits to keep warm and helmets to protect their heads. Everyone, that is, except Sonya. They didn't have gear that fit dogs.
They rode a dusty old school bus to the river. The sides of the rubber rafts were inflated with air.
"Grab the rope on the side of the raft and start hauling!" the river guide shouted. The big raft was difficult to carry, even for a few feet. But they managed to get it to the edge of the river.
"Jump in!" Sonya scrambled on board with Jim and six of the kids. Then they pushed off.
"It feels like we're in a gigantic bath tub toy!" a boy exclaimed. The raft wobbled and bent with the movement of the river water.
Sonya stood at the front of the raft where she could see everything. Dark green forests hugged the shore. Jagged gray peaks rose behind them. The sky changed from bright blue to stormy gray and then bright blue again.
"We're coming to a big rapid," the river guide shouted. "Is everyone ready to get wet?"
"Yeah!" the boatload of rafters yelled.
 After the rapids, the Tat is calm. © David Muenker |
"Start paddling hard!" the guide instructed. The raft pushed through the roaring water. Waves crashed against the sides and over the bow.
Everyone hollered, yelled and squealed. Sonya howled along with them. On the other side of the rapid, the river was calm. The rafters giggled and laughed. They were soaked from head to toe. Sonya shook the water off her body.
"I hate to get my head wet," she barked. Then she took her position at the bow of the raft. They rode through two more rapids.
At noon, they stopped for a picnic lunch on shore. The guide even brought dog treats for Sonya.
"This afternoon we get to shoot out of a rapid and up the side of a huge boulder in the middle of the river," the guide said. "Be prepared to fall out!"
Some of the rafters got scared looks on their faces. "You don't have to do it. We'll have a separate raft for those who just want a gentle ride through that section of the river."
"Whew!" several of the rafters exclaimed. Sonya chose the wild ride.
While she stood at the bow of the raft, the other rafters grabbed their oars and paddled hard. The choppy water swirled in circles.
Suddenly the raft dipped into a deep trough. Then it shot over a wave and up the side of the boulder. Everyone screamed with delight as they tumbled out of the raft and swam to shore. Sonya doggy paddled right beside them. The hardest part was standing on the riverbed's slippery pebbles.
"That was fun!" Sonya and the other rafters whooped, woofed and congratulated each other. "We rock!"
They rode back to town happy and soaking wet.
"So far I've seen this World Heritage Site by land and water," Sonya boasted to the boy next to her. "Tomorrow I'm going to see it from the air!"
To be continued…
In the next issue, Sonya hopes to fly over the glaciers in a helicopter..
Note: This story is fiction based on fact.
Go to Sonya's Picks for links to websites about the sights and wildlife of this World Heritage Site.
Test your understanding of words used in this story with the Word Match game.
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Photographs ©2005-2010 David Muenker. Text ©2005-2010 Rose Muenker. Illustrations ©2005-2010 Ravay Snow Any use without express written permission is illegal and punishable by law. All rights reserved. Site designed and developed by Josh Bergman. |
