My mother and I made a reservation for one canoe on the Dennison Ferry to Green River Ferry route last summer. We booked our trip for the earliest time slot and arrived 15 minutes prior, but found the shack closed and no one around. Around the actual time of our booking, we, along with one other group, were very confused as to whether we were in the right location. It was 20 minutes past our booking time before anyone arrived.
We were finally checked in and watched a short video before heading out with our canoes. On our trip to the drop-off location, there was a downed tree in the road. This was no fault of the guide, but it did add about 45 minutes to the trip down to the drop-off point. This coupled with the lateness of our guide meant that our trip started over an hour later than it was originally intended to.
The first half of our trip went well, but about halfway in we encountered a split in the path. The previously mentioned video included an overview of several points during the trip to pay attention to (such as mile markers and areas to lounge if desired), but did not mention this point at all. It appeared as though to the left was a sand bank and to the right was a downed tree. However, from far enough back, the arch of the tree looked tall enough to fit under. Once we got closer, it became apparent that this was not the case. By that point, it was too late to turn around with the strong current sucking water under the tree. We hit the tree and flipped our canoe and were sucked under the log. I know this confusion was not an uncommon occurrence, as while we were looking for our belongings, several kayaks steered up to the tree thinking they would fit under and had difficulty pulling themselves away from the current as well.
During the video and verbal instructions, the guide repeated told us not to tip the canoe and that “keys don’t float”, but gave no actual instruction about what to do IF you happened to flip over. I’ve been white water rafting before and of course falling out of or flipping the raft are not ideal situations, but they still give you instruction about what to do in case an accident happens. As 2 adults, we were thankfully able to use all of our body weight to get the water out of the canoe and continue on our way, but there’s no guarantee that a child or other smaller individual would be able to accomplish this. We were given no instruction about who to flag down, call, or where to go if an accident such as this were to occur 2 hours into a 4-hour trip such as this. Several other groups traveling by asked if we needed help, but realistically they would not have been able to do anything to help 2 stranded people in their full kayaks and canoes. We lost our keys and a phone, but were ultimately happy to come out uninjured.
Although shaken, we completed the rest of the trip and told the guide who picked us up what had happened. Although kind to our faces, we would later learn that they were not as kind when they thought we weren’t listening. Upon return to the shack where we first arrived, we noticed that the phones and keys of other groups were secured in lock boxes at the shack. We were not offered this option, likely due to the guide rushing to get through everything to make up for his delayed arrival. We would have kept our personal belongings in the shack if offered the option. Additionally, as we waited for a locksmith to unlock our car, we could hear the employees laughing at us. They were repeatedly making jokes about us and it was very disheartening during an already stressful time. I understand that the loss of our personal belongings was our fault, as they were not secured properly, but making fun of our misfortune so loudly was very unkind.
Ultimately, I would do this trip again but not with this company. Especially with children. I would look for a company that places a higher emphasis on safety and what to do when accidents happen. I hope that in the future, the employees that work here learn to be kinder and...
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