GRAND JUNCTION — Colorado and Utah river outfitters are expecting to hit some recessionary rapids and economic eddies this year.
The poor economy is getting blamed for early bookings for river trips dropping by as much as 50 percent.
But outfitters, who met last week in Grand Junction for their annual conference, say there are several reasons for optimism.
The most important is that an above-average snowpack should have water flowing at prime levels this summer.
And shorter trips, including day and half-day river runs, are expected to be in demand as vacationers opt for a brief whitewater thrill ride rather than a days-long journey.
That is especially good news for Colorado because so many rafting companies in the state offer half-day or day trips.
“Utah will get hit harder. We do more journeys. But Colorado has a huge number of single-day trips,” said Arlo Tejada of Sheri Griffith Expeditions in Moab, where bookings have sunk to half as many as this time last year.
He pointed out that inquiries about trips are staying steady, so outfitters are hoping the bookings will come. But they may mirror the trend at ski resorts this winter — they will come later than normal and even at the last minute.
Raft trips, outfitters argue, have an advantage in tough times.
“I really think part of the human condition is that people want to go out and recreate at times like this,” said Roger Loughney, who sells wetsuits for Industrial River & Surf of Confluence, Pa.
Industrial River & Surf was one of more than four dozen vendor companies that filled a ballroom and spilled into a hallway at this year’s gathering. Vendors came from across the country and Canada to pitch $8,000 rafts and $150 wetsuits to river guides who are pinching pennies.
Purveyors of “That’s How I Row” and “Fish Naked” T-shirts were busily taking orders while action at the booths selling the bigger-ticket items was slow.
“I’m not ordering big items now. I’m waiting to see what happens with my bookings,” said Bill Dvorak of Dvorak Expeditions in Nathrop.
Dvorak has been guiding river trips since 1969 and said he is anticipating that this year could be as bad as 2002, when drought, wildfires and post- 9/11 jitters dropped user days on Colorado rivers to 309,129. The all-time high of 539,222 was set in 2007, and there were 507,882 user days last year.
Tom Kleinschnitz, president of Grand Junction-based Adventure Bound River Expeditions, said he expects to see more close-to-home business this summer as Coloradans and those from surrounding states opt for local vacations.
To that end, he was ordering new life jackets and helmets.
“I’m buying the important safety things, but some of the heavy gear I’m going to delay a year,” he said.
Nancy Lofholm: 970-256-1957 or nlofholm@denverpost.com
