What a year!

2020 has been one for the books for sure. As difficult as it has been, we here at CRI still feel that not operating for this past COVID season has been the safe and responsible decision. That said, we are very much looking forward to working with all of our friends and clients on the river again this coming summer of 2021. With vaccines coming online now, more and better data, and a better understanding of how to mitigate risk factors, we are confident we will see a safe and productive season here on the Arkansas.

We’ve got more to say, but click here if you want to jump straight to our calendar of scheduled classes. Remember that we’re always happy to work with you and arrange a custom private rowing clinic or training tailored specifically for your family or river crew.

This year we have affectionately dubbed our facility Canyon River Ranch. Apparently, when we’re not teaching whitewater, we turn to gardening and ranching. Who knew!?! If you have seen the property here, then you know there is a lot of potential and when you see it again, you’ll be able to meet some of our new furry friends. Elisha has put a tremendous amount of work into a large organic garden and we have a couple of goats who think they are big weird dogs who just want pets and treats. By next fall we’ll even have a couple of genuine Icelandic sheep! There’s even a ‘guard llama’ who is very serious about keeping his wee flock in line, and a handful of chickens providing lots of fresh eggs. Meanwhile, Alan has gotten himself some honey bees and installed an apiary in the field across our creek.

This is all a bonus as we have made due with a very strange year. Elisha, Alan, and everyone here at CRI are all waiting very impatiently to get back on the water with oars &/ or paddles in our hands.

Please have a look at the bottom of this page for the classes we have scheduled for the 2021 season. Most of what you will see here are our larger classes such as Swiftwater Rescue, Instructor Certification Workshops, and the Private Boater’s Guideschool. We have intentionally left a good amount of open time throughout the summer so that we can accommodate requests for private custom instruction as well as for additional larger courses as the need arises. Don’t know what you need just yet? Call us and we’ll find the most appropriate instruction for you.

We will of course be strictly following state and local COVID-19 guidelines, including social distancing, mask wearing, limited class sizes and hand washing. Additionally we will be taking extra precautions such as gear washing, asking customers to ‘self shuttle’ to and from the river where feasible, and shifting some classroom time to an online version where appropriate.

We know that this past year has not been without its struggles for everyone. All we can do is to look forward to brighter times to come. From our family to yours we hope you have a fun and safe winter, and we’re all looking forward to an awesome summer.