Thank you for providing us with your feedback. We also agree, Ted is great!! :)
Regarding your concerns with the video, we usually give our guests about 20 minutes to return their gear, get into dry clothes, and perhaps go to North Woods Trading post for a snack and/or drinks. People generally trickle back to base. Some take more time than others, and some skip the slideshow/video all together in order to get started on their drive home. We’ll typically wait a few minutes beyond the communicated 20 minutes, but we have to get started eventually. If guests arrive to the slideshow or video late, we often inform them that the pictures will be online by the end of the day and if they express interest, we’ll even replay the video for them. We do our best to accommodate everyone, but sometimes; despite our best efforts, a service opportunity may slip through the cracks.
Because of the drought our area of the state experienced this summer, Brookfield was forced to drastically reduce water flows. We experienced some of the lowest releases on the Penobscot in the last 20+ years. On an average summer, we see flows anywhere from 2400 to 3400 CFS, which makes the section you were referring to (Horserace rapid) perfectly navigable. This summer, we often experienced flows of 2000 CFS and even had several trips of 1800 CFS. Below 2000 CFS, Horserace rapid becomes almost unnavigable. It’s shallow and rocky at 2400; below 2000 it’s hard to get down that rapid without getting hung up on rocks, being forced to shift weight, and on the rare occasion, having to get out of the raft and physically drag it off the rocks. On a three-boat trip, like on the day you rafted, we had the opportunity to load the boats on the trailer, skip the low-low Horserace rapid, and spend more time on sections of the river that are often guest highlights; like The Falls and The Stream. The guides make decisions like this as a group, sometimes seeking input from the guests, and consider several variables - such as: water level, weather, wind direction, guest rafting experience, etc. The guide who made the "lazy" remark should have taken the time to explain the variables and the decision-making process, and for that we sincerely apologize.
We are glad that, overall, you had a fabulous day rafting down the Penobscot River, are hopeful you found our explanations informative and that the frustrations you experienced will not deter you from coming back to raft with us again next season.
