Price from:
150 USD
*Experience Class III & IV Rafting Excitement on the Deerfield River’s Most Exciting Section!*
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Rates:
Peak Season (June 20th - October 4th)
**Weekdays**
- Per Person: $143
**Saturdays and Sundays**
- Per Person: $158
Early Season (May 23rd, May 24th and June 14th)
**Saturdays and Sundays**
- Per Person: $110
*One person rides for free with every 12 guests booked! Only applied when booking over the phone so please call us and we can help you apply this to your reservation.
*Wetsuits included 5/23-5/24 & 6/14. Rentals available during peak and fall season.
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Duration & Location
- Under 5 Hours: Includes refreshing riverside snack and a full post-trip barbeque back at base.
- All Dryway trips meet at our base in Charlemont, Massachusetts
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About The Dryway Trip
Experience Class IV rafting excitement close to home on the Deerfield River’s most exciting section, the Monroe Bridge Dryway. Combining the rush of advanced whitewater, the beauty of the northern Berkshires and the camaraderie of a paddling adventure, a Dryway rafting trip will be the highlight of your summer.
From Factory Rapid past Dunbar Brook, Dragon’s Tooth and Labyrinth, the rolling whitewater keeps you on your toes while the rugged northern Berkshires provide a backdrop of exceptional natural beauty. We stop for a snack along the river, but after the trip, we return to our base camp where a hearty home cooked meal and a slide show of the day’s adventures await.
Our skilled guides really make the difference on this maze of rocks, holes and waves. Their expertise and friendly professional attitude help make your day memorable. **Rafters ages 14 and up are welcome on all Dryway rafting trips.** Participants must be comfortable in the water and able to paddle and work as a team. Participants on this trip may be required to swim aggressively wearing a personal flotation device in rocky, fast whitewater.
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What to Bring and Wear
**Expect everything you bring with you on the raft to get wet!**
- In warm summer weather, some guests are comfortable in bathing suits/swim trunks or light layers. Shorts and sun shirts are recommended, as most guests find just bathing suits uncomfortable.
- In cooler weather, wool and synthetic materials such as polypropylene, nylon, and fleece, are appropriate for cooler air and water temperatures.
- Wetsuits, splash jackets, and neoprene river booties are available for rental if you need them. **We ask you to not wear cotton, as it will keep you cold and wet throughout the trip.**
- ***You are required to wear sneakers or other shoes that can be secured to your feet. No flip-flops or Crocs!***
- Extra money for souvenirs, snacks, gratuities, etc.
- **Bring any required medications such as EpiPen, inhalers, diabetic medications.**
- Before the trip, please leave any and all valuables including money as well as your dry clothes and towels for after the trip in your locked vehicle. **Keep your car keys with you during registration,** as we will collect those and put them in a lock box before gearing up, then return them to you when you get off the boats.
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Participation Requirements
Adventurers on the Dryway Trip:
- **Must be 14 years old or older.**
- Must sign their own waiver, and if under 18 also have a legal guardian sign for them.
**For all of our whitewater trips, guests must be able/willing to do the following:**
- Must wear our helmet and our personal flotation device (PFD)*.
- Respond to and follow verbal or visual instruction.
- Independently roll face up in water while wearing a PFD
- Demonstrate dynamic sitting position with head above water (sitting upright), and float with feet up in water.
- Be able to navigate with minimal assistance on rocky, uneven ground and descend staircases with no railings.
*Our helmets fit a maximum head circumference of 62cm (24.4 inches). Our PFDs fit a maximum chest size of 56 inches.
**Specifically for all of our advanced trips, guests need to be able to:**
- Paddle for up to 2 minutes at a time.
- Remain calm, lay flat, and orient their body so their feet are aiming downstream if they find themselves unexpectedly in the water.
On the Dryway trip, longer unexpected swims in rocky class III/IV rapids are possible, and guests need to be prepared to self-rescue by swimming aggressively to shore or other rafts, and/or be prepared to receive a throw rope from shore.
Don't forget to read your confirmation letter (there is a lot of useful information in there!). Call our office if you have any additional questions. We're always happy to help!
Booking Notes
***Waiver Tip*** - Please forward the whole confirmation email to the other guests in your group to have the waivers completed and automatically connected to your reservation.
If you would like to forward the confirmation email without sending the payment record, select payment information by highlighting the selection and delete it within the forwarded email before sending.
##Arriving
**Please arrive 15 minutes prior for your trip time so we can start punctually. If you are late, we may not be able to accommodate you. We do not refund for guests who are late.**
Registration for this trip takes place at [7 Main St. in Charlemont, MA](https://www.google.com/maps/place/7+Main+St,+Charlemont,+MA+01339/@42.6277937,-72.8855627,15.75z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x89e0d03da6aeeb07:0x42cf75700100db8f!8m2!3d42.627731!4d-72.8837395). You can park in the unpaved lot and head up the stairs to the kiosk outside the red building. There, guides will direct you to the appropriate pavilion.
Please share this confirmation with the other members of your party. **Each member needs to sign a waiver before arriving at Zoar Outdoor.** The waiver button is located at the top of this confirmation letter. A parent or legal guardian must sign for any participant under 18 years of age.
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##What to Expect
We raft a section of class III and IV whitewater on the Deerfield River in Northwestern Massachusetts. We put in below the #5 Station Dam and finish the trip at Dunbar Brook in Florida, MA. The trip usually takes about 4.5 hours overall, with about 2 hours on the water.
**Participants on this trip may be required to swim aggressively wearing a personal flotation device in rocky, fast whitewater.**
All guests are required to wear a Zoar Outdoor issued personal flotation device (PFD) and helmet. You will also be provided with a paddle. There is a complimentary water and snack break halfway through the trip. At the end of the trip, there is a chicken and beef barbecue that consists of chicken and beef, various salads, veggie burgers, chips and salsa, drinks and desserts.
##What To Wear/Bring
**Dryway water remains cool year round. Expect everything you bring with you on the raft to get wet!**
- In warm summer weather, some guests are comfortable in bathing suits/swim trunks or light layers. Shorts and sun shirts are recommended, as most guests find just bathing suits uncomfortable.
- In cooler weather, wool and synthetic materials such as polypropylene, nylon, and fleece, are appropriate for cooler air and water temperatures.
- Wetsuits, splash jackets, and neoprene river booties are available for rental if you need them. **We ask you to not wear cotton, as it will keep you cold and wet throughout the trip.**
- ***You are required to wear sneakers or other shoes that can be secured to your feet. No flip-flops or Crocs!***
- Extra money for souvenirs, snacks, gratuities, etc.
- **Bring any required medications such as EpiPen, inhalers, diabetic medications.**
- Before the trip, please leave any and all valuables including money as well as your dry clothes and towels for after the trip in your locked vehicle. **Keep your car keys with you during registration,** as we will collect those and put them in a lock box before gearing up, then return them to you when you get off the boats.
##Participation Requirements
Adventurers on the Dryway Trip:
- **Must be 14 years old or older.**
- Must sign their own waiver, and if under 18 also have a legal guardian sign for them.
**For all of our whitewater trips, guests must be able/willing to do the following:**
- Must wear our helmet and our personal flotation device (PFD)*.
- Respond to and follow verbal or visual instruction.
- Independently roll face up in water while wearing a PFD
- Demonstrate dynamic sitting position with head above water (sitting upright), and float with feet up in water.
- Be able to navigate with minimal assistance on rocky, uneven ground and descend staircases with no railings.
*Our helmets fit a maximum head circumference of 62cm (24.4 inches). Our PFDs fit a maximum chest size of 56 inches.
**Specifically for all of our advanced trips, guests need to be able to:**
- Paddle for up to 2 minutes at a time.
- Remain calm, lay flat, and orient their body so their feet are aiming downstream if they find themselves unexpectedly in the water.
On the Dryway trip, longer unexpected swims in rocky class III/IV rapids are possible, and guests need to be prepared to self-rescue by swimming aggressively to shore or other rafts, and/or be prepared to receive a throw rope from shore.
##Food Allergens
For activities that include food: We do not use nuts in our food but cannot guarantee that the ingredients in our meals do not contain nuts or other food allergens. If you have special dietary needs, we strongly suggest you bring your own food in non-glass containers, and we will pack it with the trip.
##Alcohol and Drug Policy
Guests who are under the influence of alcohol or any recreational drugs will not be allowed to participate in activities at Zoar Outdoor and will not be refunded for their missed trip.
##Health Risks
Pregnant people are prohibited from participation in Zoar Outdoor activities. Those with health problems limiting their normal activities may be prohibited from participation at Zoar Outdoor’s discretion.
##Weather
We run our activities regardless of the weather. River conditions can vary based on rainfall, snow melt, dam operations and other factors. We reserve the right to modify or move a trip or clinic when we deem necessary.
Weather related cancellations will be made just prior to your trip start time at Zoar Outdoor. Customers will receive a refund or credit in case of operator cancellation due to weather or other unforeseen circumstances.
##Emergency Response
Please note that many of the areas we operate in are rural and have poor or non-existent cell service (including most of the Deerfield River), so emergency communications and emergency service response times may be as much as an hour or more.
During this booking process we add guests to our email list to receive our exclusive offers, updates and news. If at any time you do not want to receive these emails - please one-click unsubscribe at the bottom of the correspondence.
##Hungry?
Visit our neighbors at Berkshire East before or after your trip! They have early lunch options available at the Backyard snack bar. After your trip, celebrate with dinner at The Crazy Horse Bar & Grill. [Hours & Menu!](https://berkshireeast.com/plan/where-to-eat) Show this confirmation email to receive 20% off your lunch, dinner, or drinks.
