River outfitters run up respectable numbers
By Hank Schultz 
| August 14, 2009 | 11:31 AM
Colorado's river outfitters have found ways to navigate through the current economic ups and downs. (Photo by Glenwood Canyon Rafting)
Buoyed by strong stream flows, Colorado’s river rafters are keeping afloat during this year’s economic storm.
The “staycation” effect — families choosing to vacation closer to home — has deflected some of the economic fallout for outfitters.
“We do all right because of the Front Range,” said Gary Hansen, owner of Glenwood Canyon Rafting Inc. This year’s visitor mix was weighted more toward visitors from Colorado and the West, he said.
“We had a lot of visitors from Texas,” he said. “Not as many from back East, we’re noticing. We didn’t have as much from California as we normally do.”
Even with his visitation numbers holding up — Hansen said he has run as many trips as he has permits for — the economy has made itself felt in other ways.
“People are still coming, but they don’t spend anything extra,” he said.
Mechandise sales are down 50 percent at his Glenwood takeout facility, which features food service and a gift shop and also serves as the takeout for several other rafting companies.
Kevin Snyder, owner of Glenwood Canyon Resort and Rock Gardens Rafting, another Glenwood Springs resort operator, has a similar story.
“We’re getting close to our numbers this year,” Snyder said. “A lot of my colleagues are saying their business is off 20 percent, 30 percent. We’re about flat — I take that as a win in this economy.”
Synder’s business model takes a two-pronged approach: he’s a river outfitter who also operates an RV and rental cabin resort.
The national trend of people staying closer to home “plays into our strengths,” Snyder said.
“A lot of our rafting business comes out of our resort. The RV spaces were 90 percent to 95 percent occupied during the peak season.”
Bill Dvorak, a longtime outfitter based on the Arkansas River, has had a bigger struggle than his Glenwood colleagues. Along with day trips along the Arkansas, Dvorak offers multiday trips on rivers such as the Dolores in western Colorado and the Green in Utah. These bigger-ticket items leave him a little more exposed to economic vicissitudes.
“We’re probably down 25 percent,” Dvorak said. “But the multiday trips are probably off 50 percent. It was worse than I expected. I didn’t think we’d be as light as we were on the Arkansas.”
Dvorak also noted something that has affected other outfitters: a complete lack of corporate business. Companies that used to offer rafting trips as rewards, incentives or team-building exercises are doing without this year.
Still, it’s far from the worst year in Dvorak’s memory. That would be 2002. With bookings down slightly in early June that year because of very low river levels caused by a severe drought, then-Gov. Bill Owens held a news conference to talk about the Hayman and Coal Seam fires. During the conference, Owens made his infamous “All of Colorado is burning” statement.
“After that, bookings fell by 50 percent,” Dvorak said. “He just killed us.”
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