COSTA RICA WHITEWATER TRIPS

 THANK YOU!  I am still in a state of….JOY from our Costa Rica trip.  Everything was perfect.  I am relieved to be done with Cimarron, to have paddled again with you and Craig, and to have been treated so very special for my birthday.  It goes down in the books as one of my most favorite vacations.   ERA spoils us!!!   I too appreciated connecting with you a little more on this trip.  Sometimes when I do these things, I think we are supposed to stay a little “separate” from the “guides”…my shit or my way of remaining  a loner over the years.  That’s not how I feel anymore as I find I love being in the group as much as I love being alone.  And, it’s hard to be “separate” when someone stands by my side and holds my hand as the doc shoots needles in my face!!! LOL.  The point here is, I appreciate your friendship and talking with you.  I hope to share more in Ecuador….and a couple Cuba Libres!!!  And to reiterate, we would all welcome you for a CA visit.     
- Hugs, Carin 2008

 I had a great time on the trip…thanks for all the tips and guidance on the rivers. As I told you, I now, actually ENJOY wall shots! Hope you have great weeks to wind out the season….you guys do a really nice job with your international travel….very much appreciated.
-thanks, Karol 2008

 I just wanted to thank you and Ken again for a fantastic time. I am back at work today, but I am here refreshed and with a much healthier perspective. The great thing about the trip is that not only do I have a great week, but all my colleagues benefit from me being less of a pain in the ass for some time to come.
 
Cole, of course, wanted the detailed description, as he is weighing when he wants to come. So far the limiting factor (to him) isn't his paddling skills but the fact that he doesn't like sandwiches and doesn't know what he'll eat at lunch... I imagine we'll find a way of overcoming!
 
Again, I am so thankful for the fantastic trip that you, Ken and team assemble and execute. I sometimes hope that y'all overhear some of the "private" client chatter about the trip, but I am sure you must know from the repeat performances that you all are universally loved. It is astounding and a true testament to the job that you do that you are able to please so universally when so many of the circumstances are beyond your control.
 
Have a great holiday in Ecuador. I will see you in the Spring for another Ocoee trip because next year I think I may need to buck up and do the class III trip (if you think I can :) ).
-THANKS AGAIN, Brooks 2008

Your professionalism, grace and true caring for me in Costa Rica were so appreciated.  To me, E.R.A. is an awesome group of people with equally awesome trips/adventures.
        I hope to see you both again SOON!

-Love, Carin 2007

For a paddling couple, our trip to Costa Rica with ERA was one of those special experiences in life that comes by far too rarely. We'll always remember paddling together in Costa Rica - and the folks at ERA made it possible.
-Ken and Fran Strickland

Thanks for a great trip - we all had a great time. Everything went so smoothly it looked easy. But we know a great deal of effort and work went in to making it look that way.
David
Tom Logue
Randy Duvall

My sincere thanks for two excellent weeks kayaking, the high standard of organization, accommodation and first hand knowledge made it a trip to remember, and certainly provided some of the most concentrate Class IV/V water I've paddled anywhere in the world so far!
-Martin Burgoyne

The water's warm and the runs are legendary. Costa Rica is an inner circle of paradise.
- Paddler Magazine

Thank you so much for providing the most wonderful week of my entire life. The time I experienced with you in Costa Rica will remain with me the rest of my life. - Bill Dement

Wanted to again thank you all for the great week of kayaking in Costa Rica - I find it amazing that you're able to pull a super week of paddling out of a disastrous week of flooding. Well done!
We were all able to get out of San Jose right on time, with no problems making our connecting flights in Miami. I finally got back here in Milbridge, Maine late yesterday afternoon - it was a bit of a shock to experience the -40 F wind chill factor last night, and, while it was bright/sunny today, the high temp was only 13 F. (I didn't get out paddling today!)
Hope all is going well with the new group in Costa Rica, and I hope T&T got home to North Carolina OK - have power? Have a great holiday season, and we'll certainly stay in touch. Bye for now.......
-John S.

Everyone at Endless River Adventures,
We wanted to thank all of you for making our trip to Costa Rica absolutely fabulous. We were so pleased with all of your efforts in making sure the trip went smoothly! We also appreciate all of the extra time put forth by our guides, Craig and Juliet, to help us both improve our paddling skills.
Thanks so much for helping Reeves with his leg on the first day! What a way to start out the trip! We through we were done for the week after that! It has healed really well, thanks to Deb Buck, our wonderful nurse! Amy survived with just a chipped tooth from her battle with the rocks. We wanted to thank you so much for your continued encouragement!
Thanks so much for the play tips! We really enjoyed your company, and would still like to come out in the spring for some more.
Thanks so much for an unforgettable trip!@ We hope to see you again!
-Reeves and Amy, 2002

I want to thank you for the wonderful time that I had in Costa Rica. Being a stranger in a strange land I was a bit apprehensive of the trip. You two went out of your way to make me feel really comfortable, especially the last day when my flight was delayed. Juliet’s suggestion of the park was wonderful. I saw quite a cross section of Costa Rican society there. I’ll have to tell you about the well-dressed drunk who hassled me for $5.00 at the park sometime.
Enclosed you’ll find a few thank you gifts that represent a bit of he taste of my home here in Kentucky. The Honey is straight from my father’s bee-keeping operation. The Bourbon is for sipping, no mixing. The bourbon balls…hey, everyone likes bourbon balls.
I hope you Ecuador season went well. Someday I will make it there to paddle…. I will be down on the Nantahala with some beginners, sometime this summer. I’ll stop by the shop and look you all up.
Regards,
-Kevin Jones

Thank you again for a great trip, I don’t exaggerate when I say it was my best international kayak trip ever.
-Michael Horne

To my favorite river guides, who just happen to be some of my favorite people, and who also run a “reputable” company.
Thanks to each of you for another great paddling adventure! Despite the fact that I was wearing fully engaged and well-tuned hole magnet for much of the week, I still had a great time and I fully intend to return and do it right next time.
Special thanks to each of you:
Juliet- for her ever-present smile, wonderful personality, and great river-leading skills. I’d follow you down any river, or into any bar!
Ken-for his patience and rock-steady leadership. I don’t know how you do this year after year. Thanks, too, for straightening me out on my roll. As for your pranks, well, let’s just say that I ain’t forgettin’!
Craig- for his youthful but level-headed enthusiasm and energy amongst a bunch of has-beens. Special thanks for dragging me out of the water a couple of times.
Hope to see all of you this spring in the Gorge.
-Robert Hanford

Dear Ken, Juliet, Doug, Craig, Arturo, Miguel, and Carlos,
Thank you so much for proving the most wonderful week of my entire life. The time I experienced with you in Costa Rica will remain with me the rest of my life. The comradery that evolved with my fellow paddlers is a special bond that could only be developed with such an experience. The folks at Endless River Adventures have done a miraculous job with logistics ,guides, and equipment. Besides having a wonderful week of kayaking, I gained a much better ability to read water, I now have a much higher confidence level, and I got to see some water conditions I have only read obout. I have dreamed about doing a Costa Rica trip. Your trip was better than I have ever dreamed about.
-Bill Dement

Just wanted to say thanks for a great trip. Especially appreciated Doug taking us down the hard stuff. This was my favorite trip of them all and am looking forward to Mexico. Can just imagine the new practical jokes in store.
-Mike

You run a class operation with class people and everyone on your team is proud of what they do and having fun doing it. It shows in your guests.
-David Reid

I had an incredible time last week. Everything was great- the country, the group, the rivers. Thank you especially for getting me over the hump on the river- I learned a lot and am looking forward to building on that in 2000.
-Wayne 1999

Thanks so much for the video—it brought back pleasant memories of you guys, our group, beautiful scenery and the biggest whitewater I have ever paddled….
Thanks again,
-Bob Dobrzynski

ECUADOR WHITEWATER TRIPS

I hope this note finds you both on the road to recovery & enjoying your final trip of the season. I just wanted to let you know that Brent and I had a great time and throrughly enjoyed the Rivers of Ecuador. Thanks for putting on a great trip!
-Brent and Dawn Davis 2008

I'm sure I'll be on another trip again, I'm not going to wait 10 years again to make another trip south!
-Bill Mandler 2008

Hola Amigos Mios,
I just wanted to take a moment and say thanks. Thanks not only for getting me down there but for showing me a little piece of what it's like to be you.  It really means a lot to be part of such a cool group and to be able to learn from the best.  I took away a lot from this trip, on the river and off and am glad to say it opened my eyes a lot. Most of all I wanted to thank you both for giving me something to work towards and to look forward to.  These semesters are long and hard, but I know I have something fun to work on in the near future and that makes all of the difference.  I know I have a long way to go and thanks to some of Juliet's pictures I have noticed somethings that I do when I paddle. I can start to work on them and I'm starting to get a sense as to what kind of boater I am and how to handle that and take it to the next step.  Along those lines, Juliet, really and truly, I can't say it enough, thank you for taking all of those pictures and videos.  You are amazing.  Thank you.  I've looked at them just about everyday and have learned from them  by comparing the different people and how it looks as they approached something and theoutcome.  So if I haven't said it enough before, thanks!! Ken, flatly put, thanks for being you and for believing in me and for making me want to do better.  Not everyone is lucky enough to have a boss that stands behind his employers 150% and can also be your friend, father figure, and mentor.  Being able to paddle with the two of you for two weeks, to have your help and encouragement (Juliet, thank you for being the first person to take the time to stand there and help me with my left-handed roll), and to be inspired is more than I'll ever learn in a classroom or take away from any story.  So yes, Ecuador was the perfect vacation, but also for me I wanted to learn and soak up every little detail and I'm hoping that that was just the beginning.
Muchas Gracias, Ashka Pagracho, hasta luego,
-Sarita, the daughter you've always wanted :-D

Thanks for the great trip and I will be back for another—this time expect a full week out of me!! I’m going home to rest up, get strong, maybe do some tanning…and get ready for another ERA adventure. Take care and I hope to see you all again soon.
-Chris Robertson 2006

For my first trip out of the States, I couldn’t have asked for a better one. Your service is top notch, and I will recommend you to others. Hope you see you guys state-side.
-Mark 2006

Once again you guys are awesome at your southern trips. It’s the only way I’ll go! Thanks for making us feel so welcome down here. Your guidance on the river is outstanding. Thanks again and see ya in the States,
-Margaret Weise 2006

Thank you for a great trip.
-Wes Dodson 2006

Hope all is well. I again wanted to thank you both, as well as Doug, for an absolutely fabulous week. I know that I do not have to tell you, but the quality of the paddling that you provide access to, and support for, is just awesome. Truly one of the best trips of my life. Thanks. Jim, Ken, and I did hike to the refugios on Cotopaxi and Chimborazo. Wow, sure makes you appreciate the oxygen at sea level. The biking was quite interesting as well. The first several hundred meters on Cotopaxi was in the clouds and cold and a little damp. Our day on Chimborazo however was perfectly clear and beautiful. Saturday night we stayed at El Troje, south of Riobamba. It was at least an hour south of Ambato, a little farther than we had anticipated. They also stuffed the three of us into one very small room, marginally acceptable but at that point all that we needed were beds to sleep in. The food choices at least were more varied than trucha, pollo, o carne. We got back to Quito early enough to thoroughly enjoy the hot tub and heated pool at the Marriott. Oh yea, it did rain on us- Monday morning on our trip to the airport. Not bad!
Thanks again, looking forward to paddling with you in the future.
-Brad McGowan 2005

We have been home for a week and we are still enjoying the glow of a wonderful trip. You guys really have a knack for putting on a great trip. Everything was perfect; all the little details of the trip worked smoothly, the rivers you chose were perfect and we both thoroughly enjoyed the biking portion of the trip. It is a pleasure to travel though the countryside with you as you spread friendship and goodwill to folks you meet along the way. It is nice to have Juliet’s photos for our slide show that our sun starved colleagues have requested. We have not forgotten about the promised fish and instructions for smoking. We came home to a cooling trend and the temperatures got down to -40°. Yeah, that is cold, colder than -20. Fortunately it has warmed up to -10°, which is a reasonable temperature for getting out. While we were out there was a big thaw that hardened the snow so we are enjoying our 3 days off (Martin Luther King Day) by traveling by snow machine to see new places.
-Devi and Hunter 2005

RE: Ecuador - we had a great time! The weather was very cooperative, the accommodations were great, the rivers were at wonderful levels, the food was superb, and Angel was a super driver/helper. Doesn't get any better than that! Of course, the pre-trip coordination/administration you did was absolutely perfect! Couldn't have done it without you........But we had a few casualties - Bart knocked his shoulder out two days in a row, so he was grounded for the remainder of the week, and Winston had muscle spasms in his back, so he was off the river for two days as well. While I hadn't paddled on whitewater since Costa Rica in December, 2003, I felt I was able to keep up with the rest (remainder?) of the crew. I had some weather problems traveling down to Ecuador and back - missed my connecting flight in Miami on way to Quito, but finally arrived at 2:00 AM! On return flight, got caught up in the blizzard in Boston - had to lay over an extra day - finally got home late Monday afternoon. But we all had a great time in Ecuador - now all I have to do is get the guys to agree to do it again next year!
BTW, Winston's wife Nancy arrived on schedule in Quito Friday evening - they planned to tour Quito on Saturday and then head out to the Galapagos on Sunday. Also, the Hearns met us at the Embassy Hotel Friday afternoon and joined us for dinner that evening. Haven't seen them in many years! Also met briefly one other guy who was part of this week's group. So, all seems to be on track for this week's paddling - guess it will be a very small group. As I'm looking out my window, I see that it's snowing again - a few inches predicted - no big deal up here. Good day to stay indoors and write.
My very best to you..........
-John S. 2005

Thanks so much for the great trip! And for the awesome birthday. You guys are awesome and the reason I always refer people to ERA. I hope the rest of the season is fantastic!
-Jennifer Watson 2005

This is a long overdue Thank you note, but I wanted to let you all know how much I appreciate all the work that you did for our trip to Ecuador. I had an amazing time, and I am grateful for the way that you welcomed me into “the family” with such open arms. Thanks for sharing your knowledge of Ecuadorian culture and rivers with me. Hopefully that was the first of many future paddling adventures with you.
-Lorri Eberle 2005

Hello, this is Darryl Krone. I wanted to take a couple of minutes to thank you for the trip of a lifetime. My trip to Ecuador, over the week of Christmas, was unbelievable. First off, I would like to commend Trish for her professionalism and most of all for making this trip unforgettable. She was so wonderful with every detail, her attentiveness made this trip most relaxing and enjoyable for me. She made sure I was up to date with every detail in case of any mix ups or in case plans changed. Secondly, the local guides, Franklin and Angel drove us around prepared lunches, loaded the boats and ran shuttle they were also great. Angel was very willing to help us with every last detail and was just a fun person to be around. He also went out of his way to fix any problems that would occur even if they weren’t his problems. Last but not least, Ken and Juliet were on top of their games at all times. They would deal with any problems and take it in stride. They always had more than one plan in case something would arise. Being around them was always pure fun. They know how to push your limits but not exceed them. To end my letter I would like to say thanks. It was unforgettable. If anyone is looking for a trip of a lifetime I will send them to you.
Thanks Again,
-Darryl Krone 2004

Thanks for the nice postcard! I just want to say again: Thank You
Guides for another great trip! Ken, you will note that the business
didn't crater without your presence! In fact it went extremely well. I will admit that I did miss your company but I can certainly understand
the reason you had to leave. And I am sorry about your Dad. Having gone through that myself I know what a sad time it can be. It is a fine
testament to your guidance that you and Juliet have such good business and good judgment skills that Endless Rivers never missed a beat! As I
see the other outfits run into ditches I am glad that you guys are so
steady and dependable. Keep up the great work! As long as I can cut it I'll be along for the great ride with you guys! Lots of trips later,
all I can say is they get better and better. Sign me up for the next
trip!
By the way, a local kayaker, Rick Beale, says he wants to go on the
Costa Rica trip with us. He wanted to go to Ecuador and I suggested
Costa Rica first. I told him to jump aboard so you may be hearing from
him.
-TC 2004

Thank you so much for your careful planning and safety consciousness on the rivers, as always. The river running was great, especially as we got into a little better shape and got more comfortable with the boats.
We enjoyed seeing Juliet and Craig and the group on our return from the Galapagos Islands. That trip was a fabulous experience of tame animals and birds, snorkeling, and fantastic volcanic features. We may try to go back next year. Ursy ended up with about 15 gigabytes of digital photos, and is waiting for her new computer to fully evaluate the images.
I looked into the reported eruption of Volcan Sumaco near Tena thru the geologists in the Smithsonian volcano watch group. They checked with volcanologists in Ecuador, who said there was no eruption there. So what Jack Rodriguez related may have been a report about another volcano, perhaps Sangay, which was showing activity in mid January.
I also looked for info on the earthquake that you felt in the Baeza area. I had written down the date as Jan 3 or 4, but in the USGS- NEIC list on the USGS website, I found only a Jan 8 quake in that area. That quake was magnitude 4.6, depth 10 km, and centered 14 km south-southwest of Baeza and 4 km west of Cosanga. That certainly is large enough and close enough to be felt!! That database does not have anything about whether the quake was on a known fault; the Ecuadorians might have more info.
We hope that you still will be able to do a presentation in the DC area, and of course you are welcome to give it at our house.
Best wishes,
-Carter and Ursy 2004

Just wanted to express my sincere appreciation and gratitude for spending as much time with me as you did, working on my skills and helping me build a strong foundation for many, many years of future kayaking adventures.
You both are incredibly generous in sharing your vast knowledge of kayaking, culture, socio-economic-political perspectives and worldly wisdom. You make an excellent team, plus you are a blast to hang out with!
I admire what you’ve built, your lifestyle and your outlook. You are a very special couple and I ma honored to have hooked up with you. You guys can tag team me any day! See ya in North Carolina (or Costa Rica) one of these days, or who knows-maybe back on the Rio Quijos!
Best – Maile B. 2004

Just wanted to say again what a great time we had being with you in Ecuador. I don’t know if you even remember telling us when we were with you in Costa Rica in 1997 (I think?) how great Ecuador was. You were just starting to check things out in Ecuador that year and you told us to go to Ecuador with you the next year. Well, it took us about 5 years, but we finally did it.
Ecuador felt like the “next level” from Costa Rica…a little more water and a lot more adventure.” I guess Craig and Ryan weren’t used to a whitewater group as laid back as us. You guys are so easy to work with and a blast to be with. It was a great vacation!
I know that you guys would never run anybody else down, but I couldn’t help but notice some of the other groups we crossed paths with. IMHO, we were better equipped, had more and better guides and stayed in nicer places. I have always recommended Endless Rivers as my choice to go south with in the winter. This past Ecuador trip was simply another reinforcement of that opinion. AS the group “organizer” I found it easy to communicate with you and your staff. We had the tape, the brochures, the letters and all the details necessary to plan and prepare for the trip. When things went completely nuts with the airlines and the baggage, Ken really stepped up to the pate and hit a homerun as far as I was concerned.
As a person who is also in a service business, you’re not selling the trip, you’re selling your service. I expected to be treated well. You guys created, what in the service business is called a “Wow!” moment. That’s when you provide a service that is so over-the-top, the customer can only go, “Wow! I’ll never do anything like this with anybody else but there people.” When Ken and I had to go to the airport and had to deal with the Ecuadorian airline agents on several different occasions (i.e.: lost baggage, cancelled flights), it felt like scenes straight out of Proof of Life. I was the hostage in Ecuador and Ken was my Russell Crow. I would say that Ken went the “extra mile,” but since it involved several hundred miles at 3 in the morning, that would be understating. I consider you both paddling friends,too, but none of my paddling buds would lend me their gear and go hassle with the airlines until midnight and drive me gear over the mountains in the wee hours of the night.
I would imagine that a l lot of your clients are hard-core paddlers and that’s all that they want to do. Anyone going on an Endless Rivers trip should open themselves to all that you have to offer. The best part of paddling in another country is immersing in the culture, going native, seeing the sights, eating the local cuisine, checking our the locals, etc.. Nobody does it better than Endless Rivers.
I wrote this to be used as a testimonial and I hope you will use it. I promised you a set of pictures and I have them. There are 400+! If you really want the entire set of prints, I’ll send them. Hopefully, you will find the enclosed cd-rom power point presentation more convenient to view and to store. I made this as a program for our canoe club. Hopefully, you or somebody you know will have Microsoft Power Point. Looking forward to seeing you on the river this spring.
SYOTR!
-Sonny Salomon, 2002

"Just a note to tell you what a great trip we had in Ecuador! You guys did an excellent job and have really found a winner with the location".
-Tim Taylor

"I also want to say that I dearly love both Ken and Juliet. They are exceptional folks and I would gladly go to the ends of the earth with them, knowing that we would make it somehow!
-Tom Cowden

Joy and I had a great time in Ecuador. What can I say, great water, great company, great scenery...The whole trip really exposed us to the beauty of Ecuador, its people, culture and landscape. I hope that sometime soon we will be able to repeat this trip.
-Robert and Joy Kearse

Good guides and great friends make these trips, and Ecuador was no exception. The diversity of the country is fascinating, geographically and culturally; the people have beautiful faces, a portrait sculpture's dream. It felt nice to be in small towns where people wave to each other and on rivers where the barefooted fisherman hefted his catch from inside his dugout so that we could share his excitement.
-Mike Markels