点评:Big Bear Rafting Expeditions ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
We rafted the Pigeon River twice with Big Bear — 7/7 with Jen and 7/9 with Cowboy — and both trips were highlights of our Gatlinburg vacation.
Guide Jen [Tuesday 10:45 AM] was excellent. 11 years on this river shows. She gave clear safety instructions without making it feel like a lecture. She handled the rapids like a pro with sharp “Two strokes! One stroke!” calls. We had such a great time we booked again immediately and requested her.
Guide Cowboy [Thursday 10:45 AM] was a blast. Megan and Lee were on our raft and the energy was high from the bus ride up. Driver Clayton had us laughing with his “legally blind, reading road signs in braille” bit, and guide Adam informed us of handling of the paddle “the top part is the Mr. T - because I pity the fool that lets go!”
My daughter Bella got the coveted center “Princess” seat and loved every second. My son Max had a proper OBE — Out of Boat Experience — in some rougher rapids. The team was awesome: Megan grabbed his paddle, handed it to Bella, as Max swam toward the raft, I grabbed his life jacket straps, and hauled him in. He looked like he was having the time of his life 😄 We also got a free-float swim in a calm stretch.
What really stood out: all of the guides were outstanding, they worked together like an elite team with their own language. Each one stepping up whenever something needed to be done — on the bus, at the put-in, in the rapids, or helping with photos after. It never felt like “my guide vs. their guide,” it felt like one crew.
The photos we bought from both trips turned out spectacular. There’s a hilarious sequence of Bella disappearing behind a wall of white water and popping back up ecstatic.
Both guides made safety feel easy, the bus crew set the tone with great humor, and the river delivered rapids, waves, and memories. We talked and laughed all the way back both days.
Bottom line: Book it. We’re already planning Round 3.
翻译:大熊漂流探险公司 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
我们两次参加大熊漂流探险公司在鸽子河上的漂流之旅——7月7日和Jen一起,7月9日和Cowboy一起——两次漂流都成为了我们加特林堡假期的亮点。
向导Jen(周二上午10:45)非常棒。她在这条河上漂流了11年,经验丰富。她讲解安全须知清晰易懂,又不显得枯燥乏味。她驾驭急流游得游刃有余,用清晰的“两桨!一桨!”口令喊得铿锵有力。我们玩得非常开心,所以立刻预订了下次的行程,并指定要她带队。
向导Cowboy(周四上午10:45)也给我们带来了很多欢乐。Megan和Lee和我们同乘一艘漂流筏,从巴士上来的时候大家就都兴奋不已。司机Clayton的“盲人,用盲文看路标”的段子逗得我们哈哈大笑,向导Adam则告诉我们如何使用桨:“桨的上半部分是T字形的——因为我同情那些松手的人!”
我的女儿贝拉幸运地坐到了梦寐以求的“公主”座,她享受着每一秒。我的儿子麦克斯则体验了一把真正的“落水体验”(Out of Boat Experience,简称OBE),在湍急的河段中尽情玩耍。团队棒极了:梅根拿起他的桨递给贝拉,麦克斯游向橡皮艇,我抓住他的救生衣带子,把他拉了上来。他看起来玩得不亦乐乎😄 我们还在一段平静的河段里自由漂浮了一会儿。
最令人印象深刻的是:所有的向导都非常出色,他们配合默契,就像一支精英团队,彼此之间有着独特的默契。无论何时何地,只要需要帮忙,他们都会挺身而出——无论是在巴士上、下水点、急流中,还是之后帮忙拍照。你丝毫感觉不到“我的向导和他们的向导”之间的隔阂,他们就像一个团队。
我们买的两次旅行的照片都非常精彩。其中有一组照片特别搞笑:贝拉被白浪卷走,然后又兴奋地冒了出来。
两位向导都让人安心,巴士上的工作人员幽默风趣,而河流则带来了湍急的河水、汹涌的波浪和难忘的回忆。两天行程中,我们一路说说笑笑,最终抵达目的地。
总之:赶紧预订吧!我们已经在计划第三次了。