Back pivot by ARTA raft around Widowmaker Rock, Phil Town guiding

Entering just left of center at Widowmaker Rapid, guides could choose the somewhat tricky right side slot, or they could make a fast move to ferry away left from it (you could also run the easier far left channel). Here, ARTA guide Phil Town tries to get his crew to back pivot around the rock – making a right turn off the whitewater cushion around the rock and using that current’s momentum plus the right turn move of the raft to swing 180 degrees from the position they’re in now. If you don’t make it, you ride up on the rock or bounce hard against it! That’s probably ARTA guide (and later Zephyr owner) Bob Ferguson standing watching in the background – you can see the results of his run just after Phil’s here .  (Widowmaker got it’s name from a man drowning in this rapid in the late 60s.)