George and Dolores Armstrong, early Stanislaus rafting pioneers

George and Dolores Armstrong in the early 1950s enjoying Pinecrest Lake (on the South Fork of the Stanislaus ) in the Sierra Nevada. The husband and wife team were some of the earliest rafting pioneers on the Stanislaus River, using a small, store-bought inflatable raft on their first couple trips. These trips often included their (very young!) kids and then many other extended family members and friends. George, a high school teacher who was also a competitive body builder, created an outdoor adventure program for his Concord (California) high school students. This program evolved into All-Outdoors which continues strong to this day. Started by George and his oldest son Mark, it is now run by George’s sons Gregg and Scott. The family run enterprise now runs rivers throughout California but sees its roots as coming from its start on the Stanislaus River. Learn more about All Outdoors and its unique family history, and see AO Rafting images on the Stanislaus here.  Three interviews in 2023 with George, Randy and Gregg are here.