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High Country River Rafters (HCRR) was founded in 1987 by a small group of rafting enthusiasts. Dave Gusky, a respected whitewater rafter, would frequently run stretches of the Green River and the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon. After several rafting seasons, the rapids had taken its toll on his 16 foot Udisco raft, and it was time for an upgrade. He found an ad in the paper for a company that sold rafts and equipment, operated by Mike Murphy. After meeting, Mike mentioned he was trying to form a rafting group, which Dave agreed was a good idea. Together, they joined forces to build a strong group of experienced rafters including John Green, Buck Buchanan, and the original owners of Down River Equipment, Dennis Schell (D-9er) and Greg Yeager (Yeager).
On March 11, 1987, the first HCRR meeting was held and consisted of about 10-15 people. Shortly thereafter, Mike was elected as the first HCRR president followed by Buck Buchanan. The club's purpose was to bring together a community of rafting enthusiasts focused on whitewater safety and river conservation.
The group drafted by-laws and developed CPR trainings and educational presentations about whitewater safety and river conservation. They even edited and mailed out a monthly newsletter and established an annual permit party to discuss river conditions and how to apply for river permits.
Today, the High Country River Rafters community exceeds 200 members, who enthusiastically run our rivers using a variety of whitewater vessels including rafts, inflatable kayaks, hard shell kayaks, and more.
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