The “recent Saturday afternoon” on the Animas River cited by Michael Black (Letters, Herald, June 28) might possibly be the thrilling day enjoyed by me, some exchange students, teachers and other locals who took advantage of a generous locals-appreciation day by a commercial rafting company.

Maybe he didn’t see the two private rafts that launched with us, but how could he miss the catamaran deftly piloted by the father of one of the rafting company employees? Below Santa Rita, that gentleman pulled up to a private landing before Dallabetta, so perhaps Black missed him. None of us locals drove a vehicle to the take-out, and I’m told most private rafters arrange for pickup so counting cars is not an accurate measure of use.

The Animas was rushing with recent rain and snowmelt, and Smelter Rapid was at Class 3-plus or 4-minus, requiring some skill and experience to navigate. That’s a special condition, not the usual, and it’s not for casual rafters. Certainly, it’s not for us geezers who don’t want to invest in a lot of equipment but want an exciting ride to cross off our bucket list and an activity we can recommend to visitors.

The safety lecture before launching was thorough, and I always felt we were in competent hands.

Judy Clifford

Bayfield