Lifestyle - Flavor

Connecting on the water

- Pangaea runs raft trips on the Spokane River.

Rafting company owner David Lawrence considers the rivers of the Inland Northwest some of the best in the country.

"In the variety of rivers, it provides the whole gamut of the best whitewater in the nation to some of the best scenic floating for little kids," he says. "Another asset to the rafting that's particular here—between Spokane, Coeur d'Alene, and Missoula—is like one corridor. If you're in that region, you have tremendous access."

Lawrence owns Superior, Mont.-based Pangaea River Rafting with his wife, Brooke. The pair were bicycling across the U.S. when they were negotiating—from pay phones—to buy a rafting operator's permit. They launched Pangaea in 2005.

"What just blew me away about Spokane was the access," Lawrence says. "Quality rivers, mountain climbing, rock climbing, fishing, hunting—every outdoor activity is all right there at your fingertips."

He calls Spokane, North Idaho, and Western Montana a dynamic place where the outdoor activities work "synergistically." The access, coupled with the high quality of life, friendly people, and four seasons were what drew the Lawrences to the region.

Lawrence, a Virginia native who studied English literature at Eastern Washington University and has a master's degree in curriculum and instruction, teaches skiing during the winter in Winthrop, Wash.

"My wife and I and the kids recycle water all year round," he says. "Rafting is one of those things. It gives you an experience with the people and the land. It all happens at the same time, connects you with the family, connects you with nature, reminds you of why people live where they live. It's such an exciting place."

Pangaea operates rafting trips from April through July on the Spokane River, and through September on the Clark Fork and Blackfoot rivers in Montana, a short drive from Spokane. In addition to the standard whitewater rafting trip, Pangaea offers family trips, a wine float, a geocaching whitewater trip, birdwatching, and team-building excursions.

Through the team-building jaunts, called Working Efficiently Together (W.E.T.), groups such as medical students or company employees participate in games, work as a team, and practice communicating.

Says Lawrence, "In Spokane, Idaho, and Montana, we have this personal relationship with the land, with the river, and with each other. ...We have the space and room to do that out here."

For information on Pangaea River Rafting, visit www.leaveboringbehind.com.