OFF THE BEATEN TRACK
George Armstrong started All-Outdoors California Whitewater Rafting in 1962 from his home in Walnut Creek . His son Scott Armstrong is now the company ' s operations manager .
Along with pioneering the practice of utilizing everyone in a boat as paddlers , George Armstrong is proud of his legacy of championing women river guides , while operating a guide school for 30 years which actively recruits women .
“ My daughter , Sherri , brought in her female friends , so early on we were using female guides ,” he says . “ My oldest son , Mark , was one of the early guides , and his then-girlfriend worked with us and recruited other females .” Armstrong says that his granddaughter Laura has been a guide at the Grand Canyon for many years .
After the “ dark days ” of 2020 , when COVID-19 restrictions cut business an estimated 60 percent , Scott says he ’ s excited for this year as restrictions decrease . Using about 80 full-time summer employees , they expect to take around 12,000 rafters out in 2021 , running one- and multiday trips on various sections of the American and Tuolumne rivers , from easy float trips to the more challenging , navigating rapids with names like Troublemaker ,
“ The legacy that George started is so remarkable , not just with his own family , but through the generations of people who have been introduced to rivers here in California ."
Peggy Lindsay , former guide , All-Outdoors California Whitewater Rafting
Fowler ’ s Rock , Satan ’ s Cesspool and Meatgrinder .
“ It ’ s been a great pleasure of mine ,” George says , “ not just being on the rivers , but seeing the people that we ’ ve been intertwined with all along the way .”
Steve Martarano was at the Sacramento Union for 10 years before working in public affairs for both state and federal agencies in Sacramento . On Twitter @ MartArchives .
20 comstocksmag . com | July 2021