Our meals on the river are served 'buffet or family style,' with any custom, per-person preparation limited to things like 'How would you like your steak cooked?' or 'Do you prefer your eggs scrambled or over easy?'
Read more about allergies and substitutions below.
MEALS SERVED:
Day 1 (Tuesday)
- Dinner on your own after check-in at Springhill Suites
Day 2 (Wednesday)
- Springhill Suites hot breakfast buffet
- Catered lunch buffet at Springhill Suites. Rio Fresh Mex Pork (optional) salad
- Dinner on your own
Day 3 (Thursday)
- Springhill Suites hot breakfast buffet
- Lunch on the river: A sandwich buffet with various meats and condiments. Also included: peanut butter and jelly, fresh fruit, chips, and cookies.
- Dinner on the river: Crab dip with cream cheese, cocktail sauce, crackers, grilled chicken, green bean almondine, salad, and dinner rolls. Fresh baked Dutch oven frosted cake (during fire restrictions, dessert may vary)
Day 4 (Friday)
- Breakfast on the river includes blueberry pancakes, sausage links, maple syrup, fruit syrup, melon, and orange juice. Coffee, tea, and cocoa are also available.
- Lunch buffet at Red Cliffs Lodge: Grilled burgers, chicken, and hot dogs, along with a variety of salads.
Snacks may include Trail mix, Chex Mix, Cheez-Its, Ritz cracker sandwiches with cheese/peanut butter, and honey-roasted peanuts. Fresh fruit is also available upon request
Substitutions for guests with SEVERE ALLERGIES
We take allergies very seriously at Western River Expeditions. You must describe the exact details of any allergies you may have, including symptoms and severity. If you have an allergy that may cause difficulty breathing, anaphylaxis, or other severe and life-threatening reactions, please read the following points carefully. We want to ensure you know what we can and can't do for you in a wilderness setting. If you have a severe allergy, you must bring at least two Epi-pens on your trip. If you have any questions or concerns, please get in touch with our office at 1-866-904-1160.
- All reasonable efforts will be made to avoid cross-contamination. We cannot guarantee that our products are free from allergens (including dairy, eggs, soy, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, and other allergens) as we use shared equipment to store, prepare, and serve them. For this reason, allergies to commonly used products such as onions, bell peppers, black pepper, garlic, or corn may not be accommodated, as most of these are present in the pre-made products we purchase. Please inform us about the exact severity of these allergies and whether they are anaphylactic or gastrointestinal.
- Peanut butter will be served on a separate table with disposable utensils. Guests with severe allergies may go through the line first before cross-contamination may occur. When preparing a salad with nuts, part of the salad will be set aside and covered before the nuts are added.
- Our policy is not to remove an ingredient from a trip when a guest is allergic to it.
- You are welcome to read food labels in the kitchen during meal preparation and check if you are allergic to any meal items.
Substitutions for VEGETARIAN GUESTS
Western River Expeditions can provide vegetarian alternatives for many items. Please see the notes below. If you feel this is insufficient, you can bring additional options. Your guides will store any food you bring but will not be able to prepare it for you due to limitations of the kitchen facilities, such as the number of pots and burners.
- Black bean veggie burger patties or Portobello Mushrooms may replace chicken for dinner on the river.
Peanut butter is always available at lunch, and hummus is provided for vegetarian guests. Meat will be served separately from other items whenever possible to maximize vegetarian guests' options.
Substitutions for GLUTEN-FREE GUESTS
Western River Expeditions will provide gluten-free alternatives for many items. Please see the list below and compare it with the standard meals for your trip. If you feel this is insufficient, you can bring additional options. Your guides will store any food you bring but will not be able to prepare it for you due to limitations of the kitchen facilities, such as the number of pots and burners. The backcountry often does not provide ideal conditions to avoid cross-contamination. All reasonable efforts will be made to keep foods separate, but if your sensitivity is severe, we may be unable to accommodate you.
- Gluten-free bread- Replaces lunch bread, dinner bread, and bagels
- We can also provide lettuce wraps for lunch instead of gluten-free bread.
- Substitute granola and yogurt instead of pancakes.
- Gluten-free snack bars- Replace snacks containing gluten
If you prefer not to eat gluten-free processed foods, we will provide other options (e.g., lettuce wraps instead of bread and chocolate bars instead of gluten-free brownies).
Specific DAIRY information
Many of our meals have alternative options for avoiding dairy. Depending on your sensitivity, consult with your guides and review the brands' labels on your trip. We generally avoid cooking with butter; your guides will happily accommodate this if you check with them. Items to watch and avoid are:
- Some of our breads contain whey, but many do not.
- Several desserts are cake-like products that contain dairy.
- Some of our snacks.
If you are highly sensitive, we strongly advise bringing supplemental snacks, desserts, and other foods to ensure adequate food. We always have fresh fruits and vegetables available, and we will have ample storage, dry or refrigerated.
Specific Nut information
For our nut-free guests, we can make the meal without nuts and set aside a portion for you, and then we will add nuts for the rest of the guests. Please consult your trip leader at the beginning of your trip to address the severity of your allergy.
- PB&J will be served at the table for lunch on the river. If you have a severe nut allergy, please consult your trip leader, and we will set a separate table on which the peanut butter will be placed.
- Many of our snacks are made in a factory where they could be contaminated by nuts. This is an area where it might be good to bring some supplementary snacks that you like for us to store.
If you have any questions or concerns, please get in touch with our office at 1-866-904-1160. If there is anything different that you would like to bring with you, please feel free to do so. We will have ample storage, dry or refrigerated, available. We hope this will help you plan accordingly. Have a great trip with us!
Guests should bring a personal sport water bottle with a carabiner to fill with cold water (supplied for Arches, Hummer, and the Raft and Camp) or low-calorie lemonade (supplied for the 2-Day Raft and Camp only). Guests are encouraged to drink plenty of liquids to stay well hydrated. If additional beverages are desired (soda, beer, other alcoholic beverages), guests may bring up to 6 cans or the equivalent thereof for the rafting trip. Containers should be unbreakable. They will be kept cold and accessible on the raft.
We bring a variety of snacks on every trip. As a general rule, snacks will be served mid-morning and mid-afternoon while traveling down river. If you would like to bring some of your own snacks, small, pre-packaged items are best. We can provide cold or dry storage. If you have special dietary needs, bringing some of your own snacks that work well for you is a great idea.