In the summer, Vail is another good homebase for paddlers. Besides the mighty Colorado, the village has several good rivers near at hand, including the Arkansas and Eagle Rivers.

While technically not in the White River, the Arkansas River offers lots of good stretches and lots of good stories. You can choose among hard driving Class V and VI sections, a good handful of saner III-V whitewater sections, and a lovely 54 mile stretch that can take 3 days out to complete. Browns Canyon is one of the most popular whitewater runs in the western Rocky Mountains. The season for the Arkansas runs from April to September, with May and June being optimal.

Not quite the same candybox, the Eagle River has a couple terrific 3 and 4 mile runs. The season here runs May to July. And finally, the Blue River in the neighboring Arapaho National Forest has one perfectly enjoying Class II to III run that's just right for apprentice paddlers.

The Blue River is popular if only because it's fairly near Denver. It's also one of the most controlled rivers, with a diminished flow because most of the water goes to Denver.