Bluegrass Music Rafting Trip 2014, Green River, Booking Now!
Bill Dvorak Raft – Kayak – Fishing Expeditions
Invites ‘The Hayward Strangers’
To the 2014 Green River Roustabout
September 13 – 18, 2014 | (6 days 5 nights)
Yep that’s Banjo Music…… And yes we are on the Green River deep in the Canyons of Desolation and Gray in the wilderness!
For more details, go to: Book This Trip Here
THE BAND: Come on out to the finest bluegrass rafting trip this side of the South Platte River, It’s Dvorak’s six day ‘Premier Bluegrass Roustabout’. The Strangers are Keenan Copple, Alex Daue, Phil Hanceford, Josh Hicks, John Murret and Scott Powers. They are a rowdy group of folks with roots from North Carolina, Nebraska, Tennessee, Louisiana, Maryland and Montana who play high energy acoustic Americana.
THE DVORAK’S: A fifth generation cousin of the famous composer, Anton Dvorak, Bill Dvorak has been running rivers commercially longer than anyone else in Colorado established in 1969. Having offered the Classical music journeys for more than 25 years the Dvorak’s are stepping it up this year! With a personal penchant for Bluegrass music they are ready to take the Hayward Strangers Band down the Green River which will provide an acoustically outstanding natural setting to perform. The “Bluegrass River Journey” premier is born September 13, 2014.
Dvorak’s is bringing once again a new twist of music to the Desolation & Gray Canyons of the Green River in Utah. The Strangers will blend with the sweet melody of the morning chorus of birds, rippling sounds of the river and the drum roll of the rapids. Guests will join members of the Hayward Strangers on a six day Roustabout journey setting up camps under autumn starry skies, playing daily near natural canyon walls, overhangs and on beaches, stage setting set for kings and queens.
Four or more concerts are scheduled throughout the journey, including a crazy dress up and dance concert near the conclusion of the trip. The concert halls are the acoustically rich alcoves, slick rock canyons and caverns located along each river, open-air stages nestled among Cottonwoods, old homesteads and thousand foot canyon walls.
For more details, go to: Book This Trip Here
“The idea first emerged following a conversation Bill Dvorak, owner and founder of Dvorak Raft, Kayak and Fishing Expeditions, had with Phil Hanceford (mandolin) at a conservation event. “One year later, six members agreed to sign on and the first journey of its kind for this seasoned outfitter – Dvorak’s is happening.”
Dvorak plans each trip with ample leisure time allowing down moments to just soak up the sun, read, float along the river and listen to some impromptu jam sessions. In addition to rafting and music, trips include side excursions to ancient Fremont Indian ruins, petroglyphs, wildlife viewing, side canyon hiking. You can play with stand-up paddle boards, inflatable kayaks, Bocce ball tournaments, beach games, swimming, photography options is extra ordinary and just way to much fun.
At night guests and performers mingle over campfire conversation, laughter, singing after a variety of guide prepared dinners such as blackened salmon, BBQ steaks, fresh salads, garden vegetables and Dutch oven desserts such as black forest cake, strawberry shortcake accompanied by hors d’oeuvres and vintage wines. (Special diet & allergies can be accommodated)
“These trips are pampered entertainment the whole way!” says Dvorak. “It most likely will be one of the most memorable, rowdy groups of folks to float down a river, which you’ll ever take.”
About the Hayward Strangers
It was late summer of 2009 when a weekly open music night was established on a back porch of a small house on Hayward Place in Northwest Denver, Colorado. Soon thereafter, the weekly musical release turned into a savory blend of complimenting sounds and personalities.
The Strangers are Keenan Copple (banjo, resonator guitar) she played music with her dad when she was a kid in Lincoln Nebraska. They shared a love for delta and Piedmont-style blues music and Keenan learned to play slide guitar, in part because her fingers were too little to fret the strings at the time. She began playing the banjo about ten years later when she was in law school in Boulder, CO.
There she met Phil Hanceford – the Stranger’s (mandolin) player. The two of them picked bluegrass tunes together, and liked each other so much that they got married a few years later. Phil comes from the Blue Ridge hills of North Carolina where he learned to grow a beard and drink moonshine at a young age in order to improve his chances with sassy banjo pickin’ gals. He plays the mandolin because he’s not good enough to play the fiddle.
Josh Hicks (drums), He’s lived in Colorado for 10 years, and recently improved his lot in life when his partner, Mandy agreed to marry him. Nearly every genre of music has had some influence on Josh. Growing up in Memphis, TN, soul music in particular has been influential.
Scott Powers (Upright Bass) was born and raised in Maryland, but always had Colorado in his blood after coming out to ski every year since age 5 with his dad. Blues was always a love, but Bluegrass became a family tradition after Phil and Keenan invited him to a “Thursday Night Jam” at their Hayward Street home and the rest is history! Scott is married to Heather and has two kids, Taryn, age 11 and Elle, age 8. If you’re lucky you can catch Elle playing the bicycle pump and dancing along (one of her favorites is Salty Dog) with the band at festivals, gigs, and back-yard jams!
Alex Daue (Guitar) grew up in the mountains of western Montana, where he learned that a woman at the bar who’s already drinking, smoking and chewin probably doesn’t need additional stimulation. A fan of music that twangs from a young age, Alex finally tried his hand at guitar pickin while working as a river guide on the unruly whitewater runs of Colorado, Arizona and West Virginia. Don’t stand too close if he’s cuttin loose on a solo – any lack of precision is offset by vigor, and a broken string to the eye ain’t a pretty sight.
John Murret (Guitar) Not able to make this trip on his honeymoon!
For more details, go to: Book This Trip Here
About Bill Dvorak Rafting | Kayak | Fishing Expeditions, Est. 1969
Bill and Jaci Dvorak have been operating Dvorak Expeditions since 1979. As one of the early pioneers of white water river rafting in the Rocky Mountains, the Dvorak’s own the first outfitter license issued by the state of Colorado. Their river trips, white water skills camp and swift water training programs are world renowned and have been featured in National Geographic, the Chicago Tribune and seen on ESPN and various television specials. Bill recently received the conservation award status from American Rivers as the “River Champion of the West.
This concert journey is a fundraiser for the National Wildlife Federation. Dvorak’s & The Hayward Strangers are donating a significant portion of the fee/profit to NWF, so we invite you to have an amazing week with some of the West’s most dedicated and experienced “river rats” and help protect wildlife habitat through NWF. This is one of Bill and Jaci’s favorite western river canyons and they guarantee this will be one for the bucket list, life changing, inspiring experiences you’ll ever have and just plain fun!
This premier trip is September 13-18, 2014: Adults $1498 – Youth under 12 years @ 1350.
Additional costs: Shuttle flight $190 per person from Grand Junction, CO or Green River, UT to the mesa above the launch site @ Sandwash. Taxes and government fees additional:
Trip cost will include all meals, rafting and safety equipment, professional guides & staff.
Hayward Stranger’s will play concerts throughout the trip.
For more details, go to: Book This Trip Here
Phone: 719 539.6851 or 800 824.3795.
Email: info@dvorakexpeditions.com
Address: Dvorak Expeditions | 17921 US Highway 285 | Nathrop, CO 81236