As one of the fastest growing outdoor activities, white water rafting has made a permanent home here the Great Smoky Mountains. For today’s #TriviaTuesday we will be giving away 2 Passes to White Water Rafting with Smoky Mountain Outdoors! Be sure to read the article and answer the questions at the end. To enter the contest be sure to leave a comment and we’ll pick a winner! Good Luck!
So, how did they come up with the rubber raft? Lt. John Fremont wanted to survey the Rocky Mountains and the Great Plains so he enlisted the help of inventor Horace H. Day. Together, they constructed a primitive raft out of of four rubber cloth tubes and a wraparound floor. This raft made its first voyage when Fremont traveled the Platte River in 1842.
We’re throwing it back for a little history lesson on white water rafting with Smoky Mountain Outdoors. The folks at Smoky Mountain Outdoors aren’t new to the rafting game, in fact, they’ve been in operation since 1993! Since SMO has been taking trips up and down the river, they have taken visitors on all types of trips including rafting through class IV rapids!
Before SMO added this staple activity here in the Smoky Mountains, the rubber rafts were used during wartime for the soldiers. However, in 1956, John D. Rockefeller, Jr. built a resort and came up with commercial rafting trips for guests. He used the surplus rafts from wars to take guests on the new excursion. Although he added this exciting outing for his guests, the trend didn’t catch on until the 1960s and 1970s.
Okay, ready for some trivia?? Let’s get started!
- In what year was the rubber raft invented?
- Who used rubber rafts at his resort for guests to enjoy the new outdoor activity in 1956?
Be sure to a leave a comment down below with the correct answers and we’ll pick a winner on Thursday May 24th at noon!
