Parachute river rental service aims for early June season opener
A Parachute rental service that offers activities like tubing, kayaking and paddleboarding down the Colorado River is preparing for its season opener, a service official said.
The Town of Parachute Adventures is currently in the process of being acquired by Grand Junction Adventures, owned by Elizabeth Fortushniak.
“We’re getting the systems ready to go,” Fortushniak said of the Parachute location. “We’re trying for the first weekend of June.”
Parachute originally opened TOP Adventures in 2017. The service not only offers rentals for rivertime adventures but also off-road vehicles and bicycles for exploring the nearby White River National Forest and Battlement reservoirs. The operation — including employees, equipment and transportation — was subsidized by mineral grants and the town of Parachute.
For 2022 alone, Parachute budgeted at least $65,000 to operate TOP Adventures, Town Manager Travis Elliot said. That was before Grand Junction Adventures showed interest in taking over operations.
“There is an anticipated cost savings,” Elliot said of the pending acquisition. “The town’s been subsidizing the operation for the past several years, just between staff costs and maintenance costs and everything else.”
Rental rates are likely to increase under the new ownership.
According to Grand Junction Adventures online, typical daily rates for duckies and paddleboards are $60 out of the operation’s Los Colonias shop.
Fortushniak said discounts will be offered to Parachute residents.
“We want to make sure they’re still happy because of the acquisition,” she said.
Fortushniak, a former oil and gas worker in the area, is well acquainted with Grand Valley’s beauty and also the growing success of TOP Adventures.
The float itself is a tamer ride compared to other spots up river. The gentle, 6-mile drift cuts through landscape surrounded by desert mesas flanked by tree-lined mountains toward the south.
This season’s rentals include tubes and duckie paddleboards. A shuttle service also is available.
“This stretch of the river is pretty pristine,” Forushniak said. “Also, the landscape has a lot of recreational opportunities.”
To make reservations or more information on TOP Adventures, visit https://topadventures.co.
Reporter Ray K. Erku can be reached at 612-423-5273 or rerku@citizentelegram.com.
Support Local Journalism
Support Local Journalism
Readers around Glenwood Springs and Garfield County make the Post Independent’s work possible. Your financial contribution supports our efforts to deliver quality, locally relevant journalism.
Now more than ever, your support is critical to help us keep our community informed about the evolving coronavirus pandemic and the impact it is having locally. Every contribution, however large or small, will make a difference.
Each donation will be used exclusively for the development and creation of increased news coverage.
