“When we started, there was nobody commercially making these… we turned it into a new sport and that feels really exciting.”

Thor Tingey with Sheri Tingey, Alpacka Raft

Continuing my tour of Southwest Colorado, I met with Sheri and Thor Tingey, the mother and son team that started Alpacka Raft of Mancos, Colorado.  Sheri tells the story of Thor’s first packrafting trip using an early product that fell far short of Thor’s needs on a long backcountry trip.  Upon Thor’s return, he asked Sheri, a ski wear designer and maker, to “please make me a raft!”  From those early designs, Alpacka Raft was born, launching the new sport of “packrafting.”  The photo on the right is me trying out an amazing 2-person Alpacka Raft!