The trip looked so inviting in the brochure. You paid by credit card weeks before arriving in Alaska. Now you're on the banks of a chilly, broiling river, paddle in hand. The raft seems in good shape. The guide seems professional and capable. But the river is so fast . . .
How do tourists know the outdoor adventures they choose in Alaska are safe? Is Alaska doing enough to protect tourists?
In the past few years, a rafting accident claimed a couple of tourists; helicopter and plane crashes have taken the lives of some flightseers; mountain climbers and glacier climbers have run into fatal trouble.
In 1999, six California tourists clung to an inflatable raft as their halibut charter boat sank in Cook Inlet. They and two crew members were rescued by the U.S. Coast Guard.
The captain of the fishing boat was not required to keep an inflatable raft aboard. His vessel was a ''six-pack,'' an industry term for a boat that carries no more than six paying passengers. The Coast Guard requires the captain of such a boat to be licensed, provide life jackets to passengers and submit to random drug testing, but it does not inspect, rate or monitor six-packs. It investigates safety only when there is a complaint.
''If we don't hear anything, we don't know,'' said Lt. Michael Lingaitis, a senior investigating officer for the Coast Guard.
Those who work in the travel industry say it's largely up to the tourist to gauge the danger involved in a tour as well as their own ability to react in an emergency. Tourists can be naive on both counts, said John Beiler, development specialist for the Alaska Division of Tourism. Too often they're eager to go, no questions asked.
''If (someone) opens the door on the airplane and tells you to get in, you figure he's the pilot,'' Beiler said.
Most people don't even think to ask if a vendor has a current business license, much less qualifications to guide others, he said.
There's risk inherent in any adventure or tour, said Joy Maples, director of communications for the Anchorage Convention and Visitors Bureau. An element of danger often is a big part of the draw of adventure tours, she added.
While the bureau offers no advisories to tourists, educating them about ways to ensure their own safety might be one way Alaska can help tourists protect themselves, she said. Maples said she could not imagine how a single body could monitor the myriad tour vendors in the state.
So how can the public assess the qualifications and safety of a vendor?
''I always tell folks: Get references,'' Beiler said.
There's nothing wrong with checking up on a business, asking about its safety record and interviewing previous clients. Yet often that's not realistic, he added.
People assume that because a business hangs out a shingle, it's a safe operation. Many tourists book tours blindly from the Lower 48. Others are walk-ins for all kinds of adventures, like rafting, flightseeing, fishing and wilderness trips.
''One color brochure looks the same as another,'' said Chuck Spaulding of Nova, Alaska's Adventure Co., which has conducted white-water rafting tours in Alaska for 25 years.
To help rafters assess their own fitness and ability, Nova issues wet suits and requires clients to float downstream and guide themselves out of the water. They hear a safety speech and are briefed on a rating system that gauges the difficulty of the water.
Spaulding called guided rafting an exploding industry in Alaska, and said he's increasingly concerned about upstart competitors, whom he suspects take safety shortcuts to keep costs low.
''There's no question about it -- there's a lot of pirate operations going on. . . . People are under the assumption that a guide is a guide is a guide,'' Spaulding said.
''There's no protocols, there's no guide licensing, there's no standards. And we're seeing a lot of outfits that are taking a lot of chances that, from our perspective . . . are not acceptable,'' he said.
Some states license white-water guides for the rivers they work on, but Alaska doesn't.
''It's never been seriously discussed as far as I know,'' said Jeff Bush, deputy commissioner of the state Department of Community and Economic Development. ''It would have to be done through legislation.''
''This is a consumer protection issue and . . . something that probably deserves looking at now that (tourism) has grown significantly in Alaska,'' Bush added.
Big-game hunting guides are licensed in Alaska, but as far as the state is concerned, other guiding outfits need only apply for a business license.
''That's all we require of them,'' said Jennifer Strickler of the Division of Occupational Licensing.
Self-regulation may be one answer. While the Federal Aviation Administration oversees pilots, the Tour Operators Program of Safety takes safety one step further. The national group sets guidelines for helicopter tours -- companies that follow them can advertise their membership in TOPS.
Red flags
Meanwhile, adventure seekers can make some basic observations about vendors that should either put them at ease or raise red flags.
Is the vendor experienced? Is the crew familiar with the area you'll be traveling in?
Is the vendor organized?
What is the quality of the gear?
Is the gear properly handled and maintained?
Have a look around and ask questions, Lingaitis of the Coast Guard suggested. If you're going on the water, find out exactly where and if the boat's captain has a valid license for it.
Vessels that carry more than six passengers are more closely scrutinized by authorities than six-packs. A certificate of inspection should be posted. If your vendor operates in a state or federal park, it should have a permit. Check the safety record with park authorities, the Better Business Bureau or the Alaska Attorney General's Office.
Assess your own skills
A self-assessment may be in order as well:
Are you a capable swimmer?
Are you fit?
Do you get seasick? Airsick?
Do you have a medical condition that could endanger you or others on the tour?
Increasingly, Maples said, older tourists are participating in ''soft adventures'' -- like leaving a cruise ship to kayak for the day but returning in time for dinner. Some may misjudge the risks and their own ability to respond in an emergency. Try imagining the worst-case scenario and how you would react, the experts say.
Finally, if you have qualms, walk away. It's not unheard of.
''Common sense rules,'' Beiler said.
Questions to ask
Here are some questions to ask an adventure travel outfitter:
How experienced is the staff?
Is the price all-inclusive?
Does the outfitter have permits for travel through public land?
What other types of guests are on the trip?
Will the outfitter provide references -- customers who have been on the trip?
Are there age limitations (primarily for children), or experience or physical requirements? Advise the outfitter of any physical or medical conditions or special diet needs and ask if those may be accommodated.
What risks are involved?
Source: The American Outdoors Outfitters Directory and Vacation Guide. Web site: www.americaoutdoors.org.
