Oso rafting trip goes on despite community outrage

It was a beautiful day for a rafting trip down the North Fork Stillaguamish River on Sunday.

Though the rafting group had to maneuver some bedrock because of low water levels, it was an enjoyable trip, Dave Button of Pacific Northwest Float Trips told KIRO Radio’s Dori Monson. That is, until the small rafting group floated past Oso-Darrington.

“It drastically changes,” Button said. “It’s like going through another planet.”

Despite requests from the community to not host the trip, Button continued on through the landslide area and resulting devastation that left 43 people dead. And it wasn’t just the barren landscape that reminded the group of why people were so upset with rafting tours being held on the river. A man who lost family members stood on an overpass, screaming down at the group.

Button has had mixed feelings about hosting trips down the river and past Oso, he told Dori. He’s received “numerous” calls and emails against him hosting the tours. The guide even received a cease and desist letter.

But Button believes it’s important people see what happened on March 22, 2014.

“We can’t isolate and ignore it,” he said. “We need to learn from it.”

Button originally scheduled trips down the Stillaguamish around Oso landslide’s one-year anniversary. That was cancelled.

The trip isn’t about profits, he told Dori. He is willing to donate the money back to the Oso community &#8212 whether people will accept the money is a question that remains to be answered.

Is it possible the community is just looking for an outlet to vent their anger and frustration?

It’s possible, Button said. For example, if a county sheriff came down and told him not to host a tour past Oso, he would oblige, Button told Dori.

“Folks are still recovering and have mixed feelings,” he added. “It’s just one of those things that will leave an imprint on a person’s life.”

Pacific NW Float Trips runs five rivers, Button pointed out.

“Why not just go to another river?” Dori asked. If people are that upset, there are others to choose from.