Although last summer’s commercial rafting season was characterized as “among the most trying in the industry’s history,” Arkansas River outfitters fared surprisingly well despite the COVID pandemic which forced a late start. It’s hard to imagine, but for some rafting company owners, COVID concerns did not decimate business last summer. In his 10 years at the helm of Rocky Mountain Outdoor Center, owner Brandon Slate has never been as busy as he was last summer despite the global pandemic. “Last year (in the spring) phones were not ringing at all and we ended up having the busiest season since I’ve been running the company,” Slate said. “It was crazy.”