Bernie Fandrich ran Kumsheen’s first raft trips down the Thompson River in 1973. These past few years have been challenging for everyone, us included. We’ve seen pandemics, floods and major fires. But here we are – nearly 54 years! These challenges make us even more grateful to be here, and even more excited to share this place with you.
In the first summer of “operations” Bernie hucked a 15ft raft on his VW Van, some lifejackets and a few paddles to head down the river. A sign up on the Trans Canada Highway showing “Bernies Raft Rides”
“We had fewer than 120 people that year. But there was a family of four, the father who was a manager for Moffat Canada had said ‘I can see, if I come back in ten years, you’ll have a fleet of rafts and thousands of guests.’ He saw it before I did”
– Bernie Fandrich
1977 Bernie purchased an empty lot in downtown Lytton to build our first HQ, a Quonset building.
In 1978, a young Albertan, Lorna Spencer, was experiencing river running in Colorado. Someone told her she should try the Kumsheen Experience. Next season she was on an eight day expedition down the Fraser guided by Fandrich. The following February, they were married. The rest is history… a history now including three children and two properties.
In 1994, the couple fulfilled a longtime vision: the Kumsheen Rafting Resort on a spectacular 15 acre piece of property overlooking the White Canyon of the Thompson River. In 2023, Kumsheen purchased Shaw Springs resort, a 40 acre property named after a small spring across the Thompson River from our current lunch and half-day rafting trip launch spot.
