JEFFERSON COUNTY, N.Y. -- If you love the outdoors, being out on the water and don't mind getting your blood flowing just a little bit while you do it, then Jefferson County may be the place for you to visit this summer.
The Black River in Watertown offers some of the best water sports recreation in all of New York State. There's fishing, world-class kayaking and some amazing whitewater rafting.
From start to finish, that can be a pure adrenaline rush.
"I would equate it to skydiving or something like that," B.O.B. Rafting Owner Bob Peterson said. "You're standing on the precipice, waiting to jump out of a plane, when you're coming into a big set of rapids its the same thing, you get that same feeling."
It's an adventure Peterson has nearly 30 years experience with. Before he started his company, he worked for the river's first rafting business.
Adirondack River Outfitters was supposed to be based on the Salmon River in Pulaski, but in 1983, owner Ron Smith was told about the little known Black River in Watertown. The rest is history.
"It was kind of, at the time I thought, the holy grail that we search for in Whitewater rafting. A river that has what we call adventure class whitewater all summer long. We couldn't even believe that it really existed," Smith said.
The companies have that friendly rivalry, but both offer that unique chance to experience the water in a way that can only happens here.
"Approximately 7 miles down the river," Peterson said about his trip's length. "We figure we're on the river 2 to 2 1/2 hours. We do some playing around. There's some swimming spots on the river where we'll let you jump out of the boat if you want. Beautiful scenery."
When people try it, like a Cornell University class, it's something they'll never forget.
"I thought it would be a good time and the weather is really nice. I figured I'd come out with my friends and do something different and make some memories," Michelle Liu said.
"I thought we were just going to go somewhere further up Cayuga Lake and then kind of just raft out," Cornell Wrestler George Famutimi said. "When they told me it was three hours in and out, I was like woah, this is a different part of New York I didn't know existed."