The Chilliwack Canyon run is awesome for rafts.

I would say to check out the Sky, thats a great run and it has boulder drop. If you looking for a more vacation style adventure check out the Nahatlatch with REO rafting and make sure that your friend tells them PP sent them. REO is pretty rude to kayakers since they own a resort on the river at the scouting location for the gorge and they feel like they are owed something for even stepping foot on the property which is understandable since it is a business and in the same general sport. maybe if they know were passing business that way they will appreciate it...?

http://www.reorafting.com/

The stein would be a step up for sure, but this is another company that is awesome and really cool to kayakers !!!! We all love Kumsheen and the infinite hot tube.
http://www.kumsheen.com/

Rogue - dam controlled and great.

Oh, and if the  Lochsa is still going, its defintely worth the drive... don't know how Idaho snowpack is shaping up.

The white Salmon River has some quality class III+ with one IV+ waterfall which got pretty exciting after the falls changed last spring.  There are four major companies down there with quality guides.  The largest are Wet Planet, Zoller Outdoor Odyssey (ZOO), and River Drifters, and a smaller mom and pop operation is All Adventures Rafting.  I work for All Adventures so I'm a little biased, but we run a good trip with quality guides that enjoy guiding and have fun on the water, we also typically have smaller trips making it a more personal experience.  I would recommend if you can help it to go during the week, because it can be a little more chaotic on Saturday and Sunday.

Hope to see you on the white salmon

Jed

1-800-74-FLOAT

(is it unethical of me to do this?)

All good suggestions!

Of them all I would recommend the Nahatlach the most. The drive isn't too bad, just make sure you have proper documents.

Camping at the Nahatlach is so nice. The river IS class IV.

Putting in on a lake is quite cool.


I also recommend EVERYONE take a trip on a J-rig on the Fraser. I would love to put together a PP trip. Shane from Chinook does a "friends and family" trip every year. Its usually the last weekend in Sep or the 1st in October. I have gone twice...
You will never be on such huge water in your life. imagine a J-rig feeling SMALL!

The trip starts at the Thompson confluence and you can load whatever you want on the rigs for the night out. The first day is pretty mellow with gear piled up all over. Its party time. The overnight spot is right at the Nahatlach confluence. Shane puts out a helluva spread. Hiking from here is fun and you can check out the last Class V on the Nahatlach. We usually stop for lunch at a nice spot too.

After packing up in the morning the rigs stop at Boston Bar to meet Darwin, owner of Fraser Expeditions. Here all the gear is removed for the whitewater action. The second day is full on. You will get soaked. you straddle the second tube in and hang onto some chains and yahoo all the way. Its heavy metal rafting!!!!! There are up to 20 people on a boat I think. its huge! The engine sound is fun like dirt biking.

At Sailors Bar there is a huge rock on river right that is about half a city block big. Downstream and to the left is a series of HUGE waves that get bigger on the river left side. After running the huge rapids on the right you eddy out and power back upstream in the eddy created by the huge rock. When the J-rig pulls out of that eddy toward the huge waves for another go, the boat feels about as big as a kayak pulling out of an eddy in something thats 20000 cfs. The bow is sunk and peeling out you are stoked to see these massive waves again. Drenching is probably the best word for them. They stand up the J-rig vertically. Shane is keen to taking numerous laps there. Hells Gate is incredibly impressive....

If anyone wants to go this year let me know. It would be awesome to get a good crew who will appreciate the hugeness and the good times. I'm not sure about the price but if we get enough folks we should be around $150-175. This includes food which is always fantastic.   Shane would be stoked to have a big crew as I think the last few years have been lean....

Great recommendations everyone, thank you!  I had no idea about the Fraser River stuff, sounds amazing.

"Shane is the man" thats a under statement "Shane Turnbull is a legend" his gudes are also lifers which i think really makes a trip

Yup.

If that's your criteria-- sounds like you'll need to look towards BC for sure. Check into some of James' suggestions.

Easy answer: Go do a multiday on the Tuolumne River.
http://americanwhitewater.org/content/River/detail/id/326/
Great river close to Yosemite. If you are feeling frisky you can even do the Cherry Creek section...the hardest commercially rafted stretch in the US (requires rafting experience).