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Stop apologizing and start asking questions
I wouldn’t call myself an expert boater. I don't row the biggest lines or guide anglers on famous stretches of fabled trout water. What I can do is get my family and friends safely down most stretches without significant issues. Surprisingly, I’ve rowed for very few anglers in my seven years behind the oars. Our…
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A boat trailer’s curse
Some things aren’t meant to last a lifetime. It was a good run of nearly six years, but I think it’s time to part ways with an old friend. I’m not a superstitious person but this raft trailer is cursed. I’m sure of it, which is why I’ve chosen to cut it loose on the…
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River reading: The Packraft Handbook
There are a couple of books that live on the nightstand by my bed. Most are the type of books that I can pick up just about anywhere and mindlessly skim whenever I feel like it. My most recent go-to book recently is The Packraft Handbook by Luc Mehl and Sarah K. Glaser. The title…
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Take care of your feet
Footwear matters on the river, especially when you’re putting in big miles and days in and out of the boat. If you can keep your feet happy, the rest will follow
A couple of weeks ago I showed up to a friend’s house after a day on the water. My choice in footwear became the focus of conversation. One would assume I was going for a mid-day stroll in my Crocs and socks. “What in the world are you wearing?” “Do those work?” They were talking…
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A season’s ending, not yet
Autumn. Grouse, elk, trout, football, and deer. It’s been a great summer of rivers, dry flies, high country native trout, and late nights around the campfire but as the seasons change so do activities. There are some river trips, however, that should still be explored long after the last coat of 303 is applied for…
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When lottery season ends
Three words have stuck in the back of my mind since I’ve started playing the permit game for river rafting. Post-permit season and for that matter pre-permit season, too. Here’s what I mean. Each year some of the biggest and most coveted river trips throughout the western United States are permitted via a traditional lottery…
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When in doubt, scout it out
There comes a time in our rowing careers where we find a groove. We've been there and rowed that many times over the course of 10 years or more. That experience level may make us more proficient at rowing trickier water but it can also make us all a bit overconfident which can lead to…
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