River Rafting Captain's Report ~ ExGld
Ho! Explorers!
Our rafting campout was incredible and lovely in all the ways one hopes it can be. We have the Captain’s Report below so grab your cup of tea and read on!
River Rafting Captain’s Report
As a captain of the Explorers Guild, I often look around at the world and wonder what it would be like to take people on various adventures. I have about a dozen that I’ve been dreaming of and that I’m still trying to find the ways to make them happen. Having said that, river rafting has been one of the oldest dreams and I just never knew where to start with planning.
As luck would have it one of our Explorers (and someone I’ve known since the Explorers Guild began) grew up on the river and was a guide himself. Tree, along with his partner Lily, are both river guides and were interested in taking the Explorers Guild out to the river! After months of working through the logistics, writing the River Rafters badge, scouting the runs, and properly prepping an expedition crew, we were ready to introduce the Explorers Guild to the wonderful adventures of river rafting.
The weather was downright perfect and the campsite and cabins we had been allocated were wonderful. Our only issue was that there was a county wide fire ban, which meant our campfire plans were scuttled. Unfortunate, but not a dealbreaker. Explorers arrived on Friday, setting up camp, carousing, and prepping for the adventure ahead. As some explorers were arriving on the later side, we opted to officially start the expedition at breakfast on Saturday morning.
On that morning, as we gathered to limbo under the line in the sand, Tree took a moment to make sure we had a bit more context for our adventure ahead - that we weren’t simply going to travel on the river, we were going to get to know it; and that our trip is a continuing legacy of the connection people have with the waterways. As we stood in the circle and looked into each other’s eyes, I could see that each Explorer was steeling themselves for the adventure ahead and taking his words to heart.
Our expedition was split into two halves. On Saturday, half the explorers would launch from camp and head down the river, ending at the Salmon Falls Bridge. On Sunday, the other set of Explorers would launch at Chili Bar and end back at Camp Lotus. Each section offered different sets of challenges to the groups. For those that weren’t actively rafting, they would get to explore the surrounding area or just take it easy at the river, enjoying the day.
I opted to do my run on Sunday so that I could maximize my time with some of the wee Explorers that weren’t going to go down the river. It also gave me an opportunity to run shuttle crew (essentially moving transport infrastructure for the rafting crew). I was feeling tense as I listened in on Tree’s safety talks. As the boats launched into the water, a feeling of dread came over me. Our mantra of “we haven’t lost an explorer yet” seemed to now be out of my direct control. My faith would need to be with Tree and Lily, and though I trusted them, I couldn’t shake my concerns.
That day the minutes turned to hours and the crew back at camp did much to enjoy our time by the river: the little ones made sandy ponds for a hopeful catch of tiny fish to place in them, swollen blackberry bushes were picked over (although few were quite ready to eat), and the dinner crew adjusted meal plans to accommodate the lack of a campfire (creating a stew with the ingredients). We all busied ourselves, but my eyes were on the river and the road looking for any sign of the expedition crew.
As dinner was nearing completion, the rafting crew returned with jubilant smiles and so many stories. During their run no one had been knocked off and everyone was ecstatic about their experience. I tried to follow along their collective lines of thought, from Satan’s Cesspool and Dead Man’s Drop, to Hospital Bar and the Recovery Room (I was assured that these were the common names, not the Explorer names). My fear gave way to relief and for the rest of the evening I was so delighted to continue sharing stories by our (legal) cake tin candle campfire.
The next morning, nibbles of uncertainty returned as I realized it was going to be my turn to go down the river. The shuttles all made their way to Chili Bar, where we pumped up the rafts and double checked our gear. Tree suggested that our crew should submerse ourselves in the river before we started so as to lessen the shock when we would inevitably take in our first wave of water from a rapid. As the safety talk started, once again I could feel my unease creeping up on me. Whereas in the past I was often the one to buoy the spirits of explorers, I took much comfort in the efforts of the explorers to do that for me now. Dharla Day, Alice, Kinnabari, Deprong Mori, Salty Dutch, Yezhik, and of course Tree and Lily all gave me the vote of confidence. As I sat in the front right hand side of the boat, we cast off and into the rapids.
Despite the excitement and fun of the adventure I will not take you on a moment by moment recollection of our trip down the river, and instead focus on a few highlights. First of all, it was like the most lovely stroll through the forest, only this time along the trail of the river. The anticipation and follow through at each rapid was a beautiful blend of adrenaline and dopamine as we cleared to the other side. The first time a wall of water hits you is life affirming, little did I know that front right was often the side first getting the dose of water. During the quieter moments, looking over the edge of the raft and watching all the river rocks glide beneath you is sublime.
As we arrived back at camp, I fully understood the excitement that yesterday’s group experienced. I just wanted to go out again and again. As our camp cleaned up and prepared for the journey home, I was so overjoyed by the time I got to spend with everyone. Each explorer at our campout brought so much joy to the overall experience. I was especially thankful to both Tree and Lily, who guided us through an adventure that could have had serious consequences but instead will leave each of us with stories to tell again and again. The connection which Tree wanted us to have with the river was experienced by each of us. All the work planning and preparing had been well worth the effort and a dream of mine was now realized. I look forward to further adventures outside my comfort zone and hopefully we find ourselves back on the river in the near future.
That’s all for today, a big thank you again to all the explorers who came out to the river rafting trip, and thanks to all of you who read through these missives and are a large part of why we continue to make adventures. Also, thanks to Byzantium who made the incredible River Rafters badge design. As mentioned last week, our next adventure is to Fairyland on September 14th.
Semper Explorandum Explorers!