It had been years since I'd been on a proper river adventure.

How many days? 7? 6 nights? What river? The Green? Class III at most... with "sort of" big wave trains..... ya know the fun stuff.

In April? Where........ Desolation Canyon?

No roads in or out, no walk out potential, absolutely no cell service. One side of the river is designated tribal land. Water temps would be in the 50s on a warm day and, weather could be anything from "blue-bird" sun, to blowing sideways snow…for days.

After all, I had said that I really wanted to learn to row and.... that takes time on the oars, so yeah I was in. Although it didn’t initially sound like that big of a deal when I received a call about this trip. I hadn't done anything over 3 nights in years like a decade.... plus. The thought of our trip started to make my palms clammy.

I'd had many KAVU adventures in my late teens and through my early 30's. Those memories are certainly fulfilling. But as these things go..... I met my wife, started a company and travel happened for work. My great kids came along… all pretty normal, excellent stuff really. Even though I still was getting out skiing, rafting (mostly to fish), backpacking/camping, trail running etc., it was nothing like before. And the remote stuff had fallen so far off the back that, I really questioned my ability to navigate "off-trail" with a map and compass anymore.

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