Summer is fleeting. You鈥檇 think I鈥檇 have learned this by now, considering I鈥檓 49 years old, but the end of the season sneaks up on me every year, and I find myself trying to cram as many warm-weather adventures as I can into August. My favorite summer pastime? Floating. Grab an inner tube or a standup paddle board (or an inflatable camping mattress in a pinch) and point it downstream on a lazy river and just … float.

Tubing has always been an integral part of my summer adventures. As a kid, I grew up tubing the Chattahoochee River through metro Atlanta. We hunted for rope swings and jumping rocks. Since those early days, I鈥檝e hunted for ideal tubing scenarios, getting stuck on rivers with no currents and freezing my unmentionables off while careening down snowmelt creeks. I love tubing because it forces you to slow down and move at the speed of the river. It鈥檚 less about exploration and more about relaxation.

So I鈥檝e done the research and found some of the best floating rivers in the country. Sure, some of these rivers have the occasional rapid, but these aren鈥檛 whitewater paddling trips. These are languid, let the sun beat down on you while draping your toes in the cool water below, trips.

Before summer is over, make the most of it with these epic float trips across the country.

Upper Iowa River, Iowa听

The Upper Iowa is a gem of a river that runs 136 miles through the northeast corner of Iowa before meeting the Mississippi. It was one of the first bodies of water to be nominated for a National Wild and Scenic River designation in the state, and because of that protection, it remains a pristine paddle to this day.

Kayakers and canoeists explore multiple sections of this river, but the perfect stretch runs for almost 20 miles between Kendalville Park access and Bluffton Fir Stand Access, where multiple public access points allow you to tailor the length of the trip. This section also cruises through the most interesting terrain, from natural springs pouring into the river to limestone outcroppings to expansive forests of balsam firs. The highlight has to be the Bluffton Palisades, a half-mile–long stretch of cliffs that rise 300 feet from the edge of the water.

Logistics: Start your trip in the morning to avoid afternoon crowds. rents tubes and runs shuttles of varying lengths (from $25, including the shuttle).

Where to Stay: has campsites and cabins on the river (from $100 a night for the cabins, from $38 a night for campsites). They also rent tubes (from $10) and run shuttles.

Niobrara National Scenic River, Nebraska听

Think Nebraska is just corn fields as far as the eye can see? Think again. The Niobrara River is a 535-mile–long waterway that begins in Wyoming, but the prettiest parts are in Nebraska where a 76-mile-long stretch was designated a National Scenic River in 1991. Here, the mild-mannered river runs through sandstone canyons, rolling sandhills, and forests of aspen and birch. The best section runs for 12 miles from Fort Niobrara National Wildlife Refuge to Smith Falls State Park. It鈥檚 a full day of cruising with the occasional swift water ripple and the opportunity to see wildlife like eagles, herons, and otters. You can also spot deer and the occasional elk grazing in the meadows. The section is known for its waterfalls, with the opportunity to park your tubes and take short hikes to Fort Falls, a 30-footer over an exposed canyon, and the 63-foot-tall Smith Falls, Nebraska鈥檚 tallest. There鈥檚 also Berry Falls, which drops directly into the side of the Niobrara River, giving you a chance to feel the spray from the eight-foot drop as you cruise by in your tube.

Logistics: The park service estimates 60,000 people paddle or tube the Niobrara River every year, most of them on Saturdays during the summer, so if that鈥檚 your plan, aim for an early morning launch to avoid the majority of the crowds. Or show up during the week if that鈥檚 a possibility. Nearly a dozen outfitters rent tubes and run shuttles. such as

If you put in at the Niobrara National Wildlife Refuge, you鈥檒l need to pay the daily access fee and wear a wristband.

Where to Stay: has a campground on the river, as well as Nebraska鈥檚 tallest waterfall. It鈥檚 a popular takeout spot for outfitters running trips, so pitching your tent here makes for a seamless adventure (from $15 a night for a site).

The Russian River, Sonoma County, California听

Northern California鈥檚 Russian River cruises for a hundred miles through Sonoma and Mendocino Counties. This is wine country, and most visitors are here for the grapes and the food, but a two-mile stretch of the Russian River from Steelhead Beach to Sunset Beach has become a hotbed of floating during the summer months. It鈥檚 a slow-moving affair with no rapids to speak of, so the trip typically takes four hours, but there are pebble beaches for lounging and plenty of opportunities to cool off by dipping in the water. If you鈥檙e an angler, consider turning this into a float/fishing trip, as the Russian River is known for its striped bass, steelhead, and salmon fishing.

Logistics: Parking at Steelhead Beach ($7 per car) fills up fast, so get there early on weekends. It鈥檚 a five-minute drive between the parks, so it makes for an easy self-shuttle. The county also runs a between the beaches on weekends ($5 per person). , located at Steelhead Beach, has tube rentals (from $25 a day).

Where to Stay: This is wine country, so boutique hotels abound, as do private campgrounds. has RV and tent sites (from $60 a night) tucked into the redwoods with river frontage and quick access to the restaurants in Guerneville and Forestville. They also offer tube rentals ($25 a day).

The Lower Salt River, Arizona听

The Salt River stretches for 200 miles through the Sonoran Desert of central Arizona. While the Upper Salt is a hot spot of whitewater paddling and rafting, with class III-IV rapids, the Lower Salt, below Sauguro Lake, is a more mellow affair with mild water moving through classic desert terrain with 1,000-foot cliffs and more saguaro cacti than any mortal can count.

The most popular stretch for tubing is just 45 minutes outside of Phoenix, where the river cruises through Tonto National Forest. Multiple public put-ins allow you to tailor the trip to your needs, with options from just a few miles to up to 13 miles. Plenty of people opt for paddle boards and kayaks for this run, but it鈥檚 quintessential tubing territory with just a few ripples to contend with early on in the trip. You also have the chance to spot wild horses, which graze along the river banks and wade into the water. An estimated 300 feral horses live in a 20,000-acre section of the national forest along the Lower Salt. Coon Bluff Recreation Area, roughly halfway through the tubing run, offers the best chance to see the mustangs. Your odds improve if you鈥檙e on the river at sunrise or sunset.

Logistics: rents tubes and runs shuttles for trips of varying lengths on the Lower Salt ($28 for tube and shuttle). You鈥檒l also need a Tonto National Forest recreation pass ($8).

Where to Stay: The sits near the top of the Lower Salt River. If you stay at the ranch, you can launch directly from the property and start paddling beneath tall cliffs right away. The ranch has kayaks for rent and guided trip options, too.

Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey听

Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area is a special place. From a topography standpoint, the 鈥淲ater Gap鈥� is a notch carved into the Kittatinny Mountains by the Delaware River that鈥檚 a quarter mile wide at the bottom and a mile wide at the highest peaks. That鈥檚 cool, but the recreation area is even more impressive from a public land standpoint, as it protects 40 miles of free-flowing river in the heart of the most densely populated region of the United States. This National Recreation Area is an oasis of pristine water and lush, forested slopes in an otherwise urban landscape, and it鈥檚 best experienced from the hull of a boat or the听seat of a tube while meandering on the Delaware River. The current is mostly mild throughout the recreation area, which has a dozen access points, enabling you to create a trip to suit your needs. The six-mile stretch from Smithfield Beach to Kittatinny Point is popular with paddlers, ending at the actual gap in the mountains. Tubers flock to the next section of the river, which runs for four miles from the gap to the small town of Portland, floating beneath the Slateford Bridge and through the occasional class I/II wave train. The river is protected from its source in the Catskills, so the water is pristine and often clear enough to see straight through to the bottom.

Logistics: There are no entrance fees to the national recreation area, but there are some day–use fees at certain put-ins. The Delaware Gap National Recreation Area runs a to the four Pennsylvania access points of the river on weekends until August 31. has kayak and tube rentals and shuttles (starting at $40 per person).

Where to Stay: has 78 campsites along the river on the New Jersey side of the recreation area (from $20 a night). Sites here not only get you close to the water, but you鈥檒l have fast access to great hiking on the Appalachian Trail, too.

Yampa River, Steamboat Springs, Colorado听

The Yampa River is a free-flowing tributary of the Green River, and it has some classic whitewater sections, particularly through Dinosaur National Monument. But the river is relatively mellow as it cruises through downtown Steamboat Springs, offering locals and visitors an enticing way to cool off without leaving the city limits. A variety of parks and access points allow you to tailor the trip to your timeframe, and several outfitters rent tubes and run shuttles in town. It鈥檚 more than a scenic float, though, as there are plenty of standing waves and small rapids to keep things interesting, but nothing you can鈥檛 handle in a tube or standup paddleboard. The river has a very relaxed, social vibe.

In addition to plenty of other tubers and paddlers, you鈥檒l pass kids swimming in eddies and people lounging on rocks and beach areas. In other words, it鈥檚 a popular respite from the heat, so much so that the city limits the number of commercial trips on the river each day, and divides the river into sections, each with a dedicated user group. The upper stretch is reserved for anglers, while private boaters can launch from Fetcher Park and cruise downstream. If you鈥檙e renting a tube, you鈥檒l put in at 8th Street and float two miles to the James Brown Bridge.

Logistics: Local outfitter has rental equipment and shuttles right at the 8th street put[[-]]in ($25 includes a shuttle). Typically, tubing season runs through August, but check in with the outfitter before your trip to check water levels. Commercial outfitters like a sweet spot of 500 to 600 cubic feet per second for trips. You want to hit the river before noon to miss the crowds.

Where to Stay: Downtown Steamboat Springs has limited camping, but has plenty of hotel options. Check out the , a renovated motel with retro vibes, in the heart of town within walking distance of the river (from $159 a night).

Ichetucknee River, Ichetucknee Springs State Park, Florida听

Florida can get a bad rap, but the center of the state is a veritable jungle packed with natural springs and lazy rivers that meander beneath a lush, hardwood canopy. I love Florida鈥檚 cold springs, and I鈥檇 argue that there are so many beautiful rivers in Florida that the state is ground zero for tubing in the U.S. It鈥檚 tough to pick one river to focus on here, but the Ichetucknee takes the prize.

The six-mile-long river is fed by eight natural cold springs, and the Upper Ichetucknee, within the 2,500-acre state park, is one of the most pristine bodies of water in the state. Put in at Dampier鈥檚 Landing and float for about a mile (the trip takes about an hour) beneath a canopy of cypress and pine. Bring your goggles and head to the head of the river, where you鈥檒l find deep pools with underwater cavern systems formed by the springs; my family got a kick out of snorkeling in these pools. Just keep in mind that the water is a crisp 72-degrees year–round because of the springs bubbling up from below.

Logistics: Entrance fee to the park is $6 per vehicle. Try to get there early,听as the park closes when it reaches max capacity. You can get tubes or boats at the park鈥檚 (from $8). You can take the tram or hike the trail back to the put-in next to the General Store.

Where to Stay: There鈥檚 no camping inside Ichetucknee Springs State Park, but there are several privately owned campgrounds near the park. has campsites and cabins on the Santa Fe River, less than five miles from Ichetucknee, and gets rave reviews by Hipcampers (from $45 a night).

The Lower Green River, Saluda, North Carolina听

The Green River has one of the most lauded class V whitewater runs in the country, with a three-mile section that鈥檚 packed with class IV and V rapids and home to the annual Green River Race. But below the Narrows is the more mellow, six-mile Lower Green, where the whitewater settles down to some easy class II waves and drops leading into gentle eddies. If you鈥檙e paddling, consider doing the whole Lower Green, which is a four-hour adventure that鈥檚 perfect for experienced standup paddleboarders. Most tubers opt for the lower three miles of the run, which is two hours of floating with half a dozen rapids that pass through the protected forest of the Green River Gamelands. The water is clear, and the banks are lined with granite outcroppings and the occasional rocky beach.

Logistics: If you鈥檙e doing the full six-mile run, you can set your own shuttle, stashing cars at the Fishtop Access and Bigrock Access points. If you鈥檙e tubing, your best bet is to rent tubes and get a shuttle from , which has an outpost directly on the river (rates start at $20 per person).

Where to Stay: Hotels in the area are scarce, but there are a handful of private campgrounds. has three-sided camping shelters as well as A-frames and a deluxe treehouse roughly 20 minutes from the river (shelters start at $55 a night).

Truckee River, Reno, Nevada听

Tubing the Truckee River into downtown Reno is all about timing. Hit the river during the spring snow melt, and it鈥檚 a torrent of whitewater popular with kayakers. But wait until late summer and the flows have mellowed, creating ideal tubing territory. It鈥檚 an urban experience that has you floating past neighborhoods, wooded slopes,. and several parks before getting out in downtown Reno. And the water is crisp and swift, so you can expect some small rapids even at low volume.

The best part is the finish: tubers take out at Reno鈥檚 Truckee River Whitewater Park, a manmade playground with half a mile of waves and drops. If the water level is low enough, you can run tubes through some of the rapids at the Whitewater Park, running laps on the more fun features until you鈥檙e exhausted.

Logistics: Multiple parks allow you to vary your trip length, but most people run from Mayberry Park, where there鈥檚 plenty of parking, to the Truckee River Whitewater Park. , which is located next to the whitewater park, has tube rentals and runs shuttles. ($69 per person including shuttle).

Where to Stay: It鈥檚 Reno, so there are hotels (and casinos) everywhere. has the world鈥檚 tallest outdoor climbing wall and is only a couple of blocks from the Reno Riverwalk and Whitewater Park (from $195).

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Graham Averill is 国产吃瓜黑料 magazine鈥檚 national parks columnist, and spends as many days as he can tubing the rivers near his home in Asheville, North Carolina. He recently wrote about the best swimming holes in our national parks.听

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There鈥檚 a reason this听 was designated as America鈥檚 first National River in 1972. 国产吃瓜黑料 never ends when you’re floating down the scenic Buffalo National River. The freeflowing river is a playground for water lovers and a refuge for anyone who wants to experience a primal slice of Ozarks nature.

The Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage, and Tourism protects and promotes the state鈥檚 natural, cultural, and historic assets, contributing to a thriving economy and high quality of life. The Division of Arkansas Tourism strives to expand the economic impact of travel and tourism in the state and enhance the quality of life for all Arkansans. The division manages 14 Arkansas Welcome Centers and employs more than 60 staff members across the Natural State. Learn more at听.

The post The Arkansas 国产吃瓜黑料 Series: Buffalo National River appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

The first time river guide Bart Baldwin ever dipped a paddle into whitewater, he was rafting Oregon’s Upper Klamath River. 鈥淚t spoiled me,鈥� recalls Baldwin, who grew up near the river. That initial experience sparked a passion for paddling that Baldwin parlayed into a career that led him across the country鈥攁nd back to the Upper Klamath, where he鈥檚 operated Noah鈥檚 Rafting Company since 2008. He discovered that the 鈥淯K鈥� whitewater had few equals. 鈥淚t was unique,鈥� Baldwin says. 鈥淚t wasn鈥檛 natural by any means, but unique.鈥�

Timed releases out of JC Boyle dam created surges in the river鈥檚 flow and some of the biggest (class III and IV) rapids in the Pacific Northwest. And the water was a comfortable temperature: Unlike the bracing snowmelt that many rafters brave across the western United States, the Upper Klamath water that flowed from Boyle Reservoir and Upper Klamath Lake farther upstream was known for its warmth. The crowd-pleasing day trip accounted for more than 50 percent of Baldwin鈥檚 annual revenue.

But summer 2023 was the last season for the dam-dictated Upper Klamath. JC Boyle and three other Klamath River dams were dismantled between July 2023 to October 2024, and without those timed, high-volume releases, the Klamath no longer offers its famously thrilling whitewater. The river, which had been dammed for over 100 years, has yet to settle into its new normal鈥攁nd it’s unclear whether it will have sufficient flows to be navigable at all.

Saying goodbye to that income, and to the rapids that inspired Baldwin to devote his life to running rivers, came hard. The Upper Klamath, which runs through high-desert western juniper forests that grow in volcanic soils, 鈥渇eels like home,鈥� Baldwin says. 鈥淚 spent 30 years up there, and they were some of the best years of my life.鈥�

The removal of JC Boyle and the other three dams is the world鈥檚 largest-ever dam removal project, affecting a 41-mile stretch of the Klamath River flowing between Oregon and California. Built between 1908 and 1962 to generate electricity for nearby communities, these four hydroelectric dams submerged indigenous lands, blocked salmon passage, and created pockets of warm water where toxic blue-green algae thrived. Deconstructing them promises to repair significant social and environmental damage, and consequently, many people celebrated when the smallest of the four dams, called Copco Number Two, was removed in summer 2023. Drawdown of the other three reservoirs continued in January 2024, and the project was officially completed in October. Keno Dam, which sits far upriver, was left in place because it has a fish ladder and provides irrigation for farmland.

This change promises, in the long-term, to improve water quality and allow salmon to reach their former upstream spawning grounds. But there are unwelcome tradeoffs: People who lived and worked along the dammed Klamath had built homes and businesses that relied on its series of reservoirs and rapids, and many of these stakeholders had opposed the dams鈥� removal. Since the dams have come down, property values along the former lakes have declined. The region鈥檚 sprawling farms and ranching families also fought the project because the dams routed water to their lands. And some environmentalists question whether salmon can or will return to upriver spawning grounds. Rafting outfitters anticipate significant financial losses now that dam releases no longer produce the rapids that attracted boaters. People stand to lose not just money, but also their identities.

Envisioning a New and Undiscovered River

Historical and scientific records yield only a few clues about what the Klamath River was like before it was dammed. The annals confirm little beyond the fact that fall- and spring-run chinook salmon, Pacific lamprey, and steelhead trout all used to migrate to some unconfirmed point near the headwaters of the Klamath River, at marsh-ringed Upper Klamath Lake.

The Klamath that living people have come to know starts there, at a shallow basin that hugs the eastern edge of Oregon鈥檚 Cascade Range for 25 miles. Those warm waters flow through Keno Dam, JC Boyle Reservoir and Dam, and into Copco Lake” before spilling out through Copco One and Copco Two听and passing myriad agricultural diversions along the course to Iron Gate Dam. From there, the Klamath picks up speed as it slices through northern California for 200 miles to meet the Pacific Ocean near Crescent City.

Baldwin, a lifelong adventurer, can鈥檛 help but feel curious about the potential for continued exploration on the newly free-flowing river. 鈥淭here is some opportunity here,鈥� he says of the transformed stretches of riverbed. 鈥淲e鈥檒l push off in boats听and wonder what鈥檚 around the corner. We鈥檒l run something with no beta, and that鈥檚 so unheard-of in the Lower 48,鈥� Baldwin says.

Already, he鈥檚 scouted Wards Canyon, a stunning 1.7-mile chasm of columnar basalt that had been dried up by Copco Two听dam. Future flows there may range from 5,000 to 10,00 cubic feet per second (CFS) in winter to 700 to 1,000 CFS in summer for class III and IV rapids. 鈥淭hat was pretty cool to see,鈥� says Baldwin.

Because the flows on the future Klamath River will be lower than the summertime surges facilitated by the dams, big rafts probably won鈥檛 be able to negotiate the new runs. Baldwin is mulling the possibility of offering multi-day fishing trips in small catarafts that can plumb technical water through remote canyons.

鈥淚 don鈥檛 know if salmon are going to be teeming through that section. I hope they do,鈥� says Baldwin, noting that large-scale, water-hungry agricultural operations have appeared along the Klamath River and challenge the return of historic flows. 鈥淚 hope that with the dams out, that entire river system will heal, and be better in the long run.鈥�

That vision tests Baldwin鈥檚 faith. Nevertheless, he鈥檚 putting plans in place鈥攊n part because he enjoys seeking solutions to novel problems that haven鈥檛 already been solved. The future is uncertain, but it could be exciting. 鈥淚 could be a taxi into some of the newest and most unique fly-fishing spots in the US,鈥� says Baldwin.

Connecting Past and Future Visions

Since 1918, salmon and steelhead have bumped their heads against the aptly-named Iron Gate dam, the lowest of the four dams and an impassable barrier for migrating fish, which was removed on May 5 of this year. Installing fish ladders and updating the aging hydroelectric infrastructure at Iron Gate and other Klamath River dams wasn鈥檛 worth the expense, decided PacifiCorps, the energy company that operated the dams. And so, after decades of protests from the region鈥檚 indigenous tribes, California and Oregon issued approval for dam removal to restore habitat for four keystone fish species: Chinook salmon, Coho salmon, Pacific lamprey, and steelhead trout.

鈥淐onifer forests benefit from the marine-derived nutrients,鈥� explains Keith Parker, senior fisheries biologist for the Yurok Tribe, one of several entities that鈥檚 working to restore the Upper Klamath and its sea-run species. Salmon, steelhead, and Pacific lamprey spend most of their lives in the ocean, which fattens them for their long migration (totaling hundreds of miles) up the Klamath River to reproduce. Their eggs feed other fish, such as bull trout, and their carcasses enrich the soil to nourish some of the world鈥檚 tallest, oldest trees. Multiple, cascading ecological processes rely on these fish.

The fish have both biological and cultural significance, explains Parker. “They have fed our people since time immemorial with high-quality protein,鈥� he continues. The Yurok people now eat a primarily commercial diet, but Parker is hopeful that the return of the salmon could help them reconnect with ancestral foods and traditions. His tribe suffers disproportionately from obesity, diabetes (at twice the national average), and poor mental health. are 14 times higher than the national average.听Parker believes that sourcing local, nutritious food is an important step towards better community health.

Parker considers the fish population and the Yurok people intertwined. 鈥淢y people were wiped out to fewer than 1,000 of us, and the salmon experienced their own genocide,鈥� says Parker. The Klamath River鈥檚 current salmonid population represents just two percent of historic levels. 鈥淵et they still persist,鈥� continues Parker. When he imagines the future of the Klamath River, he looks to the distant past.

鈥淪almon are in the fossil record,鈥� Parker says. The oldest salmon fossils in Oregon are . That history gives him confidence that they will return, which many people outside the tribal community view as uncertain. To Parker, a hundred-year lapse can鈥檛 permanently interrupt a five-million-year-old habit.

Parker also draws inspiration from more recent proof of salmonids鈥� resiliency.听鈥淭here have been close to 250 dam removals in the western US, and the common thread among all of them is that within a short period of time鈥攍iterally months鈥攂iologists found juvenile salmon and larval-stage lamprey above the dam sites,鈥� he said. As of this writing, As of this writing, Chinook salmon have started to into the previously inaccessible water above the Iron Gate dam site, roughly 150 miles from the California coast. They haven’t yet reached the former JC Boyle reservoir, 32 miles farther upriver in Oregon.

Focusing on the Future

After Danny Fontaine moved to the shores of Copco Lake in 2011, he鈥檇 spend the mornings and evenings on his dock, casting a fishing rod for perch, bass, and crappie. The water shimmered just below his lakeside home, with a 150-step staircase linking his back door to the shore. Some days, he captained a pontoon boat across the water; other times he launched his motor boat.听Now, the lake has receded back to a river.

His home sits among a small cluster of buildings: There鈥檚 the defunct Copco Lake Store (which Fontaine owns and hopes to remodel), the fire station, the Community Center, and its outdoor swimming pool. These buildings and the residents they serve : nobody knows for sure how the river鈥攐r the local economy鈥攚ill regenerate. Amid that climate of precarity, Fontaine鈥檚 work as a real estate agent has dried up.

But Fontaine is training his eye on the future. He seeks solace in tangibles such as the Copco Lake Store and the interior remodeling that it requires. 鈥淭hinking about that makes me feel good,鈥� he says. His hope is that rafting outfitters might find a way to continue to offer float trips on the new river, and that those boaters would use the future store as a resupply station. Maybe creating a new campground would give visitors a reason to come to the community that once occupied the southeast end of Copco Lake.

Such visions of the future help Fontaine accept this change. He also reminds himself that the Copco residents will persist, even without the lake. Throughout the year, the Community Center hosts monthly dinners involving area residents. Fontaine or his husband Francis Gill, a trained chef and the Community Center鈥檚 president, typically cooks for the group. 鈥淓veryone out here is fairly tight-knit,鈥� says Fontaine.

鈥淣obody here has sold their house because of the dam removal, nor do they plan to,鈥� he says, concluding, 鈥淲e won鈥檛 be able to have the water, but we鈥檒l be able to have the community.鈥�

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The Storm Hits 听

I wake up at dawn on Friday, September 27, because the wind is howling around my house and trees are snapping at their trunks and being pulled out of the ground by their roots. From the window I watch the treetops sway and listen for the crack of wood. I hope I can echo-locate the snap so I know where the giant timber is going to fall. At every sound, I worry something will land on my house.

Two large white oaks, one of which is at least a hundred years old (I count the rings later) are pushed over by a massive gust and careen towards my neighbor鈥檚 house, where three little girls under the age of 10 live. As one barely misses the walls and crushes a trampoline outside, I slump in relief.

Rain is coming down in a steady stream. The power goes off a few minutes after I wake up. Water is the next to vanish, an hour later. Cell service disappears in the early afternoon. Asheville has wind gusts of 46 miles per hour.

Nobody expected a storm like this in western North Carolina. Hurricanes usually hit the state鈥檚 coastal regions, not the mountains. We knew there would be rain and flooding, but nothing at all as catastrophic as what came. My wife and I lived through Asheville鈥檚 last hurricane flood, in 2004, when the French Broad River surged into low-lying parts of town. Meteorologists called that event a one-in-100-year flood. They鈥檙e saying this storm is a one-in-1,000 year event. I don鈥檛 know a single person who evacuated, nor did I ever hear any calls from officials to do so.

When the worst of the storm abates, around noon, I walk into the street and gather with neighbors to make sure everyone is O.K. Kids are crying. People have huddled in their basements. A neighbor who鈥檚 a doctor walks up saying a woman at the bottom of our hill has a gash in her neck that won鈥檛 stop bleeding because the roof of her house fell on her in bed. Trees are down all over and there鈥檚 no clear path to get the woman to a hospital, so I run around looking for a way that a vehicle could get through the carnage. So many power lines are down, so many cars are smashed, so many trees are leaning on homes, and stunned people are standing in their yards. My neighborhood of 19 years feels foreign.

I find the safest way to walk the woman with the neck wound to a point where I think a car could meet us, and I reach a friend who鈥檚 headed into my neighborhood with a chainsaw, already out trying to cut through the madness, and have just enough service to tell him where to go before my phone dies. I walk the woman up a hill, with the doctor who鈥檚 telling her not to remove the bandage from her neck because you don鈥檛 mess with neck wounds, and the woman is crying. She鈥檚 afraid of the wind and the trees鈥攁fter the roof of her house just fell on her.

My friend with the truck and the chainsaw is there, exactly where I told him to meet us, and the woman enters the vehicle and they head towards the hospital. I don鈥檛 hear how she is for another three days because there鈥檚 no cell service, and nobody hears from anyone unless in a face-to-face conversation.

I go back to my own house to assess the damage and hug my wife and children.

By the end of the day, a crew of men in a truck I鈥檝e never seen before have chainsawed their way through half of the downed trees in the neighborhood. These aren鈥檛 city crews or electric-company employees. These are dudes in trucks doing what they can to help.

This is just day one.

The Aftermath of the Storm

Hurricane Helene hit western North Carolina, turning the city of Asheville, the South鈥檚 greatest outdoor-adventure town where I have lived for 20 years, and the surrounding mountain communities into a federal disaster zone. The French Broad River crested at more than 24 feet, wiping out the entire River Arts District, a collection of restaurants, breweries, hotels, and art studios a mile west of downtown. Biltmore Village, a hub of higher-end hotels and restaurants and shops, is similarly trashed, whole buildings gutted by the force of the river. Entire neighborhoods have been washed away, with houses and trailers floating downstream and piles of broken lumber everywhere.

I鈥檓 incredibly fortunate. Our basement flooded, but no trees hit our house. Nobody in my family was hurt. We live in higher terrain and not along the river corridor, where the worst flooding occurred. So many people are in far worse shape. As I write, 71 people have been confirmed dead across the county. Search and rescue helicopters and ATVs are still looking for missing people every day.

The first few days after the storm were isolating. Navigating the roads was tough because of the downed trees. Nobody had cell or internet service, so we couldn鈥檛 check the news or message anyone. I didn鈥檛 know the extent of the destruction beyond my own neighborhood. Eventually, we learned to get in the car and listen to the city鈥檚 press conferences at 10 A.M. and 4 P.M. every day to grasp the context of the storm. I worked on cleaning up my neighbors鈥� yards and some trees in the road.

I was lucky in another way, too. We have an old hot tub in our backyard that became our sole source of gray water, and remains so. I used five-gallon buckets to move water from it to our bathtub so we could flush toilets. I cooked meals on our propane grill, pulling food from the fridge before it went bad.

At some point, I learned that the Chamber of Commerce a mile up the street had power and their WiFi was radiating into the parking lot, so twice a day I walked up there to send messages and check the news. I started a fire in the wood stove in our basement to try to dry the water out. Of all the damage Hurricane Helene caused, this is as minor as it gets.

In talking with neighbors, we heard there was no gas for cars because the stations had no power, and that none of the interstates or highways were letting vehicles in or out. We heard other towns鈥擟himney Rock, Burnsville, Spruce Pine, more鈥攄eeper in the mountains fared even worse than Asheville. We learned that the city had organized points of distribution for water and food.

Besides the destruction, mostly what I saw is people taking care of each other. The guy who owns the trendy cafe on the corner a few blocks from my house cranked up his giant pizza oven and served free burgers and chicken sandwiches, feeding 1,500 people. Other neighbors chipped in, setting up stands with free stew and hot dogs.

We were all walking all over the neighborhood and town, asking people we didn’t know if they needed anything.

Almost two weeks after the storm, we still have no power, internet, or running water. I鈥檓 still moving water to flush toilets, getting drinking water from distribution points, trying to keep a fire in the basement stove. Cell service came back about six days after the storm.

Every state and federal agency is on the ground. Cops, firefighters, and search-and-rescue teams have come from Indiana, New York, Ohio. There are well-organized official disaster-relief stations and smaller stations set up by civilians. There鈥檚 a hard 7:30 P.M. curfew. I鈥檝e heard isolated events of attempted muggings, but mostly it鈥檚 peaceful.

Unable to work as a writer without internet or power, I spend my days volunteering. One day I鈥檓 cooking burgers at a community center, the next, knocking on doors around Buncombe County doing wellness checks. If you can鈥檛 reach a cousin or aunt or spouse in Asheville, you call and ask for someone to check on the person. Volunteers go out to people鈥檚 last known addresses and see if they鈥檙e OK.

Most of the people I check on are OK. I work on developing the friendliest of door knocks,听 something that says, 鈥淚鈥檓 here to help.鈥� Only one person answered the door with a gun in a holster.

I鈥檓 having a hard time putting this into words, but in the midst of all of the destruction and despair that I鈥檝e seen, I鈥檝e also been overwhelmed by a sense of hope and gratitude. Is it cheesy to say this disaster has renewed my faith in humankind? Probably. But that鈥檚 fine.

Without water and power, schools are closed, so my kids spend their days volunteering or helping friends clean up their yards. They have sleepovers and walk a mile into town together, just for some semblance of normalcy.

Grocery stores opened on a limited basis a day or so after the storm. One person in, one person out, long lines. Cash only because there was no internet. Now the stores are taking cards again, and you can get much of what you need or want. Most gas stations are open again. The two coolers on my back porch are full of food, and I am still cooking all meals on the propane grill. I鈥檒l need to find more propane soon.

Downtown is a ghost town. Asheville is a tourist draw and obviously there are no tourists right now. A lot of people have left town temporarily as well. Some businesses have boarded up, and only a few shops are open.

My hot tub is almost empty, which means I鈥檒l have to figure out another source soon for non-potable water. I saw the destruction to the reservoir system. It鈥檚 extensive; the transmission lines, which carry the water out of the reservoir, were washed out after more than 30 inches of rain fell. The bypass line, which was built as a redundancy measure, also washed out. That particular line was buried 25 feet deep, but the land eroded so much that the pipe was carried away. Crews are working on rebuilding that pipe right now.

The Outdoor Community Steps Up

The day before the storm, I went to to drop off a couple of things for resale. Second Gear is a consignment outdoor-gear shop that gives gently loved items like camp stoves and fleece and tents a second life, an effort in sustainability and in making things affordable to people who want to go outdoors and may lack good gear and equipment. It has a great location in the River Arts District, about 100 yards from the French Broad River.

The next time I saw Second Gear, it was in a video on social media, being swept away by the river. The entire building.

A number of guide services, like paddle-board rental shops and shuttle operators like French Broad Outfitters and Zen Tubing, that were located on the river suffered similar fates. Wrong Way Campground saw massive damage, the river breaching several of their cabins.

The local climbing gym, Cultivate Climbing, closed their flood doors, which would typically keep water out of the building. The river level was so high the waters crested the flood doors, poured in, and turned the building into a swimming pool.

Pisgah and Nantahala National Forests are closed. There鈥檚 no telling what sort of damage those mountains have suffered, because all resources right now are still dedicated to helping people in need. I鈥檝e heard of groups of mountain bikers from the local bike club, called SORBA (for the Southern Off-Road Bicycle Association), hiking into small, isolated communities and chainsawing a path for those residents to get out to the nearest fire station.

I鈥檝e heard of fly-fishing guides leading search-and-rescue efforts in the steep mountain hollers where they typically head up fishing adventures.

Several small towns, such as Barnardsville and Spruce Pine, in western North Carolina are isolated, the roads covered in mud and a tangle of pines and hardwoods. Nonprofits and small-town fire departments have been organizing groups of hikers to take supplies into people deep in the mountains who are cut off from the outside world. Volunteers with ATVs are incredibly sought after because they can get into remote places that normal vehicles can鈥檛 access.

The French Broad River Keeper, Hartwell Carson, who spearheads stewardship when he鈥檚 not assessing storm damage and reports of toxic sludge, mobilizes a crew of volunteers to cook burgers and hot dogs for various communities throughout the region. He鈥檚 lobbying for millions of dollars to be allocated to the area specifically to put out-of-work river guides on the job of cleaning up the French Broad.

Astral, an Asheville-based shoe brand that makes popular water shoes and hiking boots, is focusing on supporting remote mountain communities that saw severe hurricane damage. This week, Astral will take a van load of six generators to the tiny town of Buladean, which sits below Roan Mountain in North Carolina鈥檚 High Country.

The director of North Carolina Outdoor Economy, Amy Allison, is trying to coordinate coat donations from gear companies outside of the region. It鈥檚 warm today, but the temperatures are dropping next week. Many families here don鈥檛 have adequate winter gear, and will need coats, hats, and gloves as they navigate the new reality of going to distribution points for drinking water and moving flush water into their homes.

What鈥檚 Next for Western North Carolina听

Almost two weeks later, I still try to turn the light on when I walk into a room. According to local press conferences, we鈥檒l probably get power back some time this week, which is great. I鈥檝e heard that the city is sending trucks to take out household trash. There鈥檚 no timetable as to when water will be restored. It could be weeks.

Living without running water for a couple of months is hard to fathom, largely because our kids can鈥檛 go back to school without it. Schools must have working sprinkler systems in case of fire.

Several families we know have already moved temporarily to other cities and enrolled their kids in schools. My wife is looking into home-school scenarios.

For a couple of days right after the storm there was a constant stream of sirens and chainsaws, but that stopped. Now it鈥檚 silent at night. It鈥檚 the kind of quiet you get camping in the middle of the woods, but I live on the edge of downtown Asheville. With no lights in my neighborhood, I can see the stars at night. I don鈥檛 think any of us will begin to understand the impact of what鈥檚 happened for months, when it鈥檚 safer and the destruction and loss of lives isn鈥檛 so palpable.

In the meantime, we carry on. I have a wood stove. I鈥檝e hooked up a solar shower. I鈥檓 trying to work again. Tomorrow I鈥檓 cooking burgers for the small town of Barnardsville, 45 minutes north of Asheville. After that I鈥檒l help a friend salvage the fence on his farm, then later in the week help another friend repair his campground. I think I鈥檝e come up with a solution for water to flush my toilets, too. There鈥檚 a creek at the bottom of my neighborhood. I鈥檒l put my cold plunge tub in the back of the truck and fill it from the creek with five-gallon buckets, then drive back up to my house and put the water in the hot tub.

It feels good to have a plan.

Graham Averill is 国产吃瓜黑料 magazine鈥檚 national-parks columnist. He鈥檚 lived in Asheville for more than 20 years. If you want to help locals, lost its warehouse in the flood, and is still distributing food to those in need.

For more by this author, see:

9 Beautiful Mountain Towns in the Southeast

9 Most Underrated National Parks for Incredible Fall Foliage

The post This Is What It鈥檚 Like to Live in Asheville After Hurricane Helene appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

I鈥檓 one of those people who will tell you that a river trip in the Grand Canyon changed her听life. Last May, after joining a friend鈥檚 50^th birthday celebration on a guided rafting trip on the upper portion of the canyon, I paddled, mesmerized by the spectacular shades of red and orange rock walls towering above me, their layers telling stories of geology, history, and the innermost workings of the Sonoran Desert. I鈥檓 sure our guides told us about all of it, but it wasn鈥檛 the details that moved听me. It was the river itself, the transformative power of being ferried by the wondrous lifeforce from our put-in to our take-out. I can鈥檛 say exactly how, but when I emerged from the canyon after six days of floating and sleeping alongside those flowing waters, I was different. I was better.

Now, I wonder how many more people after me will get to experience the same magic. Climate change, a rising population, and unsustainable consumption of water in the southwest are threatening the very existence of the Colorado River that鈥檚 been running through the center of the Grand Canyon for six million years. It鈥檚 a complex issue that seven states and Mexico鈥攁ll of which utilize water from the river鈥攈ave been fighting about for years. And it鈥檚 a dilemma the recently dedicated $15.4 billion dollars towards trying to solve, including a 听to give $1.2 billion dollars to the states of Arizona, California, Nevada, and several Native American tribes in exchange for cutting their water consumption between now and the end of 2026.

The situation runs much deeper than keeping the water flowing so people like you and me can hoot, holler, and regenerate on rafting trips. But if floating the Colorado River through the belly of the Grand Canyon is on your bucket list, it鈥檚 time to put your plan into action. Wait too long, and there may not be a river to run. Or, at least, regulations on boating trip sizes may make securing a permit or a spot on a guided trip听harder than they are now. It could even make running the river more dangerous.

If rafting isn鈥檛 possible in the future, there鈥檚 no guarantee that another form of recreation鈥攐ne that allows us to marvel at the canyon’s magnitude from the base of the canyon鈥攚ill take its place. So before you start imagining being able to walk, hike, run, or even ride a bike down the center of the Grand Canyon, think about this: with the Colorado River drying up, the entire ecosystem will change. The animals who drink from the river, and eat the plants that grow from the river, will leave. Plant life will transform鈥攎ore cactus than trees鈥攁nd inhospitable heat will make recreation of any sort unbearable. And though adventurous pursuits may seem like a shallow concern next to water rights, agriculture, and livelihoods, most conservationists started as recreationalists. Right now, 27,000 people travel downriver through the Grand Canyon each year, and hopefully each one leaves caring more about preservation鈥攇ood news for Earth, who needs all the help she can get.

The Colorado River Is Drying Up: How This Impacts the Grand Canyon鈥檚 Future听

The Colorado River runs roughly 1,450 miles in its entirety, originating in Colorado鈥檚 Rocky Mountain National Park and gaining momentum from snowmelt and tributaries as it winds south towards Mexico. It used to reach the coast, but has trickled to a dry, dusty wash miles inland since 1980.

According to Brian Buma, a climate scientist who works for the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) in Boulder, Colorado, every one degree Celsius of air temperature rise due to climate change-induced warming leads to a 6.5 percent reduction (plus or minus roughly 3.5 percent) in the Colorado River鈥檚 base flow.

鈥淎s the temperature goes up, we simply evaporate more water at every step of the process,鈥� says Buma. Despite the great snowfall the region received this past winter, Buma says that by 2070, there will be a 20-30 percent decrease in snowpack around the Upper Colorado River basin, also due to climate change. 鈥�Drought conditions and a warmer earth mean water that might join a tributary that flows into the Colorado River evaporates (either directly or via plants) back into the atmosphere instead.鈥�

Explosive population growth in the southwest also plays a role. The Colorado River Compact鈥攚hich allocates water rights between the Upper (Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, Wyoming) and Lower Basins (Arizona, Nevada, California) was created and signed in 1922 when there were roughly 500,000 people across those seven states. 鈥淭he assumption was that the population of the Southwest would never be more than four times the amount of that population,鈥� says Sinjin Eberle, Southwest Region Communications Director with American Rivers, a nonprofit organization that works to ensure the health and vitality of waterways in the U.S. 鈥淭oday there’s over 40 million people in the basin, with a 100-year-old framework dividing the river.鈥�

Those states鈥攁nd some of the Indigenous听tribes in and near the river basin鈥攗se water from the Grand Canyon to sustain agriculture, for drinking water, and to exist, really. The water rights issue has been hotly contested for decades, and the situation is becoming more dire.

鈥淵ou have an over allocated river to begin with,” says Eberle. “You have a sharply growing population and you have 20 percent less water. The bank account is over tapped.鈥�

The recent agreement among the Lower Colorado River basin states should help, as they鈥檝e all vowed to make cuts in how much water they use. But since the agreement ends in 2026, long-term solutions are still required in order to keep the river flowing.

277 Miles of Sand听

Aside from sustaining life in the southwest, the river is sacred to at least 11 Indigenous cultures who have lived in and around the canyon. (The Havasupai, Halaupai, Navajo, and Pauite remain in the greater area.) The Colorado River carries with it the history and spirit of Native American life. The river also carries sand, which protects archaeological sites from erosion. “Without [it], they would be exposed, and they would erode and deteriorate. And people would go see them and mess with them,鈥� says Eberle.

Sand is important for recreation, as well, because it forms and reinforce beaches along the shores of the river. Without the beaches, there鈥檇 be no place for boaters to camp each night.

The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation controls the flow of water out of Lake Powell through Glen Canyon Dam in Northern Arizona into the Grand Canyon. (And, surprise, Lake Powell鈥檚 water levels have become frighteningly low.) 鈥淭he dam blocks 99% of the sediment going downstream,鈥� says Buma, 鈥渨hich currently contributes to erosion and a lot of these archaeological sites are getting hammered.鈥�

Eberle says the majority of sand that enters the Colorado River in the canyon comes from the tiny Paria River, but most of that sand just 鈥渟its in front of the Paria.鈥� The Bureau of Reclamation occasionally orders a high-intensity, short-duration flood鈥攁 large release of water through Glen Canyon dam meant to move the sand downriver through the Grand Canyon, which helps rebuild beaches and sandbars. The Bureau like this in April 2023, the first of its kind since November 2018. Ideally, these high-intensity, short-duration floods would happen more often, but in recent years there just hasn鈥檛 been enough water to make it feasible.

A healthy, flowing river also scours the vegetation along the shores of the beaches鈥攁 good thing for rafters.听鈥淚f they鈥檙e not scoured out, there鈥檚 just vegetation that encroaches on the beaches,鈥� says Eberle. So even if the Colorado continues to flow through the canyon, a reduction in water overall could mean more vegetation and less room for boaters to camp.

How Recreation Could Change at the Grand Canyon

The National Park Service limited the size of rafting trips back in 2006 due to shrinking beaches along the shores of the river.听Since then, a handful of forced flows out of Glen Canyon Dam have kept restrictions at bay; beaches have come and gone.

Luckily for those wanting to run the river as it diminishes in size, there鈥檚 no 鈥渕agic level鈥� that will preclude rafting, according to Janet Balsom, Chief of Communications, Partnerships & External Affairs Office of Grand Canyon National Park. The National Park Services says that the river flows between 8,000-25,000 cubic feet per second (CFS), and Balsom has run the river when it was at a mere 2,500 CFS. 鈥淏oaters will find a way, even if it鈥檚 in a Sportyak鈥� (a small dinghy), she says.

If the river dries up entirely, rafting will obviously become impossible, as will the need for sandy camping beaches.

Aside from providing a watery playground for boaters, the river also currently serves as a cooling station for hikers, backpackers, and those seeking FKTs听running Rim to Rim (or Rim to Rim to Rim). Trail users in the canyon rely on drinking water from seeps and springs in the area, which, according to Balsom, haven鈥檛 shown diminished levels similar听to the Colorado River. 鈥淎lthough,鈥� she adds, 鈥渢hat鈥檚 one of the areas where we wish we had more information.鈥�

But without a river, foot travelers wouldn鈥檛 be able to dunk and refresh once they reach the bottom, and the entire canyon would run hotter. The absence of moving water would increase temperatures at an unknown percentage, while a decreased number of trees and shrubs (shade) would turn up the heat as well. The hottest place in the canyon, Phantom Ranch, has already recorded temps of 120 degrees Fahrenheit on several听summer days.

And bikes, which aren鈥檛 allowed beneath the rim now, still wouldn鈥檛 be allowed beneath the rim if the river dried up, says Balsom. 鈥淚t really is about safety and non-compatible uses,鈥� says Balsom. 鈥淐an you imagine bikes interacting with mules and hikers? And the medicals that would ensue?鈥�

But beyond how we enjoy the Grand Canyon potentially changing, a trickle of a river creates a massive crisis for ranchers, farmers, cities, and millions of people who utilize water, energy, and food grown from a flowing Colorado River. And it would jeopardize the preservation of cultural landmarks and spiritual heritage of the 11 associated Indigenous tribes who consider themselves directly tied to Grand Canyon.

For now, stakeholders from every angle are working to find a solution for the canyon and the Colorado River that runs through it. 鈥淥ur ultimate responsibility is the preservation of the resources as unimpaired as they can be,鈥� says Balsom on behalf of the National Park Service. 鈥淎nd visitor uses are really secondary, because if you don’t maintain the integrity of the resource, you’re not going to have the visitor experience you want.鈥�

鈥淲ater is everything,鈥� adds Buma. 鈥淎nd we can鈥檛 make water. We can make all sorts of things, but we can鈥檛 make water. We just can鈥檛.鈥�

The post What Happens to the Grand Canyon if the Colorado River Dries Up? appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

Yosemite Valley will close to visitors from tonight through at least Wednesday due to floods as the Sierra鈥檚 historic snowpack begins to melt.

In a news release, the park said, 鈥淲estern Yosemite Valley will remain open but could close if traffic congestion or parking issues become unmanageable,鈥� though no services will be available. The closure area begins at El Capitan Crossover. Wilderness permit holders will be able to reschedule their trips, the park said; visitors who had booked lodges or campsites will receive a refund.

This closure comes about a month after Yosemite restored public access to regions of the park that were damaged by February鈥檚 historic snowpack, which brought 15 feet of snow to some parts of the park. A recent survey showed that Yosemite鈥檚 snowpack is 240 percent of average. And at higher elevations, the park experienced its ever recorded, which may translate into heightened flooding throughout May and June.

The National Weather Service of the California Nevada River above-average temperatures throughout the weekend. As temperatures rise, this season鈥檚 historical snowpack is expected to quickly melt, heavily impacting the Merced River. This could result in washed-out bridges and additional downslope damage. By Sunday afternoon, the river is forecast to reach a height of over 11 feet鈥攐ne foot above flood stage鈥攁nd to increase in speed, creating safety hazards for those within the area.

Besides the west side of the Valley, other areas like Hetch Hetchy, Wawona and Crane Flat will be open, but visitors to this area should expect higher levels of congestion, strict parking enforcements, and potential closures. Park officials recently warned visitors that emergency response times as the result of the flooding, as well.

Rockfall and flooding are common spring occurrences in Yosemite, but this year鈥檚 snowpack is likely to kick them up in severity. Additionally, trails that typically become accessible in the spring are unlikely to be accessible until July of this year. Route-finding in Yosemite鈥檚 snow-covered elevations can be difficult to impossible. Additionally, this year鈥檚 snowpack will likely contribute to as the season progresses although the water level levels fluctuate by day.

This could be bad news for Pacific Crest Trail and overnight hikers. One key bridge in nearby Kings Canyon National Park has been washed out in floods, likely forcing hikers to skip the section where it sits or take long detours to avoid it. Besides affecting hikers鈥� plans, the melting snow could also foil trail maintenance crews, delaying some improvements for another year.

Speaking to , park spokesman Scott Gediman said that additional flooding closures could last through June or even July.

鈥淚鈥檝e been in Yosemite for 27 years and I鈥檝e never seen this much snow,鈥� he said.

The post The 鈥淏ig Melt鈥� Hits Yosemite: Park to Close Valley as Rivers Flood appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

Best. Winter. Ever.

That鈥檚 what skiers in the western U.S. have been saying, thanks to record snowfall throughout the Sierra Nevada and much of the Rockies. As of mid-April, California鈥檚 statewide snowpack is 237 percent of its average level. Utah recorded 201 percent鈥攎ore snow this winter than it has seen in 40 years. Colorado can鈥檛 claim the season that Utah and California have had, but the powder is still piling up (and coming down), with a snow stash of 132 percent of its average. There鈥檚 been so much snow that some resorts around the country plan to stay open until July 4.

And it鈥檚 not just skiers who are enjoying a banner year: 2023 promises to be one of the most memorable rafting seasons in recent history.

According to Steve Markle, vice president of Communications for , one of the largest rafting outfitters in the U.S., 鈥淎ll the rivers are gonna be moving. Each watershed is a little different, but in general, we鈥檙e talking about bigger, faster water with fewer eddies.

鈥淭o see [the snow] stacked up across the entire West like this,鈥� he says, 鈥渋s unprecedented.鈥�

Not only does the deep snowpack mean grander rapids on some of the most coveted whitewater, but that boating companies can run trips for weeks longer. Take the Yampa River, a Class IV trip through Utah鈥檚 Dinosaur National Monument. A typical rafting season there begins when the snow starts melting, in early May, and ends by mid-June, but this year OARS expects to run trips on the river well into July.

Yet bigger water also means bigger risk, so this is no season to paddle solo without substantial training. Hire a guide service to lead you down one of these waterways. Not sure about which guide service to trust? If a river passes through a national park, call or email the park for a list of trusted guide services with permits to run trips there. Ask a guide service about their safety practices. The best operators are increasing safety measures this spring, such as raising the minimum age for certain trips, paying their guides to take extra training, and, in some cases, running motorized support rafts to be on hand for rescues. Remember, too, that the water is cold, so plan ahead and use caution.

Here are five western rivers you can be stoked to raft this spring.

The Yampa in Colorado/Utah

Beginning in northern Colorado鈥檚 Flat Tops, a mountain range within Routt and White River National Forest, the Yampa runs for almost 250 miles before joining Utah鈥檚 Green River. The best section awaiting rafters is inside Dinosaur National Monument, on the state border: 47 miles of fast, Class III-IV waves and drops between the walls of sandstone canyons. If you have the skills and gear, you can apply for a via a lottery system from December 1 to January 31 each year鈥攂ut know they鈥檙e limited and hard to come by. You can also book a , choosing between single- or multiday options. Peak Yampa season will run from May into July this season.

The Merced in Central California

The Merced flows out of Yosemite National Park, in central California, and typically has a short window for being navigable by raft, often ending by Memorial Day. This year outfitters expect to be able to run the river into August. During low snowmelt seasons, the Merced is a relatively tame, 16-mile-long Class III experience; this year, however, the record snowpack promises an extravaganza of Class IV roller-coaster wave trains. No permit is required to raft the Merced, but guided options are available and can be found .

Cataract Canyon in Utah

Cataract Canyon, southwest of Moab, Utah, might be the most iconic stretch of river rafting in the West. The canyon begins at the confluence of the Colorado and Green Rivers, doubling in force before carving through the red sandstone cliffs of Canyonlands National Park and Glen Canyon National Recreation Area. Most guided trips down this 100-mile-long gorge last four days, are packed with Class III-V rapids, and include beach camping and hikes through side canyons. Find permits for individual trips , or skip the red tape and go with a . This year the season will begin in May and run into October.

The Owyhee in Idaho and Oregon

The National Wild and Scenic Owyhee, which wends through Idaho and Oregon, doesn鈥檛 actually run that often. In fact, due to lesser snowpack, most guides haven鈥檛 run trips on the Owyhee since 2019. This year, however, snow levels in the Pacific Northwest are over 250 percent of their annual average, promising rafting on the Owyhee through mid-May. The Lower Owyhee, which travels through Oregon鈥檚 high desert terrain, is the most coveted adventure; expect a mix of flat water peppered with Class III-IV rapids through 2,000-foot-tall canyons. The 55-mile multiday trip passes through desert badlands full of sandstone formations, tall sagebrush, and landscapes home to big game like antelope and bighorn sheep. Pull off to soak in a hot spring tucked into the grass on the river鈥檚 edge. See info on permits and guides . Owyhee season has already begun and is expected to wrap up in mid-May, so act fast.

The South Fork of the American in California

Another watershed benefitting from the Sierra鈥檚 massive snowpack is the South Fork American, just an hour east of Sacramento. It鈥檚 actually a dam-release river, with recreational flows allotted each year. During years of drought, such releases are typically only guaranteed on weekends. But this year rafters began running the rapids of the South Fork in late March鈥攁nd expect to go clear into October Most people opt for the family-friendly day trip, with Class II-III rapids shooting through the foothills of the Sierra, but there鈥檚 also a popular overnight option that covers 21 miles. For more information, including how to apply for a permit, check out details .

Graham Averill is 翱耻迟蝉颈诲别鈥檚 national parks columnist. During the summer, he spends most of his time in a raft on dam-released rivers in the Southeast, but dreams of taking his family on a big, multi-day Western river trip.

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Dear Sundog: I was recently invited to a reunion of fellow river guides at a national monument. Some 75 river rats will converge in the same town on the same acre of land after many years working together, where lifelong relationships were forged, greatness had, etc. However, even with many of us entering the lottery for a permit for a day trip on the river, we couldn’t manage to win a single one. Would we be wrong to sneak on the river and launch without permission? Thanks, Jensen听

Dear Jensen: You鈥檙e not alone in thinking that the lottery permit system for our western rivers has become absurd. Last year in Dinosaur National Monument, which straddles the Utah-Colorado border, 18,000 people applied for the 300 overnight permits on the Green and Yampa Rivers. In 2021, vied for the 500 available private permits to float the Middle Fork of the Salmon River in Idaho. Odds were grimmer still on the Selway River, which flows from Montana to Idaho, where just one of every 122 applicants won the lottery. Here are just a few things that are statistically more likely than drawing a Selway permit: death in a car accident, pregnancy on the pill, acceptance to Harvard,听.

The number of permit applicants has doubled or tripled for many rivers in the past decade, while the number of permits for those places听has stayed the same. The causes are complicated: What used to be a slightly onerous chore involving paper checks, stamps, envelopes, and phone calls can now be performed online in minutes. The pandemic cancelled many 2020 permits but allowed holders to postpone till 2021, thus there were even fewer available launches.

As bad as it may seem, the lottery system marks an improvement from the previous waiting-list system, where applicants for a Grand Canyon permit waited as long as 20 years.

And so I feel your pain, Jensen, and having been denied any permits for three straight years, I feel the same urge to flaunt the rules and just sneak onto the river when I damn well feel like it.

There are two types of 鈥減irate鈥� trips. The first is stealthily pushing off from shore without being detected by rangers, an undertaking that generally involves the cover of night or some little known dirt-road access point. I don鈥檛 think that such a move is deeply unethical: if you follow Leave No Trace principals, your pirate trip won鈥檛 really affect the river or other people鈥檚 experience.

That said, I have to advise against it, citing the听tragedy of the commons,听the idea that when people have access to a shared resource, but act in their own interest, they will quickly deplete the resource. Perhaps the prime resource these rivers offer is solitude. If one party makes a pirate trip, no big deal. If 100 groups break the rules, then you鈥檝e got a circus. What鈥檚 more, pirate trips are extremely illegal, and rivers are听strictly monitored, so you may face fines and being banned from future permits.

The second type of pirate trip is one in which someone has a valid permit but the participants presumably don鈥檛 know how to captain a boat and pay guides under the table to row them. This turns out to be even more illegal, as it violates laws about commercial licensing. It can result in boats being confiscated and, theoretically, could result in jail time.

All of this raises the question: Why听don鈥檛 agencies simply increase the number of permits? For example, in Dinosaur, there are only four launches per day on the Green River, split evenly between private and commercial clients, a number which increases to six for the two glorious months when the Yampa is running. Surely the river could accommodate more!

Well, maybe not. Part of what makes these river canyons precious is their spectacular and inhospitable topography: often you are literally floating between sheer rock cliffs. There are very few suitable camps, and on a typical summer night, every single camp is taken, with groups of up to 25 people. To allow more permits would require somehow clearing and excavating more camps along the narrow riverbanks.

Sundog would argue that of all the public-lands sites in the U.S., western rivers are the crown jewel. Spending a week or two floating the Colorado in the Grand Canyon or the Middle Fork of the Salmon is truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience. And as frustrating as it is to not get a permit to do such a trip every year, the current permit regulation听seems to be superior to any other in terms of protecting the exquisite character of these places.

So what to do when you don鈥檛 draw a permit? Look into the rivers that don鈥檛 require a permit. Many provide a similar experience. And as a last resort, which may cause injury to both your pride and pocketbook, you might have to break down听and pay a commercial outfitter to take you downriver.

UPDATE: Despite being locked out of permits via the lottery, Jensen reports that his group was able to snag several cancellation permits. This happens when those who win the lottery fail to claim their permits, so they are doled out on a first-come first-served basis. Jensen and his crew will be able to hit the river鈥攍egally鈥攁fter all.

Got a question of your own? Send it to听sundogsalmanac@hotmail.com.

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Dear Sundog: I鈥檝e been invited on a 14-day river trip on the Middle and Main Forks of the Salmon by a guy I work with who I鈥檒l call Trip Leader. We are both guides on another river. Of course I said yes! But I鈥檝e begun to suspect that he sees this as the beginning of a romance鈥攚e鈥檒l be sharing his boat and presumably his tent. I see him as a friend, and I don鈥檛 want anything more. Since he鈥檚 never said anything explicitly romantic, wouldn鈥檛 it be presumptuous to tell him I鈥檓 not interested? Also, I鈥檓 worried he鈥檇 disinvite me, and I really want to go!

Part two of my question involves a bunch of other guys (some gals but mainly guys) that we also work with. Trip Leader doesn鈥檛 have many friends that he wants to invite on his permit, so he gave me free rein to invite whoever I wanted, so I鈥檝e filled up the roster with a dozen dirtbags and kayakers who I want to hang out with. Given part one of the question, have I now overstepped my bounds? 鈥擱igged to Flop

Dear Rigged: You have indeed floated into an ethical whirlpool here. The short answer is you have done nothing wrong by accepting this invitation. I trust your intuition that Trip Leader holds the hots for you; but if he can鈥檛 or won鈥檛 express it, then it鈥檚 not your responsibility to preemptively reject him. It鈥檚 likely that he may be hurt to eventually learn that you鈥檙e just not that into him; yet all suitors must one day learn that 鈥渓et鈥檚 be friends鈥� is not an excellent overture of romance. But having done nothing unethical does not insulate you from the turbulent waters of resentment that Sundog predicts will roil up about halfway down the River of no Return.

As for your hesitation to have a heart-to-heart for fear of getting kicked off the trip: that is indeed a bit murkier, ethically. Your hesitation indicates that not only are you quite sure of his unexpressed intentions, but that if he knew yours, he鈥檇 go it alone, or even invite some other damsel. Not great. But again, you can only work with the information Trip Leader is providing. If you two are unable to have a cursory conversation about who is sleeping in whose tent, then I agree with you: this relationship does not appear to hold much promise.

Now let鈥檚 address the issue of your tag-a-long dude friends. On the one hand, traveling in a pack alleviates the romantic pressure of being alone for a long float with Trip Leader. On the other hand, your quiver of buds might exacerbate his sinking, jealous sensation that you鈥檙e not that into him. Both of those outcomes seem par for the course of what you鈥檙e proposing here. If it turns out that you do develop a crush on one of these other dirt bag boaters, I鈥檇 strongly suggest waiting till after the trip to act on it. Love triangles on river trips are notoriously sour.

Your letter raises questions about dating in the wilderness. Climbing, whitewater, and backcountry skiing are dangerous and expensive, with a steep learning curve. Finding a partner who will provide the gear and expertise is a slick way to bypass outing clubs, novice meetups, and pricey NOLS courses. Meanwhile the hills are thick with lonely gearheads, good with knots and maps and transceivers, not so good with love-notes and emoting. Hence the romantically ambiguous outdoor outing. Are they really leading me up a hard route I鈥檝e wanted to try, or is this a date? And on the flip side: Are they really into me or are they just using me as a free guide?

When Sundog was but a teenage dirtbag, climbing the crags of Southern California during the Reagan years, these sports were still heavily dominated by dudes, and the sight of a woman on the end of a rope was met with hushed envy. It was not that we held the retro-grade chauvinism that said women weren鈥檛 capable climbers; however it was a near cousin. We were stunned. We鈥檇 determined that we didn鈥檛 have the soft skills to ever land a girlfriend: that鈥檚 why we were teenage rock climbers, after all. Now we had to wrestle with the seeming paradox: 听watching a friend who鈥檇 devoted himself to the lonesome solipsism that used to be rock climbing who was simultaneously not merely in the company of a pretty girl in spandex tights but indeed tied to her, pelvis-to-pelvis, with a length of rope. How did he do that?

Times have changed, Rigged, and clearly you鈥檝e honed the craft of paddling whitewater鈥攜ou don鈥檛 need Trip Leader or anyone else to teach you. That said, he鈥檚 offering a once-in-a-lifetime chance, and you鈥檙e behaving ethically by accepting his offer. Do the trip. Enjoy. And let me suggest you pack your own pup tent at the bottom of your dry bag to hastily erect when the spirit moves you.

Got a question of your own? Send it to听sundogsalmanac@hotmail.com.

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The cover shot of 鈥攁 wide stretch of the Hudson River鈥攚as taken not far from Piermont, New York, where the book鈥檚 author, Ben McGrath, lives with his wife and two young children. 鈥淚t would take me half an hour to be in that same spot,鈥� McGrath says. He often does paddle there, putting in right in front of his house. 鈥淚 get up before the kids wake up, and go out on the river in my kayak,鈥� he says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 so beautiful.鈥�

In early September 2014, another boater meandered past McGrath鈥檚 neighborhood: Dick Conant, a 63-year-old guy in old overalls, steering an overstuffed canoe. He tied up his boat the seawall in front of McGrath鈥檚 neighbor鈥檚 house and was invited in by the neighbor who was in the middle of celebrating his birthday with some guests, including McGrath. That鈥檚 where he first met Conant and learned of his plans to paddle all the way to Florida. McGrath, a New Yorker staff writer, ended up writing about Conant, who had paddled thousands of miles on the nation鈥檚 rivers over the years, tracing a watery course through tributaries, major waterways, and small towns along the way.

Nearly three months later, McGrath received a phone call from a wildlife ranger in North Carolina. A red canoe had been discovered overturned in Albemarle Sound, and its owner was nowhere to be found. Among the boat鈥檚 many contents was a piece of paper with McGrath鈥檚 phone number scribbled on it. McGrath decided to look into Conant鈥檚 disappearance, and what he discovered听instead was the story of an itinerant life of adventure that seemed at once inspiring, sad, and almost impossible in modern-day America.

The resulting book is an instant addition to the canon of literature on eccentric wanderers听seeking meaning in the outdoors. We chose it as the April pick for , and to wrap up our discussion, I spoke with McGrath听about the legend of Dick Conant and his ultimate fate.

鈥�国产吃瓜黑料: You write in听Riverman that you moved up to the Hudson from New York City to connect with your youthful escapism and find your watery part of the world. Where did your affinity for that come from?
McGrath: I grew up in suburban New Jersey, which is about as non-adventurous a place as you can be. But we had a wetland, a sort of birding sanctuary, behind our house that was 150 acres or so鈥攂ig enough for me to feel like I was, in my own mind, going Daniel Boone back there. It was a place of freedom. My best friend and I would go walking to what鈥檚 called a lake but was really more of a bog. We did once get an inflatable boat and launch it. We made it across to the other side before the marsh warden said no boats allowed.

I hate that there was a marsh warden.
Yeah, my attempts to explore that bog were kind of curtailed, but in our twenties, my friend and I did go on a ten-day canoe trip in the Florida Everglades together, which in retrospect is probably the longest time in the past 25 years I鈥檝e gone without checking my email. Part of what I envied in Dick Conant was his ability to drop out like that.

As a former听magazine editor, I was struck by something you said early in the book鈥攖hat if you鈥檇 heard about Conant in a press release, you probably would鈥檝e ignored it. I鈥檇 feel the same way; you can get pretty jaded about those kinds of emails. Why do you think we tend to discount official adventure pitches?
Maybe there have always been people trying to call attention to themselves, but the digital age has made it easy for people to act as though they鈥檝e got a whole promotional apparatus behind them. It鈥檚 easy for a lone wanderer to create his own stationary and make a press release and make it seem like he鈥檚 backed by the North Face or something. On some level, I tend to assume they鈥檙e doing it for the attention rather than the genuine urge to travel.

Conant is the opposite of that pixelated personality.
For sure. You had to talk to him to understand why he was different. You would immediately get that there was something legitimate about this guy. But then when you tried describing him to someone else鈥�Hey, this guy just paddled past my house on his way to Florida!鈥攖wo-thirds of them were like, Something seems off.

In Bozeman, Montana, where Conant sometimes lived in a lean-to he called the Swamp, people tended to describe him more like a vagrant. But on the river, he was Huck Finn or Forrest Gump or Christopher McCandless. I see the Forrest Gump connection: both represent a very innocent America, full of generosity and kindness. But at the same time, Conant has a Princeton Magazine interview with Paul Krugman in his canoe, and he spends his gambling winnings on The Journals of Lewis and Clark.
When I think about Forrest Gump, he keeps landing at these important moments in American history and interacting with prominent people in spite of being an aw-shucks nobody. That turned out to be true of Conant, too. There鈥檚 a moment in the book where he goes to Woodstock and Jimi Hendrix locks eyes with him and tells him, 鈥淗ey man, keep the Pope off the moon.鈥� Everyone who grew up with him thought it was totally natural that, of all their friends, of course Dicky would be the one who interacted with Hendrix. So he did have a Forrest Gump way of being on the margins and yet right at the center of history at the same time.

So many people you talked with said that being with him reminded them of dreams they once had, of lighting out on a river or having that sense of freedom.
Totally. People projected things onto him in that way. They sort of imagined their version of him. One of the most interesting things about him is that, across the political spectrum, he was a kindred spirit to super-right-wingers and super-lefty hippies at the same time. They all thought he was their guy.

Another comparison that comes up is Christopher McCandless,听from Jon Krakauer鈥檚 book Into the Wild. To me they seem a little different鈥擟onant appeared to relish the society of other people, even as he ran away from society with the capital S. Whereas McCandless seemed to want to explore his own solo survival.
The first time that comparison was put to me was after I wrote my initial Talk of the Town story about Dick. I got a letter from a reader saying, 鈥淗e reminds me not only of Forrest Gump, but of Chris McCandless.鈥� At that point, Dick hadn鈥檛 disappeared yet. So that turned out to be prescient. And repeatedly, people would make that comparison.

To me, the main difference is their age鈥攖here鈥檚 about 40 years separating them. Chris McCandless died in his early twenties, and when I met Dick Conant, he was 63. But they both were successful, smart people who weren鈥檛 marginal characters as young people. What鈥檚 most compelling to me about Chris McCandless is the effect he had on the other people who met him. He was losing his faith in society with a capital S and going farther and farther out into the bush. But all the people who met him remembered him powerfully. What validated Dick as a character to me was the same thing that validated McCandless as a character, which is to say that he had a positive, powerful effect on everyone he met.

But I think because Dick was older, he had come to realize what he prized in life. He would meet young people in coffee shops who would speak with idealism about what鈥檚 pure and what鈥檚 not, and he would laugh and say, Oh, you鈥檙e young鈥攜ou鈥檝e got a lot of life in front of you. So by the time I met Dick, he had figured out that what he needed in his life was a healthy mix of nature on his own and then friends. And he found friends on the rivers. Had you met Chris McCandless at age 60, had he survived, that same thing might have been true.

Let鈥檚 talk a little bit about your writing the book. One acquaintance of Conant鈥檚 tells you, 鈥淟ook, if you have his journals and you can鈥檛 make a book out of it, then you鈥檙e in trouble, dude.鈥� Give us a sense of how much material you had.
So there are thousands of photographs鈥攋ust the memory cards to his digital camera on his last trip, I think, had 4,400 photographs. Then in the storage lockers, there were hundreds of photographs from old Polaroids and thousands of slides I never even got around to looking at. There were maps by the hundreds, if not thousands, and marble composition books, separate from his 2,000 pages of typed manuscript-style journals. There were diaries of his life in the Bozeman Swamp, essays and short stories that he wrote in college, studying art, or in his twenties, working at a hospital. There were folders of files from his time in the Navy, including from a tribunal about his mental health, and questionnaires that he filled out while seeking alcohol treatment after getting a DUI in Wyoming in the 1970s. And there were receipts by the thousands, bundled up and organized with rubber bands. Even his canoe was full of receipts.

What was the weirdest thing in his canoe?
There were like 17 toothbrushes.

When you have that amount of material, how do you begin to put it together into a book?
This was the challenge鈥攁nd also what was appealing to me about the project. I鈥檇 been doing a fair amount of sports journalism at The New Yorker, where you鈥檙e getting extremely limited amounts of time with famous people and lots of layers of handling. This was the exact opposite of that鈥攆ull access to the inside of an entire human being. But you have to try much harder to think about what to include. It was easy to get lost in this stuff. Because I had met Dick and knew him to be an amazing person, I could just be endlessly fascinated. For example, he had all these calendars, and my wife had to remind me, Do you really need to see what he did in October of that year, as opposed to in November?

When was the last time you talked with Conant himself?
I got an email from him a month and a half after we met, in October 2014, saying, I read your article, good job. He was in Delaware at that point. And that鈥檚 the last communication I had. Then, a month and a half later, I get a phone call from a park ranger in North Carolina saying they鈥檙e investigating a missing boater.

Has any new evidence come up about his disappearance since you finished the book?
Nothing. I鈥檓 going down to North Carolina to the scene of his disappearance in a few weeks, and I鈥檒l be curious to hear what else they鈥檝e learned. Every so often I鈥檒l get an email from someone who says, I think I met him. And they鈥檒l send me a picture, and it isn鈥檛 him.

So he kind of lives on, paddling the rivers out there?
He does. He lives on in people鈥檚 minds. Definitely there are people who prefer鈥攐r choose, depending on how you look at it鈥攖o think that he is continuing to do his thing. On some level, what matters is that you believe that it鈥檚 possible. And the actual fact is sort of secondary.

To me, that sense of possibility was always what was most powerful about his story. So much of it seemed implausible, yet all of it was true. So the overall experience of immersing yourself in Dick Conant鈥檚 life story was of just being amazed at how much more is possible than you are willing to grant.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

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