Following Samuel’s prompt, their group dragged the raft off the bank and into the water. They each gingerly waded into the cold water and then climbed in.
Gabriel’s heart raced. He reminded himself to take slow, deep breaths to help him stay calm as he sat down on his side of the raft. He looked for a place to hold on, but there wasn’t one. Samuel pushed the boat from shore and jumped in. They were the first boat in the water.
“Raise your paddles, guys!” Samuel lifted his paddle over his head and everyone joined in.
“To The River and a great run!” They brought their paddles together, forming a crest in the air.
“Woo-hoo! Here we go!” Tabitha yelled. She was sitting directly behind Gabriel. As the boat drifted slowly down The River, Samuel began his safety talk.
“First off, let me say that I don’t want any swimmers, so it’s imperative that you stay in the boat, and there are three ways to do that. Number one: wedge your foot underneath the tube in front of you. You’ll find a small strap on the bottom of the boat that you can slide your foot into for leverage. Number two: keep your entire paddle engaged in the water, not the tip of it. The whole blade pushes against the water and keeps you in the raft when we’re engaging big water. Number three and more rare: I may call for you to move ‘all in,’ which means you get off the edge and sit on the floor of the raft, putting your paddles straight in the air. It’s very important to get to the bottom of the raft immediately when I give you that command.”
Gabriel had no trouble with that. He listened as Samuel discussed other commands like “right forward hard,” “left forward hard,” and “swimmer,” but their guide reiterated that he didn’t want any swimmers on his watch. They practiced different levels of paddling and spinning the direction of the boat. With each term and technique, Gabriel gained confidence.
The tutorial continued as they moved languidly down the placid river. Samuel talked about the danger of “strainers”—obstacles such as branches and logjams where water can pass through but objects can’t.
“You can get swept underneath these fairly easily, so if you’re in the water, swim toward the strainer and explode out of the water as high as you can onto the strainer until you can be rescued.”
They talked about hydraulics, boils, and suckholes. “When the water pours down into a crack in the riverbed, the water pours back over on itself, creating a huge tidal wave and suction to the bottom.”
Listening intensely, Gabriel digested everything he was hearing.
“If for some reason you become a swimmer at one of the large falls or suckholes, and you’re underwater and being tumbled around like you’re in a washing machine, don’t panic. Grab your paddle with both hands and raise it as high as you can out of the water. We’ll see your paddle and pull you out. Ninety-nine times out of one hundred, if someone gets into trouble, it’s because he or she panicked, fought the current, and got exhausted. If you’re in that situation, just let The River take you. Point your feet downstream, and we’ll come get you. Any questions?”
Gabriel could have asked a million, but he was trying to remember everything he had heard in the twenty-minute talk.
Samuel placed his paddle across his knees. “Go ahead and rest. In a few minutes, up around that corner, is our first set of rapids. That’ll be a good warm-up for the day.”
The water was moving gently as they coasted through the sandstone canyon. Gabriel took in the beauty of the natural surroundings. This was a different perspective— a beautiful perspective—being on The River and seeing both banks, the eye-popping cliffs, the towering trees, and the large boulders that had tumbled down the mountain and were jutting out of the water. The vista was truly magnificent, and the view from The River was so much more visceral and complete.
As their raft got closer to the first bend, Gabriel could feel the pace of the water pick up. It was eerie and exciting to hear the sound of the rapids approaching but not see anything.
“Okay, guys, go ahead and get locked in. We’re gonna want to hit this first set of rapids to the left of the giant rock. You can’t miss it. Here we go. Forward hard!”
After Samuel gave the first command, just as they started to round the bend, they heard a loud shriek that echoed throughout the canyon. Gabriel had heard that sound before. He looked up and saw the majestic and mysterious white hawk circling over the canyon, like it was watching him.
The first rapids were approaching. Gabriel felt the ripple of the stronger current slapping the bottom of the raft as they picked up speed. The power of the water under their raft was amazing.
“Forward hard! Dig in!”
Samuel’s command pulled everyone together in harmony as they hit the first rapid, just missing the big rock by only a foot or two. Down and up they splashed as the water sprayed up over the front of the raft. They hit four good-sized rapids in a row. Every time they pulled through a wave, Gabriel could feel the weight and power of the water. A wave would try to stop them, but the current and their rowing would push them through. Gabriel’s eyes were wide open, and his heart pounded from the frigid water and the adrenaline pumping through his body.
“Good job, guys. You just made it through some Class II and III rapids there. A good warm-up for the Class IVs and Vs we’ll hit later on!”
I’m alive! I made it! This is truly amazing. I can’t wait for the next rapid. Bring it on!
Gabriel loved the idea that he was really doing it— rafting on The River. This would never happen in Kansas.
“You mean we’ll hit bigger water than that?” Gabriel asked.
“Oh yeah. The River has a little more in store for us today.” Samuel lifted his paddle out of the water. “Just take it as it comes and enjoy each moment. No two rapids are the same. That’s what makes running The River so incredible. The River doesn’t play all her cards at once, so we have to learn to stay close and listen well to what she’s saying.”
Gabriel was still nervous about what the day would hold, but as they would say, he was along for the ride. With each new rapid, he found his courage. Like a child taking his first steps and discovering what he’s actually capable of, Gabriel was waking up to a new reality. With each passing moment, he wanted everything The River had to offer.
He was beginning to understand why his dad used to say, “We Clarkes—we’re made for The River.”
FOURTEEN
Class V
THE MORNING RUN ON THE RIVER WAS FUN AND harrowing. Some of the rafters were banged up a bit, though. One young lady from another raft got knocked out by a big wave and was bloodied when she was struck by her own paddle.
Up until the lunch break, everyone in Samuel’s raft stayed in. They were having the time of their lives. With every conquered rapid Gabriel became more alive, more excited, and more confident. He was glad he was on The River.
The names of many of the rapids, he learned, had meanings. Rainbow Falls, for instance, was aptly named because of the rainbows that showed up in the spray when the water pounded the rocks. Most mornings, the sun came through the canyon at just the right angle and created a beautiful prism on The River’s mist.
The Juicer was another amusing rapid. A deep crack in the riverbed resulted in a massive wave and suckhole. The Juicer wasn’t too difficult to navigate, but if a raft didn’t enter with the correct amount of speed, the powerful currents folded the raft in half and “juiced” the riders right out of the boat.
Corkscrew, on the other hand, was very technical. Guides had to make sure they zigzagged back and forth across The River to avoid huge boulders that could pin them and create problems.
Thanks to Samuel’s years of experience on The River, their raft successfully negotiated Rainbow Falls, the Juicer, and Corkscrew. Their on-the-river experience that morning could not have gone better for the rafters—especially for Gabriel. As they pulled to shore for their noontime break, Samuel informed them that there were two more major rapids left on the trip. “They’re doozies,” he said. “But then
again, The River has saved the best for last.”
They stopped for lunch at Mansion Turn, which turned out to be a welcome respite from their rigorous morning workout. Mansion Turn was a splendid section of The River where the gradient was almost level. On the right side was a small beach where there was room for the rafts to pull in. Mansion Turn—named for the towering columns of rock—was a popular place to have lunch, take a swim, or even hike up about forty feet to a small stoop and jump into a deep pool.
Twenty minutes after eating trail mix and apples, Samuel whistled. “Everybody gather around, please. We need to go over a few things before we finish the last leg.”
Some were swimming in the calm eddy, while others were still snacking. When everyone had congregated around the rafts resting on the shoreline, Samuel announced, “We’re going to leave in about fifteen minutes. This last section of The River is by far the most dangerous, but it’s also the most fun. About a half mile around the bend, we’re going to hit two rapids back-to-back. The first one is called the Chutes. The gradient gets steep, so the water will be moving fast. The canyon walls come together and make a narrow passage where the water is squeezed through. Be ready because we’ll be moving very quickly.” He motioned with his hands as he spoke.
“If we hit the Chutes sideways, you’ll get flipped over, and trust me, you don’t want to ride the Chutes outside the boat. The bottom is full of huge boulders and rocks, which would ruin your day. Immediately following the Chutes, we barely have time to catch our breath before we hit Widowmaker Falls.”
All chitchatting ceased. No one let out a peep. Everyone was listening with full intensity to what Samuel was saying.
“I don’t tell you this to scare you, but it’s imperative to listen to my every command. A man died at Widowmaker last week. No joke. He fell out on the first big drop and didn’t follow his training. He tried to swim his way out of a huge hydraulic, but he panicked and wore himself out before we could get to him. He got sucked under, and that was the last we saw of him.”
Gabriel got a knot in his stomach. The tone of the day was suddenly much more serious.
“Here’s the deal, guys.” Samuel made eye contact with several rafters. “I’ve done Widowmaker hundreds of times. It is a truly awesome section of The River, but it deserves our respect. We can and will do it safely, but we will treat it with respect and we will have a blast doing it. Everyone all right with that?”
“Let’s do this!” Jimmy yelled from the back.
The meeting broke up, and everyone headed to their rafts. Gabriel felt like he had made so much progress. His belief in himself and The River had grown with each passing minute. But Samuel’s pep talk jolted him to his core. He couldn’t help but think about his father after hearing about Widowmaker. He’d played the scene of that fateful day over and over in his mind, countless times.
What if something like that happens to me? Is this really worth it?
Before he could sink deeper into worry, Tabitha grabbed his arm.
“Hey!” Tabitha said with hushed excitement. “We have a few minutes before we push off. Come with me!” She grabbed Gabriel by the elbow and started to walk.
“Where are we going?”
“You’ll see. Just follow me.”
Kicking pebbles underneath their feet, they climbed some rocks and hit some woods before coming upon a vista that overlooked The River.
“Wow, this is a beautiful view.” Gabriel was a bit out of breath from the quick and vigorous climb.
“You want to go first or me?” Tabitha gestured toward the still pools below, which had to be a good forty feet down.
“What?”
“We could go together!”
It finally dawned on Gabriel what Tabitha was saying.
“Jump? From here? We must be four stories up!”
“Come on. It’ll be fun. I’ve done it tons of times.”
Before Gabriel could even respond, Tabitha pecked his cheek with a kiss, grabbed his hand, and shouted, “One. . . two. . . three!”
Before he knew what was happening, he followed her and stepped into the abyss. They were airborne. Gabriel hung on to Tabitha’s hand as long as he could, then let go. He involuntarily flailed his arms because The River was still a long ways down.
“Whoa!”
He closed his eyes and braced for a feet-first landing. With a sizable splash he spilled into the chilly water but immediately surfaced like a submerged beach ball, thanks to the PFD around his chest.
When he got to the surface, his first thought was to find Tabitha. There she was, laughing her head off, and he swam to her and gave her a huge hug.
“That was so awesome!” he yelled. “Oh man!”
Gabriel wiped his face with his hands and pushed his wet hair back. “I would have never done that on my own.”
Her brief kiss had made it all possible.
He dragged himself to shore, and his buddies were saying things like, “What got into you?” Gabriel didn’t have an answer, but he did know that his fear of the future had faded a great deal. He could—and would—handle anything The River would throw at him.
Back on the raft, they floated through the beautiful canyon like the calm before a big storm, preparing for the whitewater that lay ahead at Widowmaker. Gabriel turned back to Tabitha. “I’m going to get you for that,” he vowed. “I don’t know how, but it’s coming!”
“We’ll see about that.” Tabitha laughed. “I wish I had a picture of that look on your face! See, you weren’t even thinking about Widowmaker when you jumped. You were just living!”
“You suckered me, and you know it.”
“Sure did.”
Gabriel made a funny face, but he didn’t mind. . . at all.
Samuel’s voice brought him into the present. “Okay, guys, let’s get set. In about two minutes you’re about to start the ride of your lives.”
Samuel got everyone focused. At this point, Gabriel thought, he was as ready as he’d ever be. The pace of the water accelerated, and he could hear the roar of the rapids just around the corner. They floated through the bend as Samuel guided the boat, using his paddle as a rudder. The decibel level rose markedly from the crashing whitewater ahead.
As he was preparing himself, Gabriel looked up and saw the great white hawk circling over the rapids downstream. Then he turned, and they were arriving at the entrance of the Chutes. His fear faded into pure joy as he felt the raft move into the rapids and go up, then down. . . then up, then down. . .
“Forward hard!” Samuel shouted in the distance.
Water splashed from every side and tossed the boat around like a cork in a washing machine. Gabriel had a huge smile because he was having the time of his life. He whooped and hollered through the rapids as the raft dodged rocks and careened through the gorge. Each time a wave crashed over the bow, Gabriel accepted the fury of the water and just kept paddling. Everyone on the raft was yelling like teenage girls on a roller coaster.
They came through the Chutes perfectly.
As Gabriel caught his breath, he noticed that Samuel was still focused and intense.
“Okay. . . excellent, guys! Yes! You’ve got about sixty seconds to rest, and then we hit Widowmaker!”
Samuel steered the raft so that they were floating backward down The River. This would give them the right angle on Widowmaker, he explained.
“Stay focused! Right forward hard!”
This maneuver spun the boat around so they were facing downstream again. Gabriel looked ahead and saw a massive boulder in the middle of The River, and to the left of the boulder, a big drop-off, followed by another one where the horizon disappeared.
Samuel shouted several commands, and everyone followed in perfect coordination. They hit the first drop dead-on and powered through at breakneck speed. Then a massive wave poured over the front of the boat, drenching everyone. Like a writhing mechanical bull, the raft bucked through the massive somersault waves, grazing rocks below the surface.
/> Then the last drop came—Widowmaker Falls. Before Samuel could say anything, the right side of the raft over-powered the left side, and the raft turned slightly to the left. Samuel yelled for a correction, but they hurtled over the last drop. . . sideways.
The yellow raft hit the bottom of the falls, and a brick wall of water smacked them violently. Like a killer whale tossing a sea lion in a vicious attack, The River threw the helpless raft straight up in the air, which catapulted everyone into the churning water.
Arms and legs thrashing, the rafters were scattered in the boiling waters. Within seconds Samuel bounced back up and grabbed on to the raft, which was drifting downstream upside down. One by one the rafters surfaced, all except Gabriel. The current slowed a hundred yards downstream, and Stevie and Samuel pulled the raft over to the right side.
“Anybody see Gabriel?” Jimmy shouted.
Tabitha was on the other side of The River, catching her breath in a waist-deep eddy. As they were all looking around frantically, he popped up from underneath the whitewater and started floating toward the others. Clutching his paddle, Gabriel aimed his feet downstream and floated until the water slowed and he could get his feet under him.
Everyone cheered his arrival.
“You okay?” Jimmy shouted.
Gabriel found himself in water shallow enough to stand up in. He put his hands over his face, took a deep breath, and slammed his paddle into the water like he was chopping wood—because he was happy. Then, reminiscent of a medieval warrior with a spear in hand, he hoisted his paddle high over his head, over and over.
“YEAHHHHHHHHHH! I did it! I did it! Yes! Woohoo!” Gabriel shook the canyon with his battle cry. He knew that his fear and indifference had been shattered—forever.
The River had opened up a whole new world to him. A world he was destined for. A world he belonged to.
He was sure his life would never be the same.
FIFTEEN
The Last Night
The River Page 12
