There are some hard truths one has to accept as they get older. First - is it becomes increasingly clear that time is not on your side and you will not be able to see "everything." Another is that you will never be as skilled as your older brother navigating rivers. These things can be hard to swallow. So when life gives you lemons............

Follow your better than you older brother down a river few ever get to see. That was my solution for this trip. Cherry picking an incredible canyon and solid whitewater with a solid group of people.

The drainage photographed/written about in this post is one I'd like to plumb a bit more. It and its neighbor the Owyhee offer a lot of wilderness boating, much of it new to me.

And while so different from the Colorado Plateau which seems to be where my soul seems stuck at the moment, it is not less grand, no less mysterious, no less maddening.

Miles overall are pretty damned easy to make. Deep canyon riverside camping with ample room to stretch the legs make it a classic.

We came at the apex of high water and as a result the edge of my comfort zone. Bank full and cranking a flip here could be rough. I'd love to come back with the packraft in the 300-500 CFS range.

It's neat to be out with a group of people who're sharing with you one of their favorite places. All except my dad and I had been on this trip before and were neatly attuned to its intricacies.

And yet, like those special places we all seem to cling to once is just not enough. Each return trip requiring further craning of the neck.

Thankfully, with the river running high and miles churning by we had ample time to sit still and take it all in.

But alas, we could not stay.

Thanks Brian, Nick, Steve and Shaun for sharing this place.