Weather conditions? 

Gorg. Mostly sunny and warm. We had one afternoon of torrential rain which was incredible to see the waterfalls start flowing off the rim and a massive rainbow form. Luckily it only lasted about an hour.

High point?

Connecting with a group of strangers in a heightened environment for an extended period of time.

Low point?

One of our group members had a run in with a potentially rabid bat and had to hike out to receive medical attention.

What was your sleep set up? (car, boat, van, ground, tent, etc.)

My sleep setup varied based on the campsite and weather. I slept on the ground under the stars, did a handful of nights in a tent, and then a couple on the raft.

How’d you sleep?

Honestly, I slept so well. I have a bad back and really hate sleeping on the ground. It was one of the things I was fairly nervous about on this trip. Everyone was giving me sh*t for bringing a whole extra dry bag to store the HEST Foamy in comparison to the waterproof Paco Pad, but it was so worth it. I sleep on both my side and back and typically when camping I'm just tossing and turning non stop. That did not happen at all and I was getting 8 hours a night. Absolute magic, would recommend, ten out of ten.

Tastiest thing you ate:

Grilled cheese sandos and oreos.

Coolest thing you saw:

Big horned sheep, Deer Creek Falls, rainstorm at sunset, views of the canyon while hiking, everything was cool!

Anything you’d do differently if you did the trip over again?

This was my first big noncommercial river trip. I learned a lot about gear, process, and rowing. If I did it again, I would want to captain a boat! 

What’s the next on the adventure calendar?

 Rafting the Middlefork of the Salmon River.