Few people have the opportunity to share a wild river they love and cherish with new people each year. Yet for more than 30 years, I’ve taken people of all ages on wild rivers in Alaska. The youngest was two years old; a mom insisted on bringing her baby along so he could stand witness the de facto wilderness of the Arctic Coastal Plain that some lawmakers and the petroleium industry would love to drill. Today, as a young adult, he’s fighting for its protection. The oldest was Fred, who at 94 had paddled almost every river in northern Alaska. Each group becomes a family for the 11 or 12 days we share in paddling, hiking, exploring, and just being in that quiet, primal landscape. I love the family that I have all over the world, and I love that each of us, having drunk the rivers, become a champion for their protection.