As a child, my family scheduled a yearly camping trip on the Lower Tuolumne River. I looked forward to these trips for many reasons, but skipping rocks and fishing were highlights. Spending time with family in the same spot year after year took a lot of the “guesswork” out of that annual trip and we were able to focus more on each other.
In my later years, after spending time on many other rivers, I found my way back to the Tuolumne. Sixty-plus miles upstream of my childhood memories, with completely different expectations, the Tuolumne River has provided some of the most challenging days of my adult life, given me some of the best nights of rest, and left me with experiences impossible to replicate. Those experiences have made me the person I am.
Why Rivers Matter: Stories from the People Who’ve Dedicated Their Lives to Them