Dropping off her boyfriend at the airport for his Denali trip, Jessica said, “I think I want to paddle the Escalante this weekend.” To which Sam replied, “Thomas has a boat, make him go. He might say no at first, but be persistent.” He knows me too well.
It’s not the first time my best friend has tricked me into challenging things. And though I didn’t know Jessica well I figured what better way to get to know her than an entire day’s drive across the west, plus a four hour bike ride back to the put-in to start everything off. All of this just to paddle 40 miles of the Escalante River in Utah. But hey, I knew it’d be damn well worth it. The flow right now is rare—a packrafter’s delight. Our little inflatable boats would do just fine.