Her sweet, babbling voice calls me in the morning. I long for her chill on my neck and her wet kisses on my lips. The lovely Tuolumne whispers to me memories of stargazing and river rafting.
Laurence came into my life at the Fillmore Jazz Festival. It was a random encounter between two people who love adventure and travel. He has a river-rafting expedition company and invited me on an upcoming tour. I took him up on his offer and joined his white-water rafting adventure down the Tuolomne River in California. He named his company Bio Bio Expeditions Worldwide, after the cherished river in Chile. Most of his tours are in exotic locations such as Chile, Patagonia, Peru, Africa, and Siberia. During the summer, he spends time at home in Northern California. He invited me to join him and a few of his friends on a quick trip down the Tuolumne.
I had never been white-water rafting before, so I was a bit nervous. I assumed the other guests were great rafters and that I would be the one to end up in the river! Fortunately, I was wrong. Everyone on the trip was new to the sport and we were all in the trusty care of Laurence and his lovely girlfriend, Nicole. After a hair-raising ride down to the river, we had a chance to get to know each other. Our group included our guides Laurence and Nicole; Inca, their fearless puppy; Buck, our heroic supply-boat driver; York from Los Angeles; Carolyn from San Francisco; Kate from Chicago; and me. For a few days, I was blessed with the opportunity meet new and wonderful people and learn to trust them while on the river. Their smiles, daring, and the true cooperation between us was inspiring. For me, this trip was more than a leisurely ride down a pretty river. It was an opportunity to trust others, move beyond my fears, and live in the present.
After a few hours on the river, we set up lunch on the warm riverbed. I should mention that Forbes.com named Bio Bio as one of the world’s most luxurious outfitters—and now I know why. We were treated to savory smoked turkey, lovely cheeses, avocados, just-baked bread, fresh fruit, cookies, and beer. After lunch, we rafted a bit longer, then pulled into camp. Buck and I went off exploring up another river tributary. We found a natural, granite waterslide we enjoyed slipping down into a pool of cool water. We swam in water teeming with trout, climbed a huge rock, then jumped off it, flying into the deep waters below. I felt as though Huck Finn would appear any second and join the fun! We laughed, swam, and enjoyed the sun’s warm rays until the shadows crept over the mountains.
