A Short Story and an Apology

Early in my Post 20 career we ran the Chama river (as a Co-ed trip) in New Mexico (very close to Los Alamos). As I recall it was on Memorial Day Weekend. The river was not very tough, but during the spring run off it had some nice big waves. Everyone got soaked. That night we hung our clothes out to dry. Being a desert the days were very hot, even this early in the year. What we forgot was that since the air was (and is) very dry the temperatures would plunge at night. This weekend the highs were in the Low 80’s and the nightime lows in the mid 20’s. Needless to say all of our clothes froze solid. Our socks looked like bacon and our shirts and pants were frozen slabs. We spent the next morning gathering wood for a fire and getting breakfast ready in the comfort of our sleeping bags. Think bag races.

As a side note, and this comes 40 years too late, when I think of running rivers and girls I think of Valerie Vandergust. She enjoyed running rivers as much as I did. She also, for about a year or so, fell in love with me. I was a complete idiot and liked the birds in the bush rather than the real gem (and I mean that) in my hand. What can I say, I was an idiot teenager. Val, wherever you are, I wish you Fair Winds and Following Seas.