Hermit Rapid

Hermit Rapid revealed itself with a wide, glassy tongue that plunged directly into one of the biggest wave trains we had seen so far. From our vantage upstream, the horizon dipped sharply and a line of massive, evenly spaced waves marched down the center of the river like a set of rolling hills frozen in motion. We guided the dory straight down the tongue, the current pulling us faster and faster until the bow climbed steeply up the face of the first towering wave. At the crest, the boat launched almost weightlessly before dropping into the deep trough below, where a cold, heavy wall of water crashed over the front and soaked us completely. The rhythm was relentless. Each successive wave rose just as tall, lifting the bow high into the sky before plunging us into another deep basin of churning, white water. The dory flexed and shuddered with each impact, the wooden hull groaning softly as if testing the strength of every seam and plank against the force of the river. We braced and rowed hard to stay centered and upright as the powerful surges rolled beneath us. The canyon walls echoed the booming of the rapid, their broad, rugged faces closing in as we surged forward. By the time we spilled out into the flatwater below, laughter and wide-eyed grins filled the boat. Hermit had delivered a ride that was pure rollercoaster, all adrenaline and sweeping power that left us breathless and exhilarated.