Sliding into the Salmon River for my first ever run in a kayak was equal parts excitement and nerves. The current grabbed the boat right away, quicker and stronger than I expected, and I could feel every ripple and surge through the thin hull beneath me. The paddle felt steady in my hands as I caught my rhythm, skimming over swirling eddies and dipping into small standing waves. Even the smaller rapids felt magnified from the kayak's low seat, the water rising up and splashing across my bow with every bounce. It was a raw and immediate connection to the river, and with every stroke I settled deeper into the flow. The Salmon had welcomed me in its own wild way and I was hooked from the first stretch.
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