{"id":24241,"date":"2021-01-03T01:00:35","date_gmt":"2021-01-03T09:00:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/community.nrs.com\/?p=24241"},"modified":"2021-01-04T10:58:39","modified_gmt":"2021-01-04T18:58:39","slug":"featured-first-mate-justin-gonzales","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/community.nrs.com\/duct-tape\/2021\/01\/03\/featured-first-mate-justin-gonzales\/","title":{"rendered":"Featured First Mate: Justin Gonzales"},"content":{"rendered":"

Justin became my first mate on a legendarily disastrous Main Salmon trip. Honestly, not many other people applied for the position. The single question for the job was do you want to take a highwater Main Salmon trip with a bunch of strangers and ride in the raft of someone with almost no experience? Justin, of course, said \u201cyes.\u201d He might\u2019ve even said, \u201cHell yes.\u201d<\/p>\n

So he was hired on the spot.<\/p>\n

As is often the case with a valued employee, Justin\u2019s talents have manifested themselves through the years and with each new adventure. He\u2019s kind of like a diamond\u2014at every turn, a new, sparkly facet. So, using Justin as the gold standard, I have compiled a list of ten absolute must-dos for a first mate.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

They Say \u201cYes\u201d
\n<\/strong>We live in a world of \u201cno.\u201d There is a whole industry of \u201cno.\u201d\u00a0 Television shows urge us to \u201csay no to clutter.\u201d Psycho-babble urges us to say no to \u201cnegativity\u201d and \u201ctoxic relationships.\u201d\u00a0 In school we were repeatedly told to \u201csay no to drugs and alcohol.\u201d\u00a0 Now, with work, kids and a myriad of other obligations, most of my formerly \u201cyes\u201d friends are likely to say \u201cno\u201d to my half-baked float plans.<\/p>\n

But not Justin. He says, \u201cyes.\u201d<\/p>\n

They Prepare
\n<\/strong>Packing provisions are essential to any multi-day rafting expedition. Here, Justin excels. At every gas stop and bathroom break on the way to a rafting trip, Justin buys the most exotic six or twelve-pack of beer he can find. His purchases result in a reliable supply of strange and mostly delicious beer. And even at the hot springs we have just hiked three miles to get to, Justin is handing me my favorite beer.<\/p>\n