{"id":30810,"date":"2023-11-02T11:00:21","date_gmt":"2023-11-02T18:00:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/community.nrs.com\/?p=30810"},"modified":"2024-01-09T12:55:19","modified_gmt":"2024-01-09T20:55:19","slug":"the-legend-of-the-groovermeister","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/community.nrs.com\/duct-tape\/2023\/11\/02\/the-legend-of-the-groovermeister\/","title":{"rendered":"The Legend of the Groovermeister"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cDad!\u201d I whispered with panicked indignation. We were on an unnamed beach 18 miles deep into our 96-mile unmotorized low-water float down Cataract Canyon. I had just opened the groover supply box and was staring at a capless can of PAM Original cooking spray, an unsealed double-bagged handful of powdered bleach and one hapless yellow glove. But nothing else. \u201cDad! Dad, Dad, Dad,\u201d I whispered in a desperate prayer. I frantically searched the area for any clue. A slew of increasingly disbelieving \u201cNo’s\u201d slipped from my mouth as I found none. The mostly empty rocket box should have contained a toilet seat, some bleach wipes, extra hand sanitizer, and, at the very least, some toilet paper. Maybe this was some elaborate joke?<\/p>\n

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(C) Liz Donovon<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

My dad is a self-proclaimed \u201cfree-loading, blood-sucking kayaker.\u201d Admittedly, he has a flair for the dramatic. He\u2019s an English professor. He\u2019s an incredible storyteller who tends to intensify the narrative arc of life\u2019s events. I think the proclamation is his attempt to acknowledge that he is unhelpful in the group gear department. It\u2019s also an uncharacteristic display of self-awareness.<\/p>\n

My dad learned to kayak the year he turned 40 and brought me along on day stretches near our home in Maine. Shortly after, when I was in fifth grade, my family moved to Idaho. Suddenly, we found ourselves on multi-day trips with families who were kitted out for adventures down epic rivers like the Main Salmon and Hells Canyon. We just showed up at the put-in, kayaked along, felt wonder, and helped on a dinner crew or two. Still, Wild and Scenic rivers were sinking claws into our hearts, and we knew we needed to bring something else to the table if we were to keep getting invites.<\/p>\n