Thanks to Bob’s generosity and invitations on adventures, I have many great memories of paddling trips with Bob. Bob inspired a lot of confidence in those around him, and always pushed me to accomplish things that maybe I didn’t know I was capable of. Sometimes that would lead to getting in over my head, such as the time I had a bad swim on the Klehini. Thankfully, Bob would be there to zip line me across the river and hike my sorry self out. Bob would always be able to make light of any situation by cracking jokes or poking fun whether it was my missing teeth or that I would fail my bus driver test.
A couple of trips stand out to me and are memories that I will always cherish. In 2010, unable to find any other paddling partners, Bob and Theresa picked me up from high school for a spring break trip down to California. They brought me a boat and a drysuit, and we paddled several classics in Northern California, jogging our shuttles, and drinking wine at our campsites. We had warm sunny weather, and great flows, and met lots of eclectic people along the way.
Another memorable trip is when I got to tag along on an Alsek trip with Bob and Theresa. Over the course of six days, we saw nine grizzlies, putting everyone on edge. The weather was great when we got to Lowell Lake, but over the course of the next day, while Theresa and I were out hiking, the winds picked up. Bob held down the camp, tying everything down (including my tent that nearly flew into the lake) and chasing away more bears. The next two days were spent trying to pull the rafts against the winds to where the current would pick up again so we could make our way to our destination, Turnback Canyon. However, the lake got too deep and the winds too strong, which meant that we had to carry everything (raft included) back across the gravel bar to the airstrip at Lowell Lake. Once we got picked up, the winds were still so strong that we had to tie down the plane to the runway while we loaded it so it wouldn’t get blown away. In his haste, Bob tucked the bear spray down his dry pants so it wouldn’t explode in the pilot’s face. That same bear spray exploded in Bob’s basement when he got home, sending everyone out to the lawn in a coughing fit.
I am thankful for our many adventures and many skills that Bob shared with me on and off the river. He will be greatly missed,
