Joy, fear, anticipation, frustration, excitement, dread, pride, power, exhaustion, peace.
All of of these emotions might be why I guide. And I think it might be why we all guide.
In the back of a raft, I am feigning power and control, when really I am only manipulating physics and vector forces in hopes that my crew of complete strangers, may or may not, pay attention to the commands that I belt from behind.
Learning to drive a boat is challenging, learning customer service provides its own... variance. Learning to dodge and weave through boulder gardens, all the while using positive, upbeat language to motivate the inattentive guests that seem to think the retelling of the tales from last nights shindig is more pertinent than the Class 4 rapid we are currently dropping into, tests patience and compassion.
It's the puzzle. The puzzle of the whitewater, the puzzle of guest communication and understanding.
In my raft guide youth I was once told, "There is no such thing as a bad crew, only a bad raft guide." As I have progressed through my career I have begun to understand the sentiment behind that statement. Usually, the guests are completely ignorant to everything whitewater and its their first time. If I meet my crew with excitement and eagerness to teach, they are more willing to learn. If I show patience and care as we bumble through the first mile or so of the day, they feel more connected. If I coach them all day from a place of encouragement and understanding, they learn more.
Now, that's not to say bad crews don't exist. Bad crews, in my opinion, are the crews that are fully functional and capable of doing what you're asking and choose to not listen. Preoccupied with conversation, lack of understanding, general laziness. Those days bring up frustration and sometimes fear.
Then, there are the days we all live for. The crew not only pays attention but they are strong, they are excited to be on a new river and they soak up the whole experience. Paddle commands, if I'm not careful, will send me tumbling out the back of the boat in flat water.
Everyday is a new adventure. Everyday brings its own challenges and delights. Most importantly, I am on the river, my happy place. A place that is beautiful, serene and if met with negligence, deadly. The downstream dance, dodging rocks using eddies to coax the raft to and fro, using the rocks to spin and turn the boat with little to no effort. That is what I truly love about guiding.
All forward!
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