Approaching Badger Creek Rapid, I could hear tourists hooting and hollering from the cliffs five hundred feet above us, wishing us a bon voyage. By now I was concentrating more on the rising murmur of water ahead, and I felt the zing of acceleration under my boat as our team took its positions. Timmy, Steven, and Skyler went through first and then eddied out below the rapid, ready to rescue any swimmers or retrieve any boats or paddles. I went second with Harlan just behind me calling commands in my headset. Rob slipped in behind Harlan, scanning the rapid and keeping an eye on me, ready to swoop in and assume commands should Harlan flip or have any problems of his own. “Easy forward,” Harlan called over the radio. “Small left. Now easy right.” I bounced over giant wave swells. “Now charge!” Harlan yelled, and a wave hit me unexpectedly from the side. I braced hard and felt myself tipping. Do not flip and swim in your first rapid, I scolded myself. I recovered and managed to stay upright. Sitting in the eddy below Badger, Harlan and Rob eased up to me, and Rob slapped me on the back.

“Nice job, Big E. One rapid down, just 164 to go.” Then he let out a big honking laugh that echoed off the canyon walls.

Lonnie’s team came through next, with Seth in front and Chris behind, and Lonnie between them. Seth was hollering loud, “On me! On me!” and kept shouting all the way through. Rocky was the last to pull into the eddy. He was serving as sweep, or as we had begun to call it, the “Hail Mary.” If all else failed, he’d be the guy to help any stragglers who’d gotten into trouble and had somehow been left behind.

As we paddled out of the eddy and back into the current, the sound of Badger Creek faded slowly behind us, replaced by hoots of encouragement and paddle high fives. Timmy glided up beside Rob and said, “We’re under way, Papa Duck. And excellent orchestration of our first rapid, I might add.”

“Papa Duck?” Rob repeated.

“Yeah,” said Timmy. “You’re E’s original guide, the man who’s most responsible for us all being here. You’re the proud daddy who watches over his baby ducklings and makes sure they’re safe.” Then he patted Rob on the back, leaned in, and said more quietly, “And you are the elder statesman of the team.”