Why "Rafting the Great Northern Rivers is Important"

​The world has many wild wilderness areas, and it is important that we preserve as many of these as possible.  Why?

Perhaps Adam Shoalts said it best in his recent book "Rafting the Great Northern Rivers" when he said:
"It is crucial we find ways to preserve wild places.  When we lose these, we lose something of irreplaceable value and something indispensable to our physical and mental well being; we lose the biodiversity of the planet – the magic of our world."

How did we get to tHe snake River?

We were given a choice:  We could go by helicopter to our first campsite on the Snake River itself, or we could portage to the Snake.  The problem was that the rafts could not negotiate the upper Snake River Canyon, so the helicopter would take us below that canyon where the rafts were, ready to go downstream the next day.  Canoes, however, could go through the upper canyon.  My grandson and I decided to do the portage of several kilometres to the Snake, and, with the help of the guides, canoe through the upper canyon to join those who had gone by helicopter at our first camp on the Snake.  My wife and grand daughter took the helicopter.
After the portage, my grandson and I had a fine canoe paddle for several hours along the Snake and through the upper canyon.  We were like the voyageurs of old.