In late June 2025, I had the pleasure of guiding my 7th trip down the Green River from Mineral Bottom to Spanish Bottom in Canyonlands National Park. The stretch is mostly flatwater, winding through deep sandstone canyons,  temperatures this year reach the upper 90s and the river flowed steadily around 4,000cfs. Days began early to avoid the desert heat, with long, quiet paddles through still water and towering red walls. Afternoons were spent finding shade beneath tamarisk, swimming, and managing the challenges of heat, insects, and group logistics. It’s days like these that truly help but everything in perspective.