Monday, July 25, 2016

Pioneer Day Miracle

We gathered aboard the raft, the five of us, unaware of the trauma that awaited us. Bats flew overhead, and the sounds of water churning on the cliffs of rocks beckoned us forward, pulling us down the river.

The risk was inescapable. The moment we climbed aboard, we bid farewell to safety and any opportunity to turn back. The calm shore inveigled us into a sense of security that was quickly disposed when the first rabid rapid sucked us into the abyss, like an avaricious swarm of piranha drawn toward anything moving.

Our lack of experience served us what we deserved and betrayed our natural instincts for survival. Our screams echoed off of the canyon walls, the sounds' dissipation a testament to our seclusion that made more terrifying our situation.

Rapid after rapid threatened to do us in, twirling us deeper and deeper into profound disorientation until finally all we had left were our basic senses and each other.


Finally, after three hours, we found safety in a new shore, and we kissed the ground that welcomed us into security.

We hitched a ride in a van of fellow survivors, holding one another, drawn closer than ever before.

"How did we survive that?" Anna asked in the way one does when not looking for any particular answer.

"I don't know," Skylar responded. "I really don't know."

And then we saw the pictures.


Moses was with us.

This is for any of you out there who don't believe that Pioneer Day miracles exist.

#footprintsinthesand






~It Just Gets Stranger

12 comments:

  1. It's official, I hate you. I NEVER look that good in rafting photos. I blame my permanent resting bitch face condition.

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  2. Oh My Goodness!!!!!! Just last year we went down the Salmon River in Idaho, but with Orange Torpedo. WE LOVED IT!!!!! We camped each night on the shores, except for the first and third nights (we were on river for 6 days total). Our daughters, then 9 and 11, did so well. We had smiles on our faces every time we hit a class IV. This year we are going to North Carolina, but are only going to do a 1-day. :( We've also done the North Umpqua in Oregon two times. It's our favorite family thing to do.

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  3. Hashtag Moses take the rudder...

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    Replies
    1. Your comment is the funniest thing I have seen all day!

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  4. Only one day, Eli? Y'all (and I never say y'all) need to do 7 days on the Colorado through the Grand Canyon. That's some white water!

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  5. OMG Eli, my fingers were tingling while reading the 1st part, then the hair on my neck stood up with the Moses pictures. Love living vicariously through you. And new word of the day "Inveigle".

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  6. That's it?! All that drama and suspense for those piddling little rapids?! I sincerely hope there were bigger ones than that.

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  7. I have come to one, indisputable, conclusion.

    Eli's hair is made entirely of plastic.

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    Replies
    1. No, clearly it's held together with faith.

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