New York Times: Owyhee River

AS a young man drifting in desert, I acquired a valuable bit of wisdom: when you come across a cave, you should go inside, and, if possible, spend the night. This chestnut has served me well through the years, and came in handy this spring, when my friends and I were on another of the haphazard, marginally safe expeditions that we undertake each year when the West’s sudden snowmelt floods its valleys with cold current.

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At the Three Forks launch ramp, after a couple of hours of drinking beer and bouncing across dirt roads, we concluded that the raft was overloaded and jettisoned some supplies. Items that remained on the raft included an iron-wrought set of regulation horseshoes, two bottles of top-shelf bourbon, a small cedar chest of Brazilian cigars, and a 94-quart ice chest packed with five cases of beer. Items left behind in the truck were fleece jackets, paddling gloves and my tent. Photos by Jeff Pflueger.

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