Issue link: https://bluemagazine.uberflip.com/i/25059
COLORADO RIVER (GRAND CANYON/ ARIZONA) You get into a certain rhythm running the Colorado. It takes a long time: two to three weeks for the 280-mile run. You get attached to the sculpted rock, painted in gradients of reds, purples and browns. Rick Hudson, who has kayaked the class IV canyon twice, says the turquoise Colorado and its canyon is one place that surpasses its hype. "You never believe it's as good as people say and when you get there, it's better," says Hudson. "You're dumbfounded." Legends speak of the river's jewels: Elves' Chasm, where water falls and transparent pools feed verdant mosses, orchids and ferns; or Lava Falls, where a basalt-rimmed chute sucks boats into a 37-foot vertical drop of swirling holes, ribbing crosscurrents and jagged waves. The toughest part of a canyon trip is getting permission to go. Scarce government permits go mainly to outfitters who guide pla toons of rafters downriver. Trips aren't cheap. "If you've got money, you can go down there next year," says Hudson. "If you don't, you'll have to wait 10 or 20 years." Paddling season: year-round, best March to November. MIDDLE FORK OF SALMON RIVER, IDAHO Hop on this Rocky Mountain gusher and ride it out for a week. The 100-mile, 100-rapid trip from the Boundary Creek put-in to the main branch of the Salmon River snakes through the roadless and untrammeled heart of the River of No Return Wilderness. Neck-stretching peaks and wildflower meadows crowd the banks of this protected river, as it drops more than a vertical half-mile. On land mountain lion, bighorn sheep, mountain goats, elk and bear roam. In the river, otters fish for native cutthroat trout. "Whether the water is big or low, it's always good," says Royal Robbins, a 63-year-old mountaineer gone outdoor clothing designer. "You can't have a bad run on the Salmon." Robbins says the Middle Fork's combined features beauty, whitewater, wildlife and length-make it his favorite river. That's saying something: he has done 30 first descents. Paddling season: May to August. The Futa, as it's known by the paddling set, is about as hairy as it gets. Its ice blue water barrels down from the Andean peaks on the Argentine border, carving canyons and blasting holes through rocks. "The Futaleufu is the greatest whitewater on earth," says Spelius. "It's hard to believe it even exists. Imagine blending the scenery of Glacier and Yosemite national parks and the Grand Tetons. Then add the greatest whitewater river, with Caribbean-blue water. " It. Most boaters skip it, or portage the likes of the sheer-walled Class V+ Inferno Canyon. "Once you flip there, there's no way to get to shore, " says Dan Gavere, a . world champion extreme kayaker and Futaleufu expert. "If you do fall out of your boat, your chances of living are slim." But beginners can still tackle the lower Futa-usually a 22-mile stretch downriver from the town of Futaleufu-they just have to portage the mean sec tions. Bad news: Chile's state power company wants to tame the river. A pro posed dam is under debate. Boaters' groups are fighting it, before the Futa ends up like the Bio-Bio. Paddling season: December to April. The upper Futa is downright savage. If you're not an expert kayaker, forget