Well, it’s time to hit the road again and with fall right around the corner and colder temps of winter looming the timing for this trip couldn’t be better.  Fall is the season that offers the greatest reflection in my life and always acts as a purgatory from the heat of summer to the season I love: winter. Enjoying a couple weeks of fall in Wyoming should be quite rewarding as a writer and photographer and plan to bring back as much magic as possible in the form of the written word and pictures.

I’ve been back in Urbana (well mostly) for about 7 weeks since the Overland the Rockies trip and that restless feeling to wander has grown stronger and stronger each day.  Annette and I embark on a multi-week adventure that will rack up another four-thousand miles in the Jeep Wrangler taking us back out West; this time to iconic Jackson Hole at the foot of the Grand Tetons.  It’s been over twenty years since my last visit to this true cowboy town and looking forward to rediscovering all it has to offer.  Can’t help but think of Every Which Way but Loose, “Right Turn Clyde”, and bellying up to a saddle at The Million Dollar Cowboy Bar as our departure grows near.

One of the highlights of our Overlanding the Rockies trip was to whitewater raft while in Aspen.  Now, if you have ever been to Aspen you know the town is eclectic and attracts a wide range of spirits from all around the globe.  Even though Aspen is very expensive and foo-foo, with the rich and famous making this one of their favorite stomping grounds, there is definitely an undercurrent of locals and pragmatic nomads living in the valley.  Annette and I rolled into town from Ouray hungry and tired with our very first stop being Little Annie’s Eating House.  My absolute favorite place to eat anywhere; try the prime rib sandwich and make sure you sit at the bar. It’s a local’s favorite watering hole and lunch stop probably because they still serve a shot and a beer for $3.50 to wash down a sandwich.

The bartender that day happened to be Ty, a young adventurous soul, who suggested looking past the big name rafting companies to a Kiwi named Scotty Gibsone who runs the Kiwi Adventure Kompany.  His slogan is “If you got the balls, we got the yak”.  Ty guaranteed us we wanted to run with Scotty because there would be no long van rides over to the Arkansas River, he runs small boats of just 2 people plus guide, he is hilarious and quite a spirit when it comes to rafting.  Ty was right.

We hooked up with Scotty and his crew the following morning at a park right outside of Aspen.  He rolled up in his van with boats piled high and an enduro motorcycle on a rack off the hitch.  After our initial greetings and hearing his unique Kiwi accent we knew we had chosen wisely with Scotty.  He just puts off that vibe that says "fun".

The guides had a great sense of humor, very knowledgeable and paid a keen eye to safety explaining to us just how the run down the Roaring Fork River would unfold.  Donning the full wet suits, booties, helmets, splash shirts and life vests provided the first thing noticeable is just how nice the equipment is and how well the guides made sure everything fit and that we were comfortable. Very Cool!