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Rafting Is Not A Spectator Sport
Helmets aren't required, but the visions of crushed skulls that danced in my head compel me to wear one
by Lisa
Hofmann
photos by Allison Waltz
"All forward!" is the command, prompting me to dig my paddle into the rushing water. I struggle to synchronize my strokes with the others' while exerting all the energy I can muster. A wall of white foam breaks against our raft, rendering my attempts futile and knocking me into the center of the boat. I flounder to regain my position and to resume paddling as the currents jostle both the raft and my composure.
The pursuit of adventure found me here, testing my mettle against the Lower Youghiogheny River in Pennsylvania. Adventure is not something I normally pursue, and rarely do I feel the need to pit my strength against nature's. But I am an active participant in the sport of proving people wrong, so when an opportunity to skew others' perceptions of me arose, I went for it.
Becky Baldwin
(far right) leans back to correct the steering of the boat