The inspiration for this expedition comes from the thought I have at the end of every river trip, "The river keeps going...". It sounds simple, and maybe a little cliche, but I have always found put-ins and takeouts to be arbitrary points on a map - the edges of the map are what excite me.

Ever since I moved to the West and began to explore the Colorado River Basin, I have been fascinated with the geography, the ecosystem, and the human and natural history of the region. This trip is the culmination of many years of curiosity about rivers and a desire to push myself physically and emotionally.

The Rado has been AWESOME to me! I’ve only had two swims, both in Desolation Canyon, and have stood up across all of the reservoirs so far. Never thought that would be the case.

A big highlight was cleaning all the rapids in Cataract Canyon during a blizzard after waking up to three inches of snow on the ground. As much fun as it was, I hope I never have to do it again.

I am launching on the Grand Canyon on Friday. Stoked to see what happens. I can’t imagine being on a different SUP.

Overall, the trip has been going about as smooth as possible and it’s been a fun journey. Wyoming was pretty rough and we’ve had our share of cold weather/snow, but I’m pretty psyched and ready for the adventures downstream.

I know this is a busy time of year for everyone – looking forward to catching up with you once I reach the end! 

Post written by Nick McEachern, who is completing a full source to sea SUP expedition of the Green and Colorado Rivers. Read Part III (What I Learned).