Jaime (right) and office manager, Justine (left) enjoying a SUP trip down the Wenatchee
When I was asked to write about my experience after the joining the Wildwater family I found myself staring at the blank page in front of me, unsure of where to begin. So much had happened in the short five months that has passed, but the words refused to appear on the page. Yet, after two weeks of wondering what to write, here I find myself sitting on a raft floating on the beautiful Salmon River, writing in my beaten up journal, with the sun blazing above me and the cool air creating a steady breeze over the water. It has now been six days on the river without phones, showers, or make up, and five nights of sleeping under the stars on sandy white beaches, only able to recognize the time by where the full moon hangs in the sky. I've never felt more alive or liberated in my life, and it is only now that I realize just how much my time with Wildwater has changed my life.
Jaime enjoying a epic view on her recent Salmon River trip
Believe it or not, it was only two years ago, in June of 2011, when I had my first experience with whitewater. Always having wanted to go, I convinced my family to go whitewater rafting for the first time on the Skykomish River. It was a cold day with rain pouring down on us over the icy cold river, but after getting a face full of whitewater when we went through our first big wave, I knew beyond any doubt that I was hooked. Afterwards, my family and I sat in the Café to warm up a little bit before our long drive home. Our guide came in and sat down with us to have a cup of coffee. When I asked him how he possibly got paid to do this every day, he simply told me that I just had to take guide training, and if I did well enough I could get hired on for the summer. The idea never seemed to escape my mind.
Jaime and her family on their first rafting trip on the Skykomish River
In the Spring of 2013, I could hardly contain my excitement when I somehow found myself at my first day of guide training. I had only been on the river a couple times before- but that was all about to change. After being saturated with what felt like enough information for a lifetime, we finally got on the water. After a few of the others had guided first, Lance asked who wanted to take the guide stick next. I felt my stomach tighten with apprehension as an awkward pause filled the air. The rest of us simply stared back at him, my body feeling unwilling to move. An array of thoughts seemed to be flying through my head, “Don’t do it. You’re going to mess up. Your boat is going to flip, and it is going to be all your fault, and everyone is going to hate you.” Along with the ever repeating “You can’t do this”. After all, I had no experience, and knew virtually nothing about the river. Yet somehow, I felt my hand reach out and grab the guide stick. I felt my whole body tense up and almost refuse to move as I clumsily made my way to the back of the boat. As I sat down, that same phrase seemed to be on repeat in my head “You can’t do this. Why are you doing this? Dear God, you really can’t seriously think you can do this.” And right as I was about to turn to Lance and tell him in about twenty different ways that I had no business being here, one of the girls in the group, Amy, turned around and put her hand on my knee. “You got this, girl!” She said, with a big smile, as if she had all the confidence in the world in me, even though I’d only met her less than 24 hours before. Almost instantly I felt my body relax. Air finally managed to travel into my lungs, and that rock that seemed to have formed in my stomach quickly evaporated. For the first time, I successfully guided a raft through a rapid.
Jaime guiding family and friends down the Wenatchee River.
Over the next five weekends I spent almost every moment on the river. We jumped around the state from the Wenatchee, to the Skagit, to the Green, learning everything we needed to know to be successful whitewater river guides. We camped in the pouring rain, woke up to snow on the ground, and spent weekends in some of the most beautiful scenery I’ve had the pleasure of experiencing. It wasn’t long until my group for guide training felt like my family. Every week I could not wait until it was Friday, so I could get back in a raft and back on the river. While being the first to grab the guide stick once felt like some horrible taboo, we soon were all fighting over who got to guide next- the adrenaline of guiding through rapids only growing more addicting and enticing as time passed. Our training ended with a bang, as the Wenatchee was at its peak flow of 16,000 CFS when I took my very first crew down the river by myself- almost three times the level we trained at. As the season continued, and I guided more commercial trips, my confidence in myself as a guide began to grow, and I never seemed to be able to shake the feeling that I was exactly where I wanted to be. I was living the life I had always imagined. I felt at home.
Jaime learning to row on the Skagit river.
Just a few weeks ago, I joined the Wildwater crew down on the White Salmon River, known for its ten foot water fall that is commercially run every summer. The river was much faster and more technical than what I was use to guiding, but after tagging along on a few commercial trips, a few of us decided we were ready to take our own boat down the river. Before we pushed our boat off the shore, my friend Andy stuck the paddle out and asked, “Who wants to guide first?!” It felt like that first day of guide training all over again as that awkward silence filled the air, yet I felt my hand extend out and grab the paddle while the butterflies in my stomach screamed in protest. As we began down the river I’d only seen twice before as a passenger, I couldn’t seem to keep the smile off my face as I guided the boat through numerous rapids, never feeling out of control of my boat. What felt like a blink of an eye later it was time to run the waterfall, and somehow I’d convinced myself to volunteer to guide us down the 10 foot drop of churning white water. As I sat down, the same thoughts I use to have during guide training filled my head again as if they’d never left. “You can’t do this.” Was on repeat in my mind, while it took everything I had not to puke right off the back of the boat. Amy, unable to ignore the stiffness of my body and the look of pure terror in my eyes, placed her hand on my leg and said, “You got this, girl!” with the same confidence she’d had in me months before. Again, I felt my body quickly relax, and I successfully guided a raft down my first waterfall.
POV of Jaime's first time guiding over Husum Falls, on the White Salmon River
Just five months. Just five short months ago I began my journey to becoming a raft guide, and it has changed my life in ways I never imagined. I went from being on the river only a few times in my life, to feeling anxious if I did not get on the river at least a few times a week. I now find myself continually surrounded by an incredible community of people who not only live to be on the river, but support me, inspire me, and encourage me to go big in all aspects of life. My journey to be where I am today has not been easy. In fact, it’s been scarier and harder than I ever imagined, but I’ve learned so much about myself. I’ve learned I’m capable of so much more than I thought… and I learned that you can live the life that you’ve always imagined, you just have to give yourself the freedom to do it.
Jaime rocking one of her hand painted hats
Written by: Jaime Shultz
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