Every year in Colorado we have the spring runoff. The temperatures heat up during the day, melting the high mountain snow and flooding the rivers with ice-cold snowmelt. This is the time when local news anchors advise people to stay out of the floodwater for their safety. And this is the exact moment Colorado whitewater kayakers have been quietly waiting for all spring; a month-long window of whitewater bliss. 

My phone rings and one glance at the caller id tells me it’s about to go down. It’s my buddy Nick, we met in the bicycle industry years back. Sure, he rides bikes but what he loves the most is whitewater. After 30 years of boating his face still lights up when he’s on the water. The conversation is short; meet tomorrow at the Poudre River, 10 A.M. Similar conversations were had over the following few weeks. Early mornings, late nights, different rivers and creeks, new groups of boaters, made for a rad start to the summer for all of us.  Some river runs were close to the road, others required a long hike with a full camera pack. My days were filled with predawn shuttles, sleeping in the back of my truck, camp fires and making new friends. I’d say that’s quality living.

The following images are some of my favorites captured over our month-long adventure. Thanks to everyone that let me tag along while you were chasing your passion and I was chasing mine.