Big Brains Come in Small Packages
Like many kids, my son Cade was infatuated with fire. At the end of a Magpie trip, a client approached me about giving him a potentially dangerous present.“He’s eight, Joel.” “He’s…
An Impossible River Discovery in 2025
I was approached by a client, a man of few words, who had traveled with us in Patagonia multiple times before.“Looking for a first descent in January,” the unsigned email…
Why Futaleufu should be your next Patagonia adventure
Beyond the crowds: Why Futaleufú should be your next Patagonia adventure When most people think of Patagonia, they picture the jagged granite peaks of Torres del Paine, wind-swept plains, and…
Town of Puerto Varas with volcano Osorno on the background. Chile
Before or After Futaleufú – Puerto Varas
What to Do in Puerto Varas Before (or After) Your Futaleufú Adventure Nestled on the shores of Lake Llanquihue, framed by snow-dusted Osorno Volcano, Puerto Varas is a postcard-perfect gateway…
What To Do After Rafting The Grand Canyon
Three Other Great River Trips If you’ve paddled through the heart of the Grand Canyon, you already know: a river can change you. There’s something about the wild rhythm of…
River Dogs
There’s something about the first dog that finds you... that lives in your heart the longest. “Wanna dog?” asked the driver of the white, enclosed box truck that picked…
How Earth River’s Founder Fell into Rafting
(Click below for audio version.) When I was 16, on a cross-country bicycle trip, I rode into the tiny town of Stanley, Idaho, something between a ghost town and a year-round population…
The Invention of the safety cataraft
Two of the most significant developments that have made rafting the Futaleufu River safe and accessible to almost everyone are the establishment of trails and primitive dirt roads, which make…
The River Through The Window
Earth River's discovery and exploration of a future Patagonia ClassicIn 2015, we completed a first descent of a remote river in Patagonia with the unremarkable name Quinto (Fifth), which I…
The History Of Rafting On The Futaleufu
With some trepidation, I watched the original Terminator Rapid video, which marked the end of the first attempt to raft the Futaleufú. Like a giant yellow beach ball, one of…