A young otter was crying for his mommy when we spotted him.  When the mom and two siblings found him they all played.

Dad complained that the eagles always come along when there is barely enough light to make a decent picture, but I can tell he’s still happy to see them.

There’s not much of a trail and it is kind of steep.  I gave dad a hand over the tough parts.

We suspect these are the track of a mink as we’ve seen a couple on the river.

There’s no mistaking a big mule deer who was very alert and wary of us.

There are many interesting encounters including this Preying Mantis and Garter Snake.

Dad gets up early, but I prefer to enjoy the morning song from the comfort of my bag.

A 22 ft drop per mile makes the river carry us along quickly and we always have to be on the lookout for obstacles.

Rocks like this can ruin your day.  The problem is they can be tough to see when you’re ripping through a rapid.

The long drive is brutal, but the river camping trip makes it all worth while.

I don’t mind a picture or two, but I prefer that dad keep a look out for boulders that can cause us to tip.

We stopped for a cool swim before heading on the long car ride home. Dad put the camera on a rock so we could have a photo together.

We also managed to catch a lizard for a closer look.  We always return wild creates to the exact spot where we found them.

This is what it’s all about, caring for animals that wouldn’t survive without help.  Seeing them helps us remember the importance of all living things to a healthy ecosystem.

Dad  never misses a chance to take nice photos of animals.  On this trip his favorite is a photo I took of a sandhill crane.

Gregg Williams plays drums for Quarterflash and it was nice of him to invite me to check out his drums after the show.