Paddling America: More than a Guidebook

We’re so excited to announce that Wet Planet guides and instructors, Susan and Adam Elliott, have just published an amazingly entertaining, educational and inspiring guidebook, Paddling America. wild river life book cover

The White Salmon, Washington locals set on what they say was “a road trip aimed at paddling 50 of the most beautiful, most wild, most scenic, and most beloved rivers across our country” and to inspire others to do the same. They loaded up their Road Home, a 1994 Coachman Catalina, with a trailer full of paddling gear and set out on their paddling America journey, aptly called Wild River Life.

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Excited on the road with their road home, Gilly. Photo: Adam Elliott

More than a year later, with their daughter Juniper who was born during the journey, they’ve returned home to pen a guidebook full of “remarkable photography, excellent field and book research, and interesting quotes from relevant authorities”, as Mike Bezemek from Canoe & Kayak Magazine writes in his recent review applauding the book.

wild river life adam susan and juniper

Susan and Adam Holding Juniper Alma. Photo: Adam Elliott

We’re proud that 3 of the Wild & Scenic rivers we offer trips on are featured in the book, including our home river, the White Salmon River, Oregon’s Owyhee River, and Idaho’s Main Salmon River. The book even recommends grabbing a bite at our Café and Grill!

Future Wild & Scenic Rivers

We may be most happy that they included a few rivers that have been identified and proposed to be protected under the Wild & Scenic Act. The future Wild & Scenic rivers mentioned include Montana’s North Fork Blackfoot River, North Carolina’s Nolichucky River and Washington’s Sol Duc River and the book reads, “We must remember that many more river miles deserve to be kept clean and free-flowing for future generations.” The book’s dedication to their daughter reads, “For Juniper, may you get to experience more wild places than us.”

north fork blackfoot river

Paddling the North Fork Blackfoot River. Photo: Adam Elliott

We recommend buying Paddling America from Hood River’s Waucoma Bookstore (where your book will be a signed copy), however the book is available on Amazon.

Author Mikey Goyette works on Wet Planet’s Marketing team. When he’s not in the office, you can find him in his kayak on the river, or on the river bank playing Spike Ball.