Some people are listers. Others, not so much. I am of the former. I’m not sure why I started keeping lists, it just feels natural. My mom kept a journal and noted daily events, so maybe I can blame her. In any case, it’s a good trait to have for a guidebook writer, so I’ve run with it.

I started my first list as a teenager, chronicling backpack trips. Since then, I’ve made lists of my Grand Canyon river trips, elk hunts, ski areas visited, and of course—rivers paddled. When I learned of other paddlers who kept river lists, it was like finding a tribe within a tribe. Apparently, there are people out there as ood as I am. Listers.

Non-listers might see us as competitive, ego-driven, overly methodical. A fair assessment. Life is about living in the moment, not compiling lists of “things I’VE done.” This does not deter me. Of course there is ego involved. I felt damn proud when I reached river #400. I also feel wistfully reminiscent when I look at my list and recall a river, a friend, a moment. And that feels positive, no matter what value I put on it.

If you have a river list you want to add, email me and I will send you the link to upload it to our google drive. Each one is unique in its style, its tally, and its story.