Submitted by Pat

Today was a rafting day and because Aaron was still feeling poorly with his flu, we ate a late breakfast. I met Nancy at the toilet and she said she also had diarrhea. She was so stoic about it that I never really knew how ill she was until much later. The weather started clearing - no rain but a mixture of clouds and sun. When the sun was out it was warm, when the clouds covered the sun, it was cool. We waited while the guides loaded our gear on the boat - we were moving to our last camp - Mapu Leufu (Earth River in the Mapuche language). We did an easy fifteen-minute float down to the first rapid called Salto Feo or the Throne Room. This rapid is normally seen as unrunnable but due to the low water level the guides thought we could do it. No one had run the rapid this season and this would be the first time Aaron had ever run it.

We stopped and waited in the raft while Aaron, Chula and Peter scouted the rapid. Then the Cats went down one by one, testing the line they had chosen. Aaron got back in the boat, briefed us on the line, what strokes he was going to call, and what to do if we fell in. Gulp. I was third seat on the left with Nancy in front of me, Don across from her and Kate and Frank in the front. I admit, I'm a front-of-the-raft junkie. I love it - and starting the paddle rhythm is a lot easier than trying to follow someone else's. We started into the maelstrom - a huge gradient drop off. It was a great rapid and the guides were pumped - the most emotion I've seen from them all week. Everyone got through it safely - it was a definite high moment.

After Salto Feo, we did Kilun (4+), Caos (Chaos - 4+), and Cosa Salvaje (Wild Thing - 4+). We pulled in for lunch and it felt great to get out of the raft. The position my feet and knees have to be in for the rapids was really hard on my knees. We pulled out for lunch on a rocky beach where we sat in whatever moment of sun the sky afforded us. After lunch we ran Dormido al Volante (Asleep at the Wheel - 4+), and Terminador (Terminator - 5.5+). Aaron scouted Terminador for a long time before we went down. It wasn't a bad rapid from where I sat - sitting in the back made me feel so safe that I actually started looking around and sometimes forgot to paddle while I was watching the effervescent water crashing onto the boat. Thankfully everyone stayed in the boat.

We pulled out around 3 o'clock and did an hour long hike to our new camp, Mapu Leufu, the oldest of the Earth River camps with the most amenities. We had to cross the river on a little open cable car that folks who live on the other side of the river use to get across. Aaron gave us a tour when we arrived, but I didn't really see any amenities that were different from any other camp, except that the views were outstanding. Don and Nancy were given the honeymoon suite, a cliff dwelling with a double bed platform. Mine had a porch and a great view of the Fu.

I was the first person in the hot tub, followed by Don. We talked about how incredible the rappelling was and how he couldn't understand how or why it was so much fun for him.

It was shower day so Nancy and I went to the shower building but couldn't get the water to be anything other than tepid. Washed my hair really quickly and got out as fast as I could. Sometime while waiting for dinner, I started feeling like I was coming down with Aaron's intestinal flu. I was not a happy girl, but still managed to come to dinner and eat my fill of lasagna, soup, and several salads. As the dark descended we went to the picnic table and benches behind the kitchen to watch Rayno's video footage of our trip. After that I walked down and visited Don and Nancy in their cabin until the intestinal flu hit me full on and I had to bolt out of there to the toilet.

Tomorrow was to be the best rafting day of all and here I was coming down with a stupid flu. I was feeling pretty low.