There's a Julio in every group of more than two, isn't there? Maybe not willing to go that far but it goes to show you you've got to select your companions wisely. A great read and a historical recount of events I never knew happened. Thanks for the heads up on a great read,

J

I just finished this last night... wow. I guess they knew how to make real men in those days. I spend a lot of time in Roosevelt's North Dakota haunts, but I think I'll pass on the jungle. Poisonous everything and cannibals aren't exactly my cup of tea.

I loved the part about the party abandoning the Canadian canoes, only to spend the rest of the journey wishing they would have kept them...

However, it was sad to read about Kermit's downward spiral, given his strength, intelligence, and richness of experience.

I read "The River of Doubt" last spring.  It was an adventure just reading the book, and you can imagine what it must have been like.  Candice Milllard did a great job bringing the journey to life.  I thoroughly enjoyed Teddy's ways!

Jim J -

Yeah, I tend to agree that Teddy should have known better.  He's one of my very favorite presidents but, at that particular juncture of his life, he was struggling with an awful lot of difficult-to-digest change (political & personal) and wasn't handling it all very well.  I think he let his "hope" for a great rejeuvenating adventure and his "need" for accomplishment get ahead of his good sense.  No doubt ego figures into his equation too (& not in a good way) but I don't think that is the entire story.  There are a couple excellent (& relatively recent)biographies about Teddy available.  You cannot read one without concluding that this was a truly extraordinary human being.

You know, there are times when I think "a good way to go" (ie. die) might be on a canoeing adventure up north.  However, I personally would NOT look so kindly upon any similar opportunity down in the Amazon jungle.  In fact, I think that would be a very BAD way to go (too many flesh-eating bugs, cats, & headhunters)!  Everybody has their preferences, I guess.  Anyway, I'm sure Teddy didn't go into it thinking he was going to die but he probably did believe he was mostly impervious to such adversity.  The aging process is more difficult for some of us to digest than for others.

Which reminds me...

I'm not done with it yet but I will soon be endorsing an excellent book entitled, "Younger Next Year" by Crowley & Lodge.  We have a lot of 40, 50 & 60 somethings on QJ secretly wishing to be maintain their canoe-camping habits into their 80's.  Well, this book summarizes the scientific research that can help you actually get there.  It provides a road map... not an easy road BUT probably a manageable one for most of us.

Too bad the book wasn't around for Teddy; it's right up his alley.  Ultimately, of course, Teddy survived the River of Doubt but only just barely!

All you guys who want to doing more than "wishing" they could do trips in their 80's really should read, "Younger Next Year"... more later.  It's a step down the evolutionary path from Covert Bailey's "Fit or Fat?" and is fairly easy to read.

Later,

Jimbo   

Living in the Dakota's where Roosevelt is already revered - reading this; I developed a whole new respect for the man - who was born of privilege and made himself a solid barrel chested wilderness man, most of us could not keep up with at our best, born with handicaps and still (barely) conquered and unknown river with hostile natives who might have seen his crew as invaders that needed to be eliminated.

I too, have been overconfident, as you will find in this trip report, of late - lost - fell out of my canoe, lost a paddle and various other mishaps. This is a reminder that the wilderness remains a dangerous place, and that we are the biggest danger to ourselves perhaps.

This volume now rests in my bookcase and will be talked about and treasured throughout my days.

K