I went kayaking on the Snake River in Idaho a few years ago, accompanying a group on a raft, and the put‑in was immediately upstream of a large and long Class IV rapids, which was a bit off-putting right up front. I was given the option of riding that first set of rapids in the raft, my kayak strapped to the back.
But when I asked one of the guides for her recommendation, she said this: "Most people talk themselves out of kayaking this first rapid, but once we’re through it, most of them also say, ‘I could have done that.’" (Translation: I should have done that.)
