This past weekend I had the pleasure of whitewater rafting with a group of veterans from the InnVision Shelter Network. Right at the peak of a nasty heat wave, we got to spend the day floating along the south fork of the American River. Sierra Club’s Military Outdoors program organized these trips with UC Berkeley’s Great Outdoors Lab, who is conducting important research on the science of awe and the mental and physical effects of time spent outdoors.
The air was already warm when I left my house early that morning, the sun just beginning to light the horizon. By the time we reached the launch site of Environmental Travel Companions (ETC), nestled on the south fork of the American River, the temperature was already above 80 degrees Fahrenheit: a slightly humid, slightly smoky haze of heat. Walking along the dirt paths entering camp I immediately noticed the welcoming energy that filled the place. Returning warm smiles and good morning greetings I maneuvered through the post-breakfast bustle of groups who camped out the night before.
There’s something about being outdoors that affects the mind, body, and soul. I could see it all around me, even feel it then upon arrival -- right around the time I would normally be logging on to my computer at the office. What’s amazing is that the wellness benefits of our experiences in nature can actually be measured, and this is what the researchers from UC Berkeley’s Great Outdoors Lab had come to do. By including a small research component at the beginning and end of the day, this rafting trip would contribute to their study of the psychological impact of time spent outdoors.
The InnVision veterans were standing as a group in a patch of speckled shade as I approached. We exchanged handshakes, which were quickly followed by wisecracks and flurries of laughter. And there I was, a summer intern surrounded by veterans, feeling warmly welcome.
We had some time to mill around before launching the boats. I noticed one veteran, Greg, standing away from the group. I asked him how it was going -- a plain enough question that can be met with various levels of substance. Greg’s response was very personal, as he told me his story. Greg had been a gunner for a river patrol boat in Vietnam, and being there on the riverbank brought him back to that part of his past. Greg said he was excited for the trip, but still needed to do some prepping “up here,” as he smirked and tapped a finger on his temple. As I watched Greg walk towards the water, I was struck with the deep respect one feels for something they can never fully understand.
We shoved off the shore of ETC’s campsite and our rafts were picked up by the current formed when the dam upstream released its daily flow earlier that morning. The day quickly took on a rhythm with the ebb and flow of the river. Long, calmer periods allowed for easy paddling and conversation. A “forward, hard!!” from the guide sitting at the bow and we all shut up and paddled, shooting down a rushing stretch of whitewater.
As we continued winding down the river, the canyon walls began to rise around us and the rapids rose with them in intensity. The geography was truly incredible, changing dramatically at one point as we crossed a fault line and entered the gorge. Whether I was floating blissfully along the raft or paddling frantically through the spraying waves, I think there was a smile on my face for about five hours straight. Looking around to all the other boats, I know I wasn’t the only one.
At the end of the day, we all circled up to reflect on the experience. Standing there looking at all of the smiling, now-familiar faces, I could tell the group was contentedly exhausted. Our skin glowing with warmth from hours in the sun, beaded with remnants of sand and freshwater, we all shared something from the day that was meaningful to us, our “Kodak moment.” Greg shared his thoughts first. He told the group about his duties in Vietnam and the difficulties he had faced six hours earlier when he prepared to get on a river for the first time since he was a young man on foreign soil.
Seeing Greg laughing uncontrollably and joking around with his fellow vets and the river guides was the most meaningful moment of my day. His transformation over the course of the trip strikes to the very core of what this program is about, and what the awe study is trying to scientifically back. Even if it was just for a couple hours, the memories Greg associated with the river faded into the background. Anyone who spends time outdoors can speak to its benefits. That day on the river was a perfect example of all the good time spent reconnecting with nature can do to your physical and mental well-being.
