Wren's Wild Journey

Wren, a wanderer, canoes the Rio Grande, encounters spirits, and his soul is transformed.

Wren, a man of simple tastes, thrives in the backcountry, where pine tar and dry Earth ground him. His calloused hands shape wood, coax life from soil, but his heart beats for exploration, hiking jagged trails, camping under starlit skies, and backpacking into raw, untouched lands. As a boy, he devoured adventure books, dreaming of trading pages for real wilderness. At 16, he bought a pack and a tent, stepping into a national forest with a map and a stubborn streak. That first night, under a vast sky, he felt alive, crafting memories by firelight.
For a decade, Wren roamed America's wilds, from the Smokies to the Sierras. A vivid memory haunts him: treed by wolves in Wyoming's Wind River Range, their yellow eyes glinting as he clung to a pine, sap on his hands, until dawn sent them slinking away. In Durango, Colorado, Wren met Silas, a kindred spirit with wilder tales. Over diner burgers, Silas proposed canoeing the Rio Grande, a 223-mile journey from Colorado Canyon to La Linda. They bonded over coffee and trails, planning the winter adventure.
In January, they launched their canoe, canyon walls rising like jagged teeth. Whispers of ghostly bandits echoed as they paddled, camping on the Mexican side under vaqueros' watchful eyes. Santa Elena Canyon's rapids tested them, but Fern Canyon's serene pool offered solace. At the Whispering Reach, Wren wandered alone, drawn by eerie chanting. Visions of ancient spirits, keepers of the river's memories, flooded him. Stepping into the Rio Grande, he entered a twilight realm, dancing with luminous beings who sang of forgotten times. They gifted him a spark of their wildness.
Back on the bank, dripping wet, Wren kept his mystical encounter secret, smiling as Silas teased him. The river changed him, its whispers now part of his soul.