Emerald City Escape

N SPRING 2020, the rivers near Seattle ran high from snowmelt, but tensions in the city ran higher. Covid-19 was rampant, masks were everywhere, and those with seasonal allergies were given a wide berth. People sometimes forget that our city was first in line for this mess. But there were other places to go, states that were less affected, where vast expanses of land are dissected by some of the most famous trout water in the world. Fabled rivers walked by legends like Dave Whitlock, Kelly Galloup, and Brad Pitt. It was still quiet there then, free of quarantines and crowds. All I had to do was convince my mom to drive us ten