Winding through one of the wildest corners of Colorado, 210,000-acres deep in Dinosaur National Monument, I found myself balancing sideways on the crest of the biggest wave in the river – somehow staying upright through the whirling Class IV rapids. That week, I paddled 71 miles down the Yampa River, Colorado's last free-flowing river, camping beneath towering red-and-orange striped canyons etched by ancient peoples. The experience left me with something rare: space to breathe and trust in the river to take its course.