A river runs through southwestern PA

A few weekends ago a brave group of men willing to forego the luxuries of modern society set off on a journey of self discovery deep in the verdant and wild wilderness of southwestern Pennsylvania. Several hundred thousand years ago a glacier stopped dead in its tracks here leaving behind in what's called a Terminal Moraine a scarred, rugged and boulder-filled landscape that has been eroded by the mighty forces of nature over time into the perfect site for campfires, Risk!, and male bonding. 

The soft puffy clouds, lilting bird songs, and babbling sounds of shallow water belie the ferocity of the torrent called the Youghiogheny that runs through this rocky terrain. A rafter's masterpiece, this twisted and craggy watercourse has beckoned adrenaline-seeking men and women for dozens of years, leaving behind a few dead, many injured, and thousands of achy, bruised, and oddly smug thrill seekers proud of their non-fatal but surely wet decent between the river's jagged banks. All who survive leave the water with an intoxicating feeling formed by the paradoxical mix of invigoration and exasperation. 

Such were the emotions of the city slicking men who joined for one glorious bachelor party weekend in September to grill meat, grunt out inappropriate comments, and visit one of the most famous architectural masterpieces of the modern era. 

Photos below. 

We're on a boat!

A natural water slide ... not part of the Mighty Yough