River Running
Herm's obsession with rivers began in 1964 when he saw a documentary film on the Grand Canyon. This made him want to explore rivers. He began with a flimsy raft, having no idea what he was doing.
Later, in the 1970s, he bought a serious raft and began running rivers in Idaho. Later, he and his wife quit their jobs to run every river they could. Herm never had time to write a book but gave his notes to graduate student Bill McGinnis. Bill wrote Whitewater Rafting(1975), which became an important text in the field.
When Herm moved to Vernal, he fell in love with Echo Park. He became an adventure river runner. Over the years his understanding of the environmental and political landscape deepened. He has become both an avid river runner and a fierce steward of the rivers and their environments.
"You can't conquer it, you have to work with it," Herm said about rivers, "If you try to conquer it, you're going to get eaten alive."
River running: the hobby or profession of navigating a river, especially a fast-flowing river in a small craft such as a raft or canoe.
For further information on river running, see:
William McGinnis. Whitewater Rafting. New York: Quadrangle Press/New York Times Book Co., 1975.