Bob Metts – his story in his own words

What else can an adventurer do but turn everything life throws at him into a thrilling challenge? Bob Metts was an adventurer through and through, and life threw him some doozies. You can read about Bob’s wild ride on the way to discovering the Stanislaus River and becoming a confirmed river rat in his book, Stories for My Friends. Bob even makes six months in Oakland’s Highland Hospital sound like rollicking fun. He was only a toddler, spending nights in “the can”, his iron lung, but there were hours in the rehab pool every day and the glory of being the youngest person in the polio ward. Once home again with his family, he loved the Knock Down Game where adults randomly rushed him so he could learn how to safely fall. Then came careening down the East Bay hills in a hand-made go cart without brakes, swimming in cold Montana rivers summer after summer, and breaking disability barriers in every school he attended. But nothing in life gave Bob more joy than rafting the Stanislaus with his best friend Dennis Fantin (see photos here). They were a legendary duo, Bob tucked in behind the thwart, reading the river and calling out instructions to Dennis, his blind partner at the oars. You can go here to purchase Stories for My Friends along with pictures, including ones of Bob and Dennis.