Meet Me at Water to Wine
Jeannette Murphy is calling on all Meet Me at the River participants to gather and celebrate the Spokane River at the Forum’s Water to Wine Auction June 3rd at Arbor Crest Wine Cellars.
Jeannette was one of the intrepid who signed up for the first Meet Me at the River program in 2008, an audacious Forum idea to paddle and raft the 112 mile Spokane River. Over the next five years, Meet Me at the River took over 750 people on expeditions to raft or paddle one or more sections of the river. Jeannette is one of over twenty who can lay claim to being “all the wayers,” meaning they floated or paddled the entire length of the river.
“It changed my life,” said Jeannette. “I remember feeling like I was being introduced to a living being. It became very personal, and it was a totally different experience than walking and biking next to the river. Can you imagine, I lived here for over 25 years before making that connection?”
Eight years later, Jeannette is inviting Meet Me at the River compadres to reconnect and celebrate the progress being made. 10 water trail access and restoration sites have been created and/or restored. With Islands Trailhead and the Treatment Plant, it’ll be 12 by the end of the year. Proceeds from Water to Wine will help the Forum continue developing access sites in Spokane Valley and the City of Spokane.
Jeannette’s exuberance is contagious. “When we did it I think you could count on one hand the number of legal places where we got on and off the river. Now you walk by the river and see lots of people out there. It’s amazing. I feel like the community is rediscovering a long lost gem.”
“So heck yes… I’ll raise my glass to the Spokane River. Tell me what other river I can go fifteen minutes from downtown and do whitewater rafting, or get invited to camp on the Spokane Indian Reservation before paddling down to the Columbia.”