After two weeks of successful first descents in the dangerous and cartel-controlled state of Michoacan, Mexico, our crew had one last river to explore. But during the first day of checking out access points we ran into an illegal road block and, with machine guns aimed at us, were told to “get out of town.” This incident, combined with the fact that the river ran deep into cartel land, made the crew decide to head east into the better known and safer paddling area of Veracruz.
Disappointed, we decided to make the best of it with a three-day huck fest of the largest waterfalls Mexico has to offer. The result? This image. After noticing the amazing light, I yelled to the athletes at the lip of the falls to run it ASAP! Dane Jackson got in his boat and dropped this 70-foot beast. By the time the next paddler descended the falls, the canyon had fallen into deep shadow and the magical light was all but gone.