Gregory Cairns | 2025 | 9 min.
2026 Official Selection
A veteran river guide reflects on motherhood, risk, and a lifelong connection to the river. She recalls guiding while pregnant, raising adventurous kayaking children, rediscovering paddling with a posse of women, and navigating challenging rapids together. The river shapes her community, identity, and sense of purpose across generations. Patso is a celebration of what is possible when we embrace the river community around us.
Greg Cairns is a US based commercial director and documentary filmmaker. He is a senior Idaho river guide and sweep boat driver on the Middle Fork of the Salmon. Adventure Journal has described his work as “subtle, delightful and sneakily powerful.” Greg lives in Montrose, CO. He enjoys riding bikes, looking at solar panels, and talking with dogs.
