(Pensive ethereal music) [Will Gemma] This is the story of five friends and one troubled river: The James River of central Virginia.

The James is Virginia's longest river and its largest source of drinking water.

Once called the Powhatan River, English colonists renamed it after their king when they arrived in 1607.

As the Monacan and Powhatan people had done for centuries, colonists used the James to transport goods.

In 1619 they used it to bring horror to the James, when they brought the first enslaved Africans to Virginia.

[Will] Over the next few centuries, unchecked industry perpetually damaged the river.

By the 1970's the James was the most polluted river in the country and closed to fishing for 13 years.

In 1976, Virginia residents formed the James River Association, which has worked to make the James one of the country's most improved rivers.

Sadly, new issues have replaced the old.

What follows is a river story, and a journey through the issues the James faces today.

It all begins on a glorious spring morning, way up in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia.

(Bluesy inspired guitar music) (Sound of water lapping) [Will] This is not the James River.

This is the clear water of the Cowpasture River.

And this water belongs to the Jackson.

One is free of industry, the other is the dumping ground for one of the largest paper mills in the world.

These two rivers make up the headwaters of the James River.

It's almost fitting that it begins this way.

Emblematic of a river that has been abused for as long as any in America and yet also considered a major success story; an example of a river's incredible resilience.

This theme would follow us the length of our 250 mile journey, from the headwaters down.

(water running) [Will] So instead of a sparkling send-off, we enter more of a boiling stew.

A shallow stew at times.

[Justin Black] Woo-hoo!

[Will] But it carried us right along... ...on this first leg of our journey: the Upper James River.

A gorgeous 65 mile stretch that will carry us from the confluence to where the Appalachian trail crosses the James in Snowden.

It was a short first day, dialing in our gear and adjusting to spring in the mountains.

(Sneezes) [Will] Is that real?

Bless you.

But even a short day on the water can catch you by surprise.

If you don't see the river or the mountains every day, it's easy to forget what actually being there feels like.

And how special it is.

As much as we view this river through a damaged lens, this is also a celebration of the river as it runs today.

An ode to the James: a gentle reminder of why it's important to care in the first place.

Our inaugural camp was a handful of miles below the town of Iron Gate.

[Stephen Kuester] Feeling great.

Great first day.

[Dietrich] Great first day.

[Stephen] Cup of tea.

Relaxing.

[Will] And despite the murky start, our naturalist found nature.

Your narrator found his work.

Our musician practiced his other craft.

Our exacting artist exacted.

And the actor of our group got comfortable.

[Dietrich Teschner] This wasn't the campsite I wanted.

This wasn't the campsite I would have picked.

But with little effort, um, a little elbow grease, I've started to like it.

Damn it's pretty up here.

[Will] Finally, it was everyone's favorite time of day.

Time to recharge.

[Andrew] Mmmm-mmm.

[Will] Trying and failing to imagine what lay ahead.

(Guitar music fades out) (Frogs and insects chirping) (Dramatic music) [Justin] How'd you sleep, Dietrich?

[Dietrich] Really good.

[Justin] It's bright and early, morning of day two.

The sun just came up.

[Will] There's a lot to cover today.

But as usual, Stephen was out having some casts early, and he wasn't going after the small ones.

[Stephen] Oh, my God.

(Zipping of fishing reel) [Dietrich] Whoa.

[Stephen] Oh my God, boys.

[Dietrich] Oh my God.

[Stephen] It's a Musky.

[Dietrich] Yeah.

(Fish flapping in water) [Stephen] Yes, boys.

[Will] Wow.

Look at that.

[Stephen] Yeah.

[Will] Oh, man.

[Justin] Oh my God.

What is that, Stephen?

[Stephen] It's a Musky.

Never caught one before.

I've been after one forever.

If I don't catch another fish the rest of the trip, it'll be alright.

[Will] Wow.

Whoo!

[Stephen] So long.

[Will] Known as the fish of 10,000 casts, the elusive Musky was introduced to the James as early as the 1930's to encourage recreational fishing.

Similarly, the Smallmouth Bass was brought to the watershed 150 years ago, arriving in barrels on rail cars from the Mississippi.

Smallmouth are excellent indicator species due to their sensitivity to changes in water quality.

In recent years, Smallmouth numbers have been dropping which is believed to reflect an increase in water temperature, agricultural runoff, and human waste entering the James.

[Will] The views on the way to Eagle Rock are stunning... And distracting.

[Will] Happens to the best.

[Justin] (Scoffs) I dropped my paddle.

[Will] Past Eagle Rock are some of the best-preserved remnants of the Kanawha Canal.

George Washington conceived the idea of the canal working as a young surveyor, hoping a trade route west to the Ohio River would provide security and strength for Virginia's economy.

Ultimately, enslaved Africans performed most of the labor for the canal, and by 1850, their progress had stretched 200 miles west of Richmond.

But flood damage and the meteoric rise of the railroads laid directly atop the canal's tow-path rendered the canal obsolete.

[Justin] This is where there used to be an old lock where they would, I guess, allow boats to get up into higher levels of the river through the locks.

And it's interesting because the rapids here are actually created by the remains of this old piece of the canal.

[Will] A number of fun riffles carry you along towards Horseshoe Bend, which is pretty much in the middle of nowhere, but we found a nice island a few miles early and decided to take it.

[Will] Just to show you an example of how a place like this accumulates waste, trash.

We have the remnants of a grill, old cans, newer bottles here, a lawn chair probably forever caught.

We have a whole paddleboat.

We are seeing tires that are decades old.

There's so many tires, so many tires in the river and on the banks.

I believe the James River Association has organized tire cleanups, but it really is just, it comes down to manpower to try to get rid of just trash everywhere.

And the clash with the natural environment, the beauty of the river, the beauty of the mountains and the parks around here is very apparent and painful to see.

[Dietrich] Day two.

Pretty smooth moves today.

Had a little- a couple of hairy points on the river, but um, all in all, feeling a lot more confident in the canoe.

Camp is a God-dang delight.

Couldn't be happier.

Got my tent set up.

Clean.

Got a nice clothesline, feeling hydrated.

It's paradise, baby.

It's only 4:00.

[Will] Which meant Murray had time to inspect blue slag, a byproduct of the iron ore smelting process that desolated both the Jackson and the James throughout the 1800's.

(Bluegrass inspired guitar music) (talking in the background) [Will] A gorgeous morning to day three, disturbed only by this coal train.

(Wheels on tracks) [Will] An ever-present risk to the river, the train runs the entire length of the James and carries open cars of West Virginia coal and crude oil to the export piers at Newport News.

This wouldn't be our last disturbance of the day, but the future was yet unknown to us, and we were focused on covering the 20 miles that flowed between us and the town of Buchanan.

[Will] Around this idyllic bend, we saw two old men we talked to the day before.

Old friends, apparently.

Oh, there they are.

We discovered we were camping at the same location that night, but when we came across another good site, we decided to stop a little early, let the old pals have their spot, enjoy it to themselves.

For a designated water trail, the upper James offers very few off-grid camping sites, so we hoped this act of generosity would give us good karma.

Alas, we started seeing these guys (Eerie sting) who were destined to cross our path.

(Folksy music) [Will] But our focus was on the river finally running clear again by the time we passed Buchanan, 35 miles from the headwaters.

[Dietrich] Interesting day on the river, wasn't it today, Will?

[Will] It... 'twas.

(Laughs) We're exhausted.

I'm exhausted.

[Justin] It was a long day.

[Will] Yeah, it was a lot of flat water.

[Justin] Uh, lots of flat water.

We pretty much hit Buchanan, and then we're looking for camp spots and... there really wasn't anything.

[Dietrich] What do you think about how we pronounce Buchanan?

[Stephen] Uh, I think that you're pronouncing it correctly.

I know that some of you guys were pronouncing it Buchanan.

Um, very dangerous.

Could get us killed because that's not how they say it.

But very encouraged, we got a great spot.

[Justin] Now we're on an island that we've been to before.

[Dietrich] We found, I think, one of the best campsites on this trip so far.

[Will] Absolutely.

(Eerie sting) [Man] You guys get in your privately owned canoes and just come take our campsite.

[Justin] Yo, sorry man.

[Man] You guys need to kick dirt and move along.

Straight up.

[Justin] That was insane.

We just got threatened with a gun, and now we have to move our campsite.

We're all set up.

[Will] Here we are getting kicked off a great campsite.

How does that make you feel?

[Stephen] Um, I'm kind of glad.

Not glad, but it makes it better that we all shared this experience together.

[Will laughs] [Dietrich] Someone threatened to shoot us today.

[Will] Well, we get to enjoy this.

So... [Dietrich] This is our new campsite, also for day three, which is a bunch of fun.

[Justin] Camp etiquette, we'll do a little lesson on camp etiquette.

[Dietrich] We'll do a little spot about camp etiquette.

[Will] So here's our spot about camp etiquette.

We were camped on an island, and islands are true havens for people traveling on the water.

That island, however, is apparently privately owned and rented.

We have since learned that more public islands on the James are being sold off and sold cheap.

There was plenty of space on the island for both parties, but one man would rather threaten our lives than share it.

And it made one thing very clear to us, all the beauty and wonder of the world are lost on a bad attitude and a river's lessons are useless if you don't listen.

So if you do meet people, like the sad, angry man we met today, take it as a reminder of how not to be.

A reminder that life is too short for petty selfishness, and not even a long trying day has to go down as a bad one.

So to all the angry people out there, we say thank you for giving us the best days of our lives.

(Pop song playing on radio) (laughing) [Andrew] Something about it like thinking about before this trip, that I was really kind of slightly hoping that we would have all of our mettle tested in one way or another.

[Will] Of course, we had to sit around the fire and talk a little bull about the events of the day.

This kind of thing is only natural on a canoe trip.

And it's funny how long day can lead into a long night.

But none of us seem to care.

(Stephen playing the guitar) [Justin] I really like this spot.

(Call of animals at night) [Justin] How you feelin- How you feeling this morning?

[Andrew] Pretty good.

[Will] Pretty stiff in the neck.

[Justin] What did you hear last night?

[Stephen] Raccoons.

[Justin] Did they come to your tent?

[Justin] We're on mile 45 of the James River.

Uh, we're going to paddle about 15 miles to Glasgow today.

We're going to be paddling into the Jefferson and the Washington National Forest, which are some of the biggest swaths of public land on the East Coast.

Let's see anything else I'm missing?

[Dietrich] (singing) It's a beautiful morning.

(Justin snaps fingers in unison) (Reflective guitar music continues) [Dietrich] We found a group of swallowtails.

They're butterflies in the process of puddling, which is when they just hang around a group of water and drink.

[Will] These majestic creatures are Eastern Tiger Swallowtails, the state insect of Virginia.

If you'd like to see them in your neck of the woods, plant milkweed, wild cherry and lilac.

That's their nectar of choice.

[Will] At 1.8 million acres, George Washington and Jefferson National Forests are indeed among the largest parcels of public land on the East Coast.

They are nearly the size of Yellowstone.

There is rich biodiversity in the forests.

Hundreds of species of birds.

More than 70 species of amphibians and reptiles, and greater than 50 species of mammals.

But nearly half of these are threatened or endangered.

And there aren't as many landmarks, because there aren't as many marks upon the land.

(Sound of waves lapping) [Will] It's a remarkable stretch of river.

(Rushing water) You might find yourself watching the smooth, clear water, slowly turn... ...into liquid slate.

[Will] We made camp outside Glasgow: at the head of this stream and on the sandy point just above the James River gorge.

And the pebbly beach makes a nice place for sweet, sweet repose.

(Yawns) [Dietrich] We're gonna hit the gorge today.

[Justin] We're about to run the James River Gorge.

It's going to be, I think, the prettiest part of the paddle, also one of the most difficult.

We're going to get some shots, some action shots of the rapids for you.

Um, anything I'm missing?

[All] No.

That's it.

(Lively rock guitar music) [Will] The gorge is formed when a large tributary on the left, the Maury River, converges with the James.

(Water lapping) When the water is low, the gorge is friendly to beginner kayakers in a 17 foot canoe loaded up with film gear... you'll want to keep your wits about you.

Wooo!

(Rushing waters) [Will] We're approaching the infamous Balcony Falls rapid.

To scout it, you'll want to get over to river right, head for that prominent camel-colored rock.

[Justin] All right, we're at Balcony Falls.

We're just trying to figure out the best way to get through it.

[Dietrich] How's it look, Will?

[Will] Shallower than the last time I saw it.

It almost seems to be making it a little trickier.

Too many shallow rocks on the approach.

Not so much getting through the big part, but it's getting positioned for the right line.

[Justin] You can see some of the remains of the old canal.

[Will] This impressive stone wall used to support a tow path for the canal and is another sure sign you're near Balcony Falls.

[Justin] Hoping everybody stays dry.

(Rock guitar music continues) [Dietrich] So which one are you actually talking about?

[Stephen] We have the conical rock.

This rock and this rock.

And we go here.

[Stephen] In between.

What is that?

We actually don't even need momentum.

Worst case scenario, we take on a little bit of water and bail it out.

(Folk like guitar music with vocals) [Will] We aren't quite out of the woods yet, though.

The middle line on the next rapid requires a strong draw to the left.

Otherwise, you risk getting pinned, and you better hope you're quick on your feet.

We planned all along to have a short day and camp at the base of these mountains in the gorge.

It was a good decision.

(Slow reflective guitar music) (Talking in background) (Ethereal guitar music fades in) [Will] After a few mellow rapids, the river quickly widens and slows down.

You approach two bridges; a rail bridge and a footbridge.

This is where the Appalachian Trail crosses the James River.

As the signs say, you need to get over to river left and sneak under this bridge at the Snowden boat ramp.

Over the next 25 miles of river, a series of nine dams makes this section virtually impassable, with no way to portage around them.

Several of these dams no longer provide a utility, and there's a growing consensus to remove them.

Many enthusiasts would be happy to start by creating routes around the dams so that the water trail remains unbroken.

It's frustrating because after carrying all that momentum through the gorge, it comes to a sudden stop right in the middle of the prettiest part of the entire river.

25 mountainous miles lost.

The next put in is in Lynchburg, and henceforth we will be paddling on what is known as the Middle James.

The river is widening, but thankfully, the Middle James feels a lot like the Upper.

You have your old bridges... and canal, and it is God's country.

It's 155 miles to Richmond, but it remains a rural river almost all the way home.

But while the western side of the watershed is 85% forest, this dwindles down to 30% by the time it reaches the Chesapeake.

Less forest means fewer natural barriers to catch agricultural and urban runoff.

Major pollutants on the Middle James.

The JRA helps farmers and landowners plant tree buffers along the banks, a proven and effective solution.

But the statewide management of deforestation and best agricultural practices is becoming imperative to the health of Virginia's waterways, which as a whole are among the most polluted in America.

We didn't see a single Bald Eagle above the dams.

Thankfully, on the Middle James, it's hard to go a mile without seeing one.

The water fowl seem better fed on the Middle James.

The water is clearly providing for this Christmas Goose, and this big Great Blue Heron.

And we'll need to keep an eye on this cheeky guy up on the driftwood.

[Will] Gone about 7 or 8 miles just since one after our uh... our van portage uh, from Snowden to Lynchburg, so, yeah we're gonna- we're gonna just try to find a good spot and not have a crazy day.

It's super hot, um weather is going to get milder, and we're going to ride this nice current.

It's much faster than the upper section.

[Andrew] Found some mulberries, tasty little morsels.

[Dietrich] Are these poisonous?

[Andrew] Mhm-mmm.

(Smacking his lips) [Dietrich] Death never tasted so good.

[Stephen] Yummy.

[Will] As long as you hold them there, I'll keep eating them one at a time.

(Chuckles) [Andrew] Mulberry hands.

(Water lapping) [Will] As the day went on, the light started to do funny things.

Whitewater gets the glory.

But a moment like this... ...on a nameless bend of the river... ...it stays with you.

The river flows not past, but through us.

Thrilling, tingling.

Vibrating every fiber and cell of the substance of our bodies, making them glide and sing.

[Dietrich] Alright, day seven.

Everybody was feeling a little gritty and grimy today, so we've been taking the day to recharge our batteries, both spiritually and physically and electronically.

Uh, found a good campsite.

Not sure if anybody owns it or not, but instead of the usual no trespassing signs.

They just say keep the beach clean.

So taking a second to dry and wash all of our stuff and hopefully have a nice big chili meal.

[Dietrich] Before Justin interrupted with reasonable things for us to do.

Was this can of uh, well, I don't quite know what it is.

[Stephen] This is uh, Chef Boyardee.

And over the years um, the picture gets smaller and smaller, but the man's reputation and what he's accomplished culinarily, historically.

That... You can't ever shrink that.

[Dietrich] I just don't know how I feel really about meeting all of our goals.

[Will] What do you mean?

[Dietrich] Like uh, got a camping spot early.

It's pretty good.

Drying out all of our stuff.

We're making good time.

Where's the drama?

Where's the challenge?

[Will] Feel like we've already had enough.

Just gonna be boring now, climaxed in the first act.

(Chuckles) [Will] Careful what you wish for.

(rocks crunching beneath footsteps) [Justin] The water came up and y'alls boats washed down, so I don't know where it is.

[Dietrich] Good morning.

It is with a heavy heart that I inform you today that we have lost a boat to the rising waters of the James River.

Three brave men, Justin Black, Stephen Kuester and Andrew Murray have gone to find our boats while Will and I hang out and kind of do nothing.

[Justin] All right.

Steven and I are paddling it's like super early in the morning.

Their boat got washed away because the water came up.

[Will] We were all sitting- sitting around that campfire high and dry... water came up.

[Dietrich] Now it's uh, six in the morning.

[Will] Six a.m.... [Dietrich] Six in the morning.

Got no boat, got no friends.

(Will laughs) Just me and Will waiting to die.. in the sun.

[Justin] But I feel like the only option here is for you and I to find this thing.

Come on dude, where are you?

[Will] Logs keep coming back.

(big splash) There we go, that one's returning.

[Dietrich] So we're doing a quick experiment to see where the boat went.

And Will, what are our results?

[Will] Well we threw a log in the water and uh, it started floating upstream.

So we think they're looking in the wrong direction.

(laughs) [Laughs] They're probably 2 miles downstream.

They should be... Well, now it just ran the ground, so it should be somewhere around here.

(Both laugh) Maybe it's hidden in the reeds.

[Stephen] This is- I don't think this... We're getting close to the point where we're not going to be able to paddle back.

[Justin] Yeah, I know, but the trip is going to be over if we can't find this boat.

[Stephen] Ah, ah... Left.

[Justin] Is that it?

[Stephen] No.

[Dietrich] It's really tempting to panic in a situation like this, but the important thing is to keep a cool head.

(Will sneezes) Bless you.

[Will] Thank you.

[Dietrich] And yeah to really just keep your wits about you.

Stay relaxed and deal with new information as it comes.

(Reflective guitar music) [Justin] I see it!

(thumping) Found it.

(water splashing) Stephen.

(laughs) [scoffs] Now this situation just starts.

That's why you tie your boat up.

Now the hard part of figuring out how to actually get it back to camp.

Stephen, what do you have to say to the rescue cam?

[Stephen] I say I'll wait until I'm actually rescued before I make a comment.

(chuckles) [Dietrich] Yeah, I'll work on the train track plan and um, just call me back if anything changes.

Alright, peace.

This is gonna suck.

(Rock like guitar music) (footsteps crunching gravel) (Train blows horn) [Justin] All right.

Dietrich brought us some water.

[Dietrich] Hi.

[Justin] Now we just have to execute the final stages of this rescue.

(Rock like guitar music continues) [Dietrich] It took us like another hour and fifteen after we met up.

Um, so yeah, it's a heavy boat, but we made it.

We made it in good spirits, got the boats back.

We're going to eat a bunch of food, power up for this strange trip we're about to make.

(Rock like music continues) [Dietrich] The wake up was the best part.

Everybody was down on that beach in like 30 seconds.

(Justin singing) Reunited and it feels so good.

[Will] I don't even know, man.

It's just funny.

It's like uh... [Stephen] A stupid mistake.

Careful what you wish for.

You know?

You want drama?

You want drama?

You want excitement?

You want adversity?

You want this to be a good film?

(Reflective guitar music) (Paddle lapping water) (Rush of rain) (Pitter patter of raindrops on tarp) [Dietrich] This one up there?

[Andrew] Yeah.

[Dietrich] Okay.

[Will] Tough day.

(clears throat) Mother Nature has shown just how easily, she can put a stop to our adventures.

(Laughs) Yeah, just a sudden thunder squall.

Stopped us in our tracks.

[Dietrich] Taking a close look around us, there is some sort of harmony, a harmony of overwhelming and collective murder.

We in comparison to that articulate vileness and baseness and obscenity of this river.

We in comparison to that enormous articulation only look and sound like half finished and badly pronounced sentences from a stupid suburban novel, a cheap novel.

We have to become humble in the face of that overwhelming misery.

Overwhelming fornication, overwhelming growth, and overwhelming lack of order.

Even the stars up here in the sky look like a mess.

There's no harmony in the universe, and we have to become acquainted with the fact that there is no real harmony as we have conceived it.

But when I say this, I say this out of admiration for the river.

It's not that I hate it.

I love it.

I love it very much.

But I love it against my better judgment.

[Will] Well, it can only get better.

(Pitter patter of rain drops) (Sound of zipper on tent) [Justin] It's day nine here on the James River.

Yesterday we took shelter after about 15 miles of paddling on this island and uh it rained all night.

We're pretty soaked, but we got to keep going today because I think we're running behind.

Strong.

Wet.

Bold.

(Inspiring guitar music) [Will] Here we arrive at Dominion Energy's Bremo Power Plant: where millions of gallons of coal ash are stored on-site in unlined ponds.

Legislation passed during the 2019 General Assembly requires Dominion to at least move the waste into lined ponds, but the waste will remain on-site.

Bremo is one of 1100 toxic storage sites in the James's watershed with a collective volume of 5 billion tons.

Concerns that these sites threaten decades of progress for the James are not unsubstantiated.

Not only are the dams at Bremo considered to be at risk of failure, but the James has a long history of catastrophic flooding.

In 1969, during hurricane Camille, the water level at nearby Columbia reached 41 feet.

And just around the bend from Bremo is evidence of the River's power.

This was the Hatton Ferry, up until a few months before we arrived, it was the last poled ferry in the country.

An effort is underway to save it, but its current state of carnage so close to Bremo is unsettling.

[Will] 6 miles down river from Bremo is a point of land formed by the confluence of the James and Rivanna.

This is Rassawek, the historic capital and sacred burial grounds of the Monacan Indian Nation.

Rassawek was first occupied more than 5,000 years ago, and as a contemporary to Jamestown, was larger and more complex.

In 2020, the National Trust for Historic Preservation included Rassawek in its eleven most endangered historic places in America.

That's because Monacan Nation had been in a years long legal battle With the James River Water Authority, who sought to build a pump station on Rassawek to fuel economic development miles away.

After a whistle-blower reported unethical activity by the Water Authority's hired archaeologists and amid protests from thousands of businesses and individuals, the US Army Corp of Engineers decided to reevaluate the project.

Finally, on March 16, 2022, the Water Authority voted to choose a different site.

People coming together can make a difference for the River, but the fate of Rassawek should have always belonged to the Monacan People, who deserve the same respect as their better known neighbors: the Powhatan, whose own capital, Werowocomoco, recently received permanent protection.

(Birds chirping) (Running water) (Snapping of twigs) (Reflective guitar music) [Dietrich] The sun sets on another day of paddling.

We made over 20 miles today.

We paddled hard.

We deserve the rest we'll get tonight.

More challenges lay ahead, but the worst is behind us.

(Crackling of campfire) (Food softly sizzling) [Dietrich] Well done, Stephen.

Thank you.

(Campfire crackles as guitar music fades up and out) (Train horn blows) (Ethereal music) [Dietrich] We're in the final stretch before the final stretch before Richmond.

Taking a quick break on Lunchman's Cove to enjoy some of the finer things in life.

(Can top pops and hisses) [Justin] This is our last night.

And then we're going to paddle into our home destination.

[Andrew] As much as it's kind of sad knowing it's the last night, it's also kind of relieving.

I feel- I was just saying to Justin, it kind of feels like it's like the last week of high school kind of feeling, where uh, most of all the hard tests and work has been done.

Now we just got to walk across the stage.

Hopefully uh, we don't trip and drown.

(Laughter) [Will] Feels weird to be close to the end, but not quite there.

Looking forward to the last night.

[Stephen] Want to know what I'm looking forward to?

[Group] What?

[Stephen] Nothing.

(Scoffs) Because I don't want to think about what comes after yet.

I don't want to think about that.

(Slow and reflective guitar music) [Stephen] The earth never tires.

The earth is rude, silent, incomprehensible at first.

Nature is rude and incomprehensible at first.

Be not discouraged.

Keep on.

There are divine things well enveloped.

I swear to you.

There are divine things more beautiful than words can tell.

Alons.

We must not stop here.

However sweet these laid up stores, however convenient this dwelling, we cannot remain here.

However sheltered this port, and however calmed these waters, we must not anchor here.

However welcome the hospitality that surrounds us, we are permitted to receive it but a little while.

(slow and reflective music continues) [Dietrich] It is the final day of our great journey.

Soon we re-enter society better than before.

[Justin] It's day 13 out here on the James River.

We're going to be finishing our trip today in Richmond, Virginia.

We're going to be hitting some of the biggest rapids we've hit on the whole trip.

And we're really excited both to complete this expedition and also have some fun in the white water today.

[Justin] So we've got, I think about five more miles of the most technical rapids that we've seen so far.

We're going to meet our guide Ryan here just across the river and run some world class whitewater.

[Stephen] Something about flowing water, flowing clear water has always attracted me.

It becomes part of your, in a weird way, part of your identity.

[Andrew] It's kind of what the river always does for me.

It's like it's something I can have in the back of my mind that I know is always going to be there, that is always flowing and always has no objective of its own and no good or bad motives or anything.

(muffled flowing water) [Dietrich] The scariest moment, I don't think it's happened yet.

I think the scariest moment is when we finally step foot back on solid ground and this trip is over.

[Dietrich] If I could say something to someone who hasn't done anything like this, just go do it.

What's the worst that could happen?

[Justin] How are you guys doing after that?

[Dietrich] A little wetter than I was before.

[Stephen] A little banged up.

All right.

[Dietrich] Better men for it.

[Justin] That was wild.

My man.

(grunts) Are you all ready to finish this trip?

[Dietrich] Yeah, its the pipeline now.

[Will] It's such an amazing river.

It's beautiful.

The whole stretch, the upper, the middle, it's so green.

It feels so Virginia to me.

And the river has come a long way uh, from being in a bad place, environmentally and all that, but um, it still has a long way to go.

So come out here and enjoy it, but bring a good attitude and take a couple extra pieces of trash with you on the way out.

[Justin] The James River is a really special river.

It's a really special place, but it goes through a lot of places, and I just hope that we can take care of it in a way that it can last for the future and that it can continue to be a great river.

Felt great.

I went in the big pink boat with Ryan through Pipeline.

We carried the other boats through because it's just too big and we already had a rough time today.

So we're going to paddle out the last mile into the tidewater, get the van, and then we'll be finished with this epic journey down the James River.

[Stephen] I will always remember, and that will always be in my mind.

This trip will always be in my mind when I look out and look upstream and think about all the experiences we had.

(talking in the background) [Group] We made it!

Aww!

Get in here!

Yeah!

(laughing) Aw this is great.

[Will] Our trip ended with summer around the bend, COVID declining and things looking up.

Sadly, it was a different story for the James.

In July, a sewer line in Goochland County failed, releasing 300,000 gallons of raw sewage into the James and closing the river for a week.

But a larger problem is Richmond's outdated sewer system, which dumps untreated sewage into the river from 25 locations during significant rainfall.

A wet year sees Richmond sewers release more than 3 billion gallons into the James.

In late July, a CSX train derailed for the third time in six weeks.

This time, overturning thirteen coal cars onto the banks below Hollywood Cemetery.

CSX claimed no coal entered the river, but local news obtained clear footage of coal spilling into both the canal and the James.

On the very same day, another sewer line ruptured in downtown Richmond, and the balance of the James never felt more precarious, and its fragility so apparent.

[Will] No film or music can replicate the river's magic or bestow its gifts.

Walk by the river, take a dip, maybe even step into a canoe.

Because no matter what we say or how we say it, the river says it best.

As for us, technically, we still hadn't risked our lives on the highlight rapids in Richmond.

So when the rains came, we met back up with the best guide in town to finish the job.

And that feeling we had on the headwaters returned that despite or because of what the river has endured, there's something special about a couple of old friends having a little fun on the James River.

[Ryan Crenshaw] Yeah!

All right.

Paddles up!

[Group] Yeah.

Whoo!

[Dietrich] Hell yeah.