Where the Rocks Have Names, Bryce Whitmore and the Birth of Whitewater Rafting
by Ty Childress · July 2026
His first craft was a chunk of ice, his last was a wheelchair. In between, Bryce Whitmore built California’s first river rafting company, invented the self-bailing raft, the fiberglass river kayak, and, at 97 years old, was inducted into the International Hall of Fame.
I spent years as a whitewater guide before I became a teacher. Then I became a writer, and I knew Bryce’s story had to be told. Where the Rocks Have Names is that story. It’s the biography of the man who made it possible for the rest of us to run rivers safely. The first edition won runner-up for biography at the New York Book Festival in 2025. The second edition is even better, with new river stories from Wendell Berry, Brad Dimock, and many others.
If you love rivers, adventure, or simply the story of a life lived on the edge of possibility, this one’s for you.
Friends, the first edition of *Bail! Bail! Bryce Whitmore and the Birth of Whitewater Rafting* details the life of Bryce Whitmore, the first rafting outfitter in California and Oregon and the contains stories of many guides who worked for him. It won runner up for best biography of 2025 at the New York Book Festival. My second edition, *Where the Rocks Have Names, Bryce Whitmore and the Birth of Whitewater Rafting* will be printed by mid-July.
I tell Bryce’s story and relate the adventures of many guides who got their starts rowing for him. These include Martin Litton, Marty McDonnell, Chris Condon, John Vail, Stein Buer, Julie Munger, and many others. The second edition contains many more stories from Brad Dimock, Wendell Berry, Kai Peterson, Roy Tennant, Melinda Wright, Bob Ferguson, and many other river runners.
I was expecting a training trip when I arrived at put in, but my first trip rowing for Bryce on the Stanislaus began when he took me aside at put-in and asked I’d mind taking down six passengers in a basket boat. “Just pretend you’ve done it before,” he whispered in my ear.
If you’d like a copy, message me or send a check for $49.35 ($39.95 + $3.40 (tax) + $6 (shipping) to Ty Childress, P.O. Box 75, Mountain Ranch, CA 95246. A hardbound version will be printing soon. You can reach me at rainbowroadpress@gmail.com. I will have a website as soon as I can figure out how to build it.
— Ty Childress
About Where the Rocks Have Names, Bryce Whitmore and the Birth of Whitewater Rafting
His first craft was a chunk of ice, his last was a wheelchair. In between, Bryce Whitmore built California’s first river rafting company, invented the self-bailing raft, the fiberglass river kayak, and, at 97 years old, was inducted into the International Hall of Fame.
I spent years as a whitewater guide before I became a teacher. Then I became a writer, and I knew Bryce’s story had to be told. Where the Rocks Have Names is that story. It’s the biography of the man who made it possible for the rest of us to run rivers safely. The first edition won runner-up for biography at the New York Book Festival in 2025. The second edition is even better, with new river stories from Wendell Berry, Brad Dimock, and many others.
If you love rivers, adventure, or simply the story of a life lived on the edge of possibility, this one’s for you.
Book Art
Ty Childress
Ty Childress
Ty Childress has worked as a photographer, reporter, river guide and activist, elementary school teacher, and rammed-earth builder. He was drawn to the California foothills after falling in love with the Stanislaus River and working on the campaign to protect her. His long-term interests include whitewater rafting, canoeing, kayaking, photography, gardening, origami, and sourdough bread making. He lives on an unnamed tributary of Jesus Maria Creek in Calaveras County, California.
View profile