“I can’t imagine not having that [the river] in my life, ever. It has formed my life.” – Patricia Patso Stow In 1979, Patrica “Patso” Stow joined the (mostly-male) crew of guides on California’s Stanislaus River. Her life—and the northern California boating community—would never be the same. From guiding on the Tuolumne to meeting her husband Tim, learning to kayak alongside her teenaged sons at age 58 to tackling the SF American with her “posse”, Patso is a force of nature as fierce and nurturing as the rivers that continue to shape her life. “My name is Patso Stow, I’m mommy, river mommy, wife, play companion, part of a posse, former teacher, Rock of Gibraltar for some….”