The Daily Sun-Up Author Eugene Buchanan on his ode to a river titled "Yampa Yearnings"
Feb 13, 2026
Eugene Buchanan, author and lifelong paddler who has lived along the Yampa River for decades, shares why he wrote Yampa Yearnings. He recounts a childhood river trip that shaped his life. He contrasts global river adventures with the Yampa and explores its unique free-flowing nature, ecology, and the research behind water rights, access, and stewardship.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Choosing A River Town
- Eugene Buchanan describes moving to Steamboat in 1992 to be near the Yampa River and raise his family.
- He ran Paddler magazine and blended a career of writing with paddling, which anchored his life along the river.
A Childhood River Memory
- Buchanan recalls a formative age-10 Yampa trip where he kissed Tiger Wall and picked Indian paintbrush flowers for his mother.
- That trip left a lasting impression and helped launch his lifelong career tied to rivers and writing.
Rivers Around The World
- Buchanan describes global river expeditions from the Zambezi to Siberia's Boschkows and Peru's Kolka Canyon.
- He turned those trips into magazine stories and books like Brothers on the Boschkows and Comrades on the Kolka.
