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• Don’t dive into a river without first checking for submerged objects.

• Don’t let canoes touch anything but air and water, lest they tear and make it impossible to paddle home.

• Don’t reach into the communal trail mix bag with your hand, lest you spread intestinal disease to the rest of the group.

• Don’t run in camp or on trails, lest you twist an ankle and burden the group with your evacuation.

• Always strap Duluth packs to thwarts to prevent them from sinking in the event of capsizing in deep water.

• Never wash dishes in a lake or stream; soap and food waste are environmentally invasive.

• Make sure camp is set and all chores complete before engaging in nonessential activities.

As a novice I had rebelled against these strictures, which seemed to take all the fun out of canoe trips. But over the years I had come to understand their utility.

The following morning, José stashed the fishing pole a minute before the sheriff arrived in camp on a black S-10. A middle-aged white man in Wranglers and a cowboy hat, he initially didn’t identify himself, choosing instead to poke around our campsite, his six-year-old son in tow, asking about our intentions.