Check out three unsung, flatwater paddling trips on the N. Fork of the Payette River

North Fork Payette River, south of McCall  

Hi all, 

For this week's outdoor tip, I wanted to highlight three, unsung flatwater sections of the North Fork Payette River that are most suitable for canoes, inflatable kayaks, sit-on-top-kayaks and SUPs. 

All of these trips would be ideal right now as a way to stay cool and see some new scenery. I just reprinted my Paddling the Payette river guide, now 5th edition; all three of these day trips are featured in the guide. 

The trips are as follows: 

• North Fork Payette from Sheep Bridge in McCall to Heinrich Lane or Smylie Lane 
• North Fork arm of Lake Cascade near Donnelly and Tamarack Resort
• Cascade to Cabarton Bridge   

Wendy and her friend Liz paddled the North Fork from Sheep Bridge to Heinrich Lane last Sunday, and had a great time. I've always thought it's a really scenic and fun place to paddle with great opportunities for seeing ospreys flying around and potentially diving for fish. This section is decent for rainbow trout fishing as well. 

The put-in is at Sheep Bridge is by the Smokejumper Base on Mission Street, south of downtown McCall. Leave a shuttle at your takeout spot on Heinrich or Hartsell Bridge, off Smylie Lane. 

Liz Paul taking a break on the North Fork. She paddled with Wendy in our Mad River canoe.  

You might see other wildlife too like great blue herons, kingfishers, bald eagles soaring overhead and many different types of songbirds -- we even found some frogs on shore. You might see white-tailed deer hanging out in the riparian zone along the river, too.

The shorter trip to Heinrich Lane could take you about 3 hours, and the longer trip to Hartsell Bridge and Smylie Lane is a full day, usually about 5.5-6 hours. In the longer trip,  you'll need to portage around some big logs that block the river. It's pretty obvious when you approach that spot. 

Here's a shot from 10 years ago with Ellie in the kayak and Rosie in the canoe. 

Wendy and I have paddled our 16-foot Mad River Explorer canoe on this reach. It's a perfect boat for this river section. At 250 cfs, the river is pretty low and slow, but there should be enough cushion to make it through small riffles. You do have to pay attention to your lines through the riffles to stay in the deepest water (usually part of the tongue).

Check out this unsung section of the North Fork sometime when you have a full day of time and good weather. It's a treat.

This happy family paddles sit-on-top kayaks on Lake Cascade (courtesy Tamarack Resort)

North Fork arm of Lake Cascade - You could start at Tamarack Falls, Poison Creek Campground or or one of the other campgrounds with lake access from Tamarack Falls to Tamarack Resort. If you don't have your own gear, you could rent watercraft from Tamarack Resort for a 2-hour tour. Try to go in the morning or evening when the reservoir is not as choppy from boat traffic. 

In the upper arms of the reservoir, the water channels are more narrow and thus are more enjoyable to paddle in a lake kayak, canoe or Stand Up Paddle Board. The North Fork arm, Lake Fork arm and Gold Fork arm are all worth exploring. 

Trip time and length is up to you. 

Here Wendy is paddling her big whitewater canoe on the Cascade to Cabarton trip.  

Cascade to Cabarton Bridge - This is another one of those unsung, flatwater trips on the Payette River. Trip distance is 9 miles. Travel time is 3-5 hours, depending on flow and wind. 

The North Fork moves faster in the Cascade-to-Cabarton reach because in mid-summer, it is flowing at about 1,800 to 1,900 cubic feet per second, with the flows coming out of Lake Cascade upstream. You put in at the south bridge of Idaho 55 (parking and access are fine in that location) and take out at the Cabarton Bridge boat ramp, where the next Class 3 whitewater river section begins.

For people who would rather avoid whitewater and want a more relaxing paddling trip, this is a great option. Pack a lunch for your journey. The river winds through the valley and gives you broad views of West Mountain and East Mountain and the cattle pastures in between. 

You're likely to see herons, kingfishers, bald eagles, ospreys and other birds of prey.      

Fishing can be decent in this reach with rainbows that have washed out of the reservoir.

There you have it! Have a great weekend! 

- SS   

Fun events! Big Water Blowout River Festival; Sheep, Music and Lamb Feed in the Foothills

Now that's one big river hole! (all photos courtesy of the Big Water Blowout)

Swimmer? 

Music this year is by the "Wasteland Kings"

Hi all,

The weekend forecast looks quite dandy with temps in the high 70s in Riggins, the self-avowed whitewater capital of Idaho, and home to a super-fun annual event aptly called the "Big Water Blowout River Festival."

It's all happening on Saturday, beginning at 9 a.m. in Riggins. Meet at Riggins City Park (on the right, on the north end of town, as you're traveling north). Check out the vid.

A big bonus associated with the Big Water Blowout event is that guided river trips are available for only $30, which is less than half the price of a typical guided half-day float trip. So for those folks who don't have their own river gear, it's a great opportunity to go rafting through some fun rapids with the pros, and then have a blast in the whole party scene that follows the river trip, including live music and a Dutch oven cookoff.

If you're a river nut, you've got to go. If you've always wanted to try whitewater rafting, you've got to go. If you think you're a river god or goddess, show up and see how the river trip and the D.O. cook-off shakes out. Dress up! Get the river attitude cranked up!

Here's how the event is described by the hosts in Riggins:

This is an action packed, family fun event with experienced Outfitters and Guides offering discounted raft trips all day. Come paddle HUGE Rapids, and enjoy the magnificent scenery and wildlife in the second deepest gorge in North America. Get your thrill seeking in, and see all the rafts, catarafts, kayaks, and dories go BIG and ride boat munching waves with names like The Pencil Sharpener, The Pancake Wave, The Big Easy and The Haystack.

The Salmon River is running 25,000 cubic feet per second at Whitebird, so it's up, but not at a death-defying  level (could be 75,000+ in a bigger snowpack year). The Salmon probably has peaked, according to the snowpack/river flow experts, so if you're into running big water, seize the day NOW.
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Sheep move into the Boise Foothills near the Corrals Trail in April. 

Closer to home, there's a cool event going on Saturday at the Foothills Learning Center. It's called "Sheep in the Foothills." It's a family friendly event, great for kids, to learn about the domestic sheep that graze through the Boise Foothills in the spring as they make their way into the high country in the Boise National Forest.

The event runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. There will be herding-dog demonstrations, sheep, sheep camps, sheep-shearing, music by Gary and Cindy Braun, a lamb feast for lunch (my favorite!), wool crafts and more.

Because of limited parking at the Foothills Center, transportation is being provided to the event at no charge. Park at Fort Boise Community Center near St. Luke's. Shuttles begin at 10 a.m. and continue every 30 minutes through 1 p.m.

The event is co-sponsored by Idaho Rangeland Resource Commission, Idaho Wool Growers Association, and Boise Parks & Recreation.
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Juicer at 5,000 cfs 

The North Fork Championships are happening again next week, June 6-8, on the world-renowned North Fork of the Payette River, near Banks, Idaho, with an expanded menu of events. Besides the qualifier race on the lower three miles of the North Fork at 11 a.m. Thursday, June 6, and the Elite Race at noon Saturday, June 8th in Jacob's Ladder Rapids, the single-steepest and most challenging drop on the North Fork, there will be a "Boatercross/enduro" race at 5 p.m. Friday, June 7th on S-Turn Rapids near milepost 90 on Idaho 55. Read Roger Phillips column in the Statesman for all of the details. That's a must-see event!

Have fun!
- SS