Seven days of bliss floating the Main Salmon - River of No Return in Central Idaho

Shane Preston rows down the Salmon River as the morning sun rises over the mile-deep canyon.

Hi all, 

Last week, it was a real treat to float the Main Salmon - River of No Return as it cuts across the mid-section of Idaho in the vast 2.3-million-acre Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness. 

As a private boater, I used to float "The Main" every year, but permits are getting harder to obtain! My last trip was in 2015, and that gave me enough time away from the canyon to truly appreciate its virtues. I've actually spent more time on the Middle Fork and Lower Salmon than the Main in recent years. 

Barth Hot Springs 

One of the primary virtues of The Main Salmon, in my opinion, are those deep river channels between the rapids. I love to dig my oars deep into the water, and slowly push through those long, deep-water pools, following the thread of current exhibited by a bubble line on the river's surface. Looking down at the water on sunny day, you see thousands of diamonds dancing on the water. Definitely a "wow" moment.  

Often times, just by the luck of having gorgeous weather last week, we had almost no wind. Some mornings we had this super-cool waft of downriver breeze that pushed us downriver in those deep-water channels, and I barely had to dip an oar into the river to make progress. I could just kick back and enjoy the mile-high timbered slopes on both sides of the canyon, look for elk and wild sheep, and check out the scenery. 

New Sapp Creek Rapids. We all ran down the far left-hand side and did fine. 
Right side was full of big lateral folding flipper waves.   

During our 7-day trip, we also experienced the new Sapp Creek Rapids below Allison Ranch - definitely a Class 4 rapids worth scouting - and witnessed the fire scars from this year's Elkhorn Wildfire. The fire scars extended from Magpie campsite down to Elkhorn Rapids ... a distance of more than 20 miles. The fire zone got hit with some heavy rain to form the new rapids at Sapp Creek, and also at Alder Creek, about 7.5 miles downriver from the Corn Creek boat launch. 

We had a great group of 9 people, four from Portland, including our friends Anne Daly and Keith Jensen, who snagged the permit, and the rest from Boise. We took turns cooking every night, and that made things seem really easy and relaxed. 

Keith Jensen is loving the retired life these days. He and his wife Anne are heading
for the Middle Fork in mid-September.  

With 80 miles to travel in 7 days, we only needed to cover about 12 miles a day, and that makes for a leisurely morning, and early arrival in camp, where you can swim and bake in the sun, read a book in a hammock in the shade, or just hang out in lawn chairs and marvel at the scenery. 

Keep in mind that you can draw a cancelation on the Main, post-control season, on Rec.gov, if you want to think about that this year or next. 

The bronze of Polly Bemis by her cabin was completed in 2021. 

Overall, the Main is a real treasure. We loved seeing the new bronze of Polly Bemis at the Bemis Ranch, where you can see her historic cabin, next to the time-share condo buildings. We also stopped in at Buckskin Bills for ice, beer and ice cream! 

-SS   

Amazing to think we've been doing the Middle Fork and Main for almost 40 years now! 
Started doing it in our 20s (before kids) and now we're in our 60s. 

Magpie used to be one of our favorite camps. Wonder how this will look next year? 

Just in time for the July heat! 5th edition of "Paddling the Payette" is hot off the press!

New cover for 5th edition 

Hi all, 

Here in Idaho, we are blessed with many outstanding river systems, and the Payette River is one of our true and trusty gems, just 30-45 minutes from Boise.

I've been paddling the Payette River personally since the mid-1980s. I started with whitewater rafting, kayaking and canoeing, and then things have evolved to Stand Up Paddle Boarding (SUP) as well. 

My first guidebook on the Payette River was published in 1995. I just reprinted the book in July 2023, creating the 5th edition, now hot off the press! New price is $19.95. Books will be  available at Idaho River Sports, Alpenglow Mountain Sport, Rediscovered Books, Cascade Raft, River Gear at Kelly's Whitewater Park, Amazon, other outdoor retailers and my web site. 

John Poole paddles Swirly Canyon on his SUP

The Payette River system is a special gift because it has such wonderful diversity -- including lakes, Class 2 streams, and full-on, world-class whitewater. The Payette is extremely accessible. Many roads and highways lead to your favorite paddling adventure, and no permits are required. All you need to do is gather up your boating gear and go, or call an outfitter and go. 

My book provides details on 23 day trips in the Payette River system - something for all abilities - rafting, kayaking, sit-on-top kayaks, SUPs and canoes.  

More than 20 of the day trips on the Payette River are suitable for SUPs - from tranquil easy-going floats on lakes to Class 3 whitewater.  

The South Fork "Canyon" run has non-stop action. This is Lone Pine Rapids. 
(Courtesy Cascade Raft)

Two large reservoirs, Lake Cascade and Deadwood Reservoir, provide season-long flows on the Payette River. The dams store irrigation water for farmers downstream. River flows are slowly released throughout the summer to water crops. This flow regime benefits boaters of all kinds throughout the summer. When other streams in the West dry up or are too low to float in August, the Payette is still running strong. 

Steve guiding a paddle raft through "Howard's Plunge" at the end 
of the Cabarton section, North Fork Payette River in Smith's Ferry.  

Overall, the Payette River promises to deliver lots of fun, as long as you are well-prepared for the journey. I don’t know how many times I’ve gotten up on a beautiful summer morning – no clouds in the sky – packed up the boating gear and whispered to myself, it’s going to be an all-Idaho day on the Payette – guaranteed fun. You feel the excitement on the way to the put-in, and you know it’s going to be an awesome day. 

Two women SUP on a large pond near McCall. (photo by Steve Jones) 

Enjoy!

- SS 

Beat the Heat! Five alternative, off-the-beaten path destinations for SUP'ing and kayaking in SW Idaho

Low-key SUP adventure at Discovery State Park 

Hi all,

The weather is heating up, and we'll be hitting 100 degrees in Boise several days in a row next week! 

Time to cool off in the river! Where to go? 

Everyone will be flocking to Barber Park to float the Boise River or to Quinn's Pond to go Stand Up Paddle Boarding (SUP), hanging out on the beach or kayaking. 

Quinn's Pond has been the go-to destination for SUPs in Boise, and often times, it's challenging to even find a place to park at Esther Simplot Park to get easy access to Quinn's Pond. However, the old Bob Rice Ford parking lot is a great alternative, with plenty of space and a new and improved boat launch from that side of the pond. 

To find a little more elbow room, here are some suggested alternative destinations to go SUP'ing, canoeing or kayaking.

You also can inquire with the experts Idaho River Sports and Alpenglow Mountainsport (both of whom have tons of SUP and kayak rentals available) for ideas, or consult my guidebook, Paddling the Payette, which has more than 15 fantastic flat-water and moderate, swift-water destinations for SUPs and kayaks. 

Be sure to wear life jackets, helmets and safety gear on rocky moving water like the Boise River and Payette River. Stay away from the river banks when possible as well to avoid getting caught in debris, downed trees, etc. 

1. Discovery State Park - Located at the foot of Lucky Peak Dam, Discovery Park is a great place to paddle in the Boise River below the dam. The shady park is a great place to hang out, so bring a picnic, and there is a great spot for off-leash dogs to run around. You can paddle towards Diversion Dam, or just paddle around next to the park. 

Paddling SUPs at Discovery Park. 

Arrowrock Reservoir near full pool. 

2. Arrowrock Reservoir - Quiet and uncrowded. Lots of places to launch by campgrounds or other dispersed sites along the west side of the reservoir by the Middle Fork Road. Could be windy in the afternoon, so be aware of that. 

3. Mores Creek arm of Lucky Peak Reservoir. Put in at Robie Creek Park. Quiet and relatively uncrowded.


Video courtesy Idaho Caller 

4. Payette River - Montour reach near Sweet. Moving water but no rapids. Multiple sand bars as the river level drops. Put-in at the Montour IDFG Wildlife Managemennt Area by the river bridge. Easy bike shuttle possible by planting a bike at the beginning of Black Canyon Reservoir. 3.5 miles. 

5. Centennial Park to Shoshone Falls in Twin Falls. World-class paddling experience in the giant Snake River Canyon. See post in Southern Idaho Tourism for details and directions! Fabulous trip!(Video courtesy Southern Idaho Tourism)

Have fun and stay cool close to the water! 

- SS 

North Fork Championships this weekend; plus Brundage, Tamarack and Bogus Basin open for summer season!

A kayaker paddles through a giant frothing hole/wave on the North Fork Payette River.
Photo by SS 

Hi all, 

I stopped by the North Fork of the Payette River today on my way down to Boise from McCall, and I had a chance to watch a number of kayakers participating in the North Fork Championships practice the slalom course in Jacob's Ladder Rapids, the largest and steepest Class 5 drop on the North Fork. 

It's just amazing to stand by the North Fork and feel its thundering power - especially at the top of Jake's! It scares me just to stand there and watch boaters go through the expert-only super-challenging rapids! 

The first slalom gate comes immediately following the first steep drop into the rapids. Competitors have to fly into an eddy on river left as they make the drop, do a quick 180-degree turn, paddle upstream, go around the slalom gate, and then dig in the paddle and carve into a ferocious eddy turn into the center of the raging river, where the kayakers can get churned up in the major turbulence or best case, make a clean entry and zip to the next slalom gate. 

These are some of the nation's best Class 5 kayakers, and they're here kayaking on the North Fork of the Payette River for the North Fork Championships. The event started on Thursday, June 16, and continues through Saturday, June 18, for the North Fork slalom event. I think it's well-worth watching! 

Hang on to that brace buddy! Photo by SS

On Thursday, there was an expert downriver race in S-turn Rapids, just above Big Eddy Campground, on the North Fork. Friday, there's a downriver Boater X race, also in S-turn Rapids, starting at 12:30 p.m. 

The main event, the elite North Fork slalom race in Jacob's Ladder, starts at 1 p.m. Saturday. The kayaker with the fastest time and clean slalom runs wins the race (best of two runs). There are men's and women's elite divisions; a total of 150 kayakers will be participating. 

If you can get up there early and stake out a spot on the North Fork to watch the races, it will be a spectacular thing to see!   

With the warmer weather this week, it seems like summer is finally kicking in! 

Steve Jones amid the flowers in Ponderosa State Park. 

The snow is finally melted around McCall. Hiking and biking trails in Ponderosa State Park are in great shape. The campers are beginning to filter in! Lots of people are hiking and biking at Jug Mountain Ranch as well as on trails around McCall, like the North Valley Rail-Trail, McCall Greenbelt, and Spring Mountain Ranch bike trails.  

Brundage Mountain Resort opens their mountain bike trails this weekend, plus people are encouraged to ski/ride off the top of the mountain as well. Ha! That's kind of a hoot! The Bluebird Express will be running all day Friday-Sunday, plus food and beverage services at the base area. See their announcement about opening weekend, beginning on Friday, June 17, and about future events. The Brundage concert series starts on July 8, plus there's a 4th of July music fest. 

Plenty of snow still at the Brundage summit.

Tamarack Resort's mountain bike park and Tam Express chairlift begin operating this weekend as well on Friday, June 17, and then Tam will remain open seven days a week through the summer season. Riders can enjoy 1,700 vertical feet of downhill riding on the Tam downhill trails, plus there's xc trails worth exploring at the Tamarack base area. There's also zipline tours, waterfront services with boat rentals, and food and beverage. 

Bogus Basin also will be opening for 7-day-a-week operations on Friday. People can ride the Deer Point or Morning Star chairlifts, ride gravity mountain bike trails, ride the Mountain Coaster, go hiking. or engage in other activities in the base area. Food and Beverage as well.    

There you have it! Have a great weekend! 
- SS 

 

Amazing convergence of perfect weather, water levels makes a guy feel lucky on the Owyhee River

Pruitt's Castle rises from the sagebrush on the Owyhee River. 

Hi all, 

It's a special thing when you can escape to a never-never land like the Wild and Scenic Owyhee River, tune into the nature channel all around you, and enjoy some very special moments that stay with you long after the trip.  

Pulling out of camp, floating on a quiet section of the river, it's mesmerizing to just sit back and listen to the river, the birds, and the bugs, while dipping your oars in and out of the water in a rhythmic motion. 

And then the rapids come up around the corner. You're greeted by a thunderous sound of whitewater in a tight canyon, and it's time to focus on the river!    

Katie Metzger on the sticks in the cataraft; Make and Shane on the SUPs

Over 25+ years of doing spring trips on the Owyhee River, I feel like I've experience such an amazing array of challenging conditions with any combination of stiff headwinds, torrential rain storms, horizontal snow, muddy roads, even medical evacs. 

But in my most recent trip, March 22-25, the stars aligned for the most perfect conditions imaginable - conditions that I'm sure will never happen again! But we had a combination of solid river flows, perfect weather and ... shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh no wind!  

OMG, that never happens on the Owyhee River! 

Bruce and Norm are pumped about the river trip at the put-in ... 

I'd been watching the river gauge daily, and I knew with a flow of 2,000 cfs in mid-March, that flow would not last long with 70 percent snowpack! 

And I'd been watching the weather daily, and the Rome, OR, forecast that week was amazingly nice and sunny with afternoon highs in the 70s. 

So I pulled together a trip in a matter of days. I got commitments from my friends Katie Metzger and Dan Popkey immediately. They both have their own rafts, so that meant we had 3 boats including mine, and our trip was a go! Just had to fill in with passengers. We were really lucky to get a bunch of super fun people together who could take off Tuesday-Friday during the middle of the week. 

Shane and Mark getting into their dry suits at the put-in.

My longtime friend Bruce Reichert, Mr. Outdoor Idaho, jumped at the chance to join us, as did my friend Norm Nelson. Morley Nelson's oldest son, Norm's spirit soars when we see golden eagles, prairie falcons and hawks flying above. Mine does too! We ended up seeing a ton of eagles, falcons and hawks! So special! 

My friend Mark Anderson and fellow SUP expert Shane Preston paddled their SUPs while I carried their gear. And Katie invited her friend Eric, a BSU math professor, to join us and ride in her cataraft. 

Natural hot springs along the way ... 

We had a crew of 8. Everyone took turns cooking. We ate like kings and queens every night. 

The trip: We floated 48 miles from the BLM put-in at Rome to the BLM takeout at the old Birch Creek Ranch. This section is known as the Lower Owyhee. You hire locals to drive your shuttle. It's a pretty gnarly 4WD high-clearance road to go from the Birch Creek takeout back to U.S. Highway 95, so you need a solid vehicle for the river trip. It's all pavement to the put-in. 

Norm does an oil painting of Pruitt's Castle in camp 

Trip map: BLM river guides are available for all of the forks of the Owyhee River and the Jarbidge-Bruneau river.  

I'm just going to share a few photos from our trip. Not much more needs to be said about the Owyhee River canyon's beauty. The pictures do the talking. 

Bruce works on his Chicken piccata dish with plenty of butter, garlic and morels in the Dutch oven.   

Katie is talented with her magical colored balls at night ... check out the video. 

Many local boaters know about the Owyhee River. But if you don't have your own gear, plan a trip with an Idaho outfitter. There are several that do the Owyhee, including ROW Adventures, Far & Away, Barker River Expeditions, and Wilderness River Outfitters. 

- SS

Dan made delicious salmon filets on night 3, combined with mushroom
risotto  and salad. Pineapple upside down cake for dessert in the D.O. 

Another angle on that camp ... pretty much paradise to me!  

New full-color guide to the Boise River provides details on navigating the river from Lucky Peak to Parma

Adam Bass, right, with Chel and the new Boise River guide.

Hi all, 

Just when we're seeing more and more people floating non-traditional sections of the Boise River in rafts, canoes, stand-up paddle boards and inner tubes, the Boise River Enhancement Network (BREN) has produced a new guidebook for the Boise River, providing details on navigating the river from Lucky Peak to Parma. 

Adam Bass is the author of the full-color, waterproof guide. BREN had a little party at Idaho River Sports on Wednesday night to celebrate the launch of the new guide. The spiral-bound guide is available for sale for $35 retail.

Tom "Chel" Chelstrom wrote the first detailed guide to the Boise River in the mid-1990s, and updated it five times over the years.

"My first printing of “Canoeing the Boise river” served to jump start our community’s awareness of the recreation opportunities beyond Barber Park to Ann Morrison," Chel says. "I am delighted that Adam has incorporated some of that early work and made a much more detailed, user-friendly guidebook.

"The book is a great tribute to the efforts of so many people to improve access and information about the river. Shout out to IRU, Boise River 2000, the Boise River Trails Coalition and Boise River Enhancement Network for 25 years of great work!"

Here's Drew on the Boise River with his friend Jenny McIntosh.

Adam Bass said this about the book:

"The Guidebook introduces river users to the beautiful plants and fascinating wildlife of the lower Boise River as well as the natural and human-created hazards. Experienced boaters can use the Guidebook to safely explore our backyard treasure and become ambassadors for a healthy river." 

In the introduction, Bass writes "The Boise River flows nearly 70 miles from Discovery Park, just below Lucky Peak Dam east of Boise, to its confluence with the Snake River west of Parma. The river provides wonderful paddling opportunities and scenic views over its entire length. There are many accesses and most are easily reached on major roads, which make for simple shuttles."

They break the river down into the following sections: 

• Lucky Peak to Barber Park 
• Barber Park to Ann Morrison Park 
• Glenwood to Eagle Road - South Channel 
• Glenwood to Eagle Road - North Channel 
• Eagle Road to Linder - South Channel 
• Eagle Road to Linder - North Channel 
• Star Road to Lansing Lane 
• Middleton Road to Wittenberger Park 
• Wittenberger Park to Notus 
• Notus to Parma 
• Parma to Fort Boise  

Each section has notes on put-ins and takeouts, hazards or points of interest, wildlife you might see along the way, etc.

BE SMART AND SAFE OUT THERE! 

Try to scout unfamiliar sections of the river before you go, or at least hazards that you expect to encounter such as irrigation diversions. The best advice is to "scout" any hazards before floating them. 

The guidebook says, "Paddling on rivers is never completely safe. Develop your skills on lakes, paddle within your ability, and always wear a properly fitted PFD (life jacket). You are responsible for your safety while paddling and only you can judge the suitability of the Boise River for your skill level."

Also ... "Keep other river users in mind," Bass says. "If you plan a trip through town, keep in mind other floaters. If you plan a trip downstream of Eagle Road, keep in mind potential
waterfowl hunters. Always be aware of fishermen."

Truth be told, Chel approached me about printing a guidebook on the Boise River when he was researching all of the different sections of the river shortly after I had published my first edition of "Paddling the Payette," a guide to 24 day trips on all forks of the Payette River. At the time, I didn't think there would be much of a market for a canoeing guide to the Boise River ... because it was a very small small number of people who do that type of thing. 

But now that SUPs and sit-on-top kayaks are commonplace on the Boise River -- and full-sized rafts with anglers on board -- there definitely is a need for a detailed guide about the more unsung sections of the Boise River, in my view. 

KNOW BEFORE YOU GO - Be sure to check water levels on the Boise River before you go ... check the Idaho river flows page to get the latest flows, such as the gauge in Caldwell: https://waterdata.usgs.gov/id/nwis/uv/?site_no=13211205&PARAmeter_cd=00065,00060,00010

Be sure to bring plenty of food and water with you. Wear good river shoes/sandals for navigating around hazardous areas. 

And have fun!

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED FOR IDAHO CITY YURTS! 

Hey folks, Idaho Parks and Recreation is having a hard time recruiting volunteers for stocking up the Idaho City yurts with fresh firewood and other things for the winter season. Contact Steve Schaps, thewildwestguy@gmail.com if you'd like to help out.

August 11-12 - Skyline Yurt organized by Brian McMahan. Meeting at 7:45 am at the Idaho Parks and Rec office on Warm Springs Road.  Carpooling available.

August 17-18 - Hennessey Yurt organized by Leo Hennessey himself. Meeting at the yurt at 9-10 am. 

August 30-31 - Elkhorn Yurt organized by me (Steve Schaps) meeting at the Parks and Rec office on Warm Springs Road at 7:45 am. Carpooling available.

August 31-Sept 1 - Banner Ridge Yurt organized by Julie Rittenberry. 

Please spread the word to your friends. Thanks!
- SS