Hell's Canyon - Snake River

Hells Canyon - Snake River

Rio taking in the views on Hell's Canyon

October is a strange month as a whitewater professional.  For most of us it marks the end of a great whitewater season and beginning of a new chapter in our lives.  Some whitewater professionals head to foreign destinations to be able to guide year round, but the majority either head back to school, work at a ski resort, or find some other odd job to keep them occupied during the “off” season.

Group shot!

This October (2014) some of the staff here at Wildwater River Guides, along with some friends, headed to the infamous Hells Canyon of the Snake River.  Designated in 1975 as a Wild and Scenic river, the Hells Canyon stretch of the Snake River splits the border between Oregon and Idaho before it makes its way into Washington.  This stretch of river contains mainly class II and III rapids but does have a few class IV rapids thrown in just to keep things interesting.

Drew scouting class IV Granite rapid while another group enters

Our group (7 people, 1 dog, 3 rafts, 1 SUP & 2 kayaks) decided to all meet at Scotty’s Hells Canyon Outdoor supply in the small town of Pine Creek.  We arranged shuttle with Hell’s Canyon Shuttle Inc., which are the same friendly people that own Scotty’s.  For convenience they offer camping at a small fenced in area behind the shop for groups like ours.  They also sell maps, permits, hunting/fishing licences, snacks, ice, and soon they plan to sell house made burritos as well.  So after we purchased ice, fishing permits, and some fishing lures we headed to the launch site below Hell’s Canyon Dam.

Hell's Canyon Dam launch site

For 5 days we rafted 32 miles from the Dam to Pittsburg Landing, where our trip took out.  We had great weather for most of our trip;  nights were cool but the days were mostly sunny and warm.  Our layover day (a day in which we stay at camp instead of moving downstream) was the worst of our weather.  The winds picked up quite a bit and there was some rain along with it, but nothing that our group couldn’t handle.  

Native American pictographs

Delicious riverside breakfast 

The fishing in Hell’s Canyon lived up to its reputation.  As expected our group caught numerous bass, a rainbow trout, a white fish, and even a king salmon!  There were also several commercial groups out hunting for Chukar.

Lance's first ever salmon!

Another bass caught in Hell's Canyon

All-in-all our group had a great time on Hell’s Canyon and would recommend this trip to others.  It is a great fall trip due to the regulated flows out of the dam providing nearly year round whitewater.  The only downside of Hell’s Canyon is the shuttle length.  The drive from Pittsburg landing back to the dam is about 4 hours.  There are options during certain times of the year to arrange a jetboat shuttle/ride back to the dam.  This wasn’t an option for the time of year our group was out there, and it wouldn’t have made sense for a group of 7 based on the cost.  Another great option would be to float a few more days down to Heller Bar.

Nice sandy beach at this campsite

From late May through mid September each group is required to obtain a permit through the USFS. The permit system is lottery style, so getting specific dates can be difficult at times.  Any trips outside of the lottery permit dates can obtain a FREE self-issued permit at the launch site. For more information on permits visit click here. 

McGaffee Cabin

FREQUENT PADDLER PROGRAM

What could be better than getting out on the river multiple times in a season? Getting out on the river multiple times in the season and being eligible for our Frequent Paddler Program, that's what!

All guests of Wildwater have the chance of receiving free apparel and discounted trips if you join us for a few trips in the season.

The rafting season starts in April and goes until the end of September. Which means you have plenty of time throughout the year to become eligible for the different incentives that we offer through our Frequent Paddler Program.  Not only do we raft for at least 6 months out of the year, but we also offer 8 different rivers to raft in Washington, and offer stand up paddling trips near Leavenworth.  

FREQUENT PADDLER PROGRAM 

- For your 3RD trip with us you will receive a FREE Wildwater River Guides' custom t-shirt.

- For your 4TH trip with us you will receive 50% off the trip price. 

Trips must be within the calendar year to count towards the frequent paddler program. Participants must all have rafted/or Sup'ed the 3 -4 times to be eligible for the program.  

RIVERS OR TRIPS THAT COUNT TOWARDS THE PROGRAM 
Raft the Wenatchee River
Raft the Skykomish River
Raft the White Salmon River
Raft the Methow River
Raft the Green River
Raft the Toutle River
Raft the Skagit River Whitewater
Raft the Skagit River Bald Eagle trip
Stand up paddle on the lower Wenatchee River
Stand up paddle on Icicle Creek 

STAFF HIGHLIGHT: RIO

 NAME: Rio
NICKNAME: Rio dog or Little dog.

I love to smile. 

Here is a photo of me, doing my job and watching the office as the security manager.

GIVE US A LITTLE BACKGROUND INFORMATION ABOUT YOURSELF.

I'm only a year and nine months old but boy, have I done a lot in my life so far. I've hiked mountains, rafted and SUPed rivers, met tons of new dog friends, and played a lot of fetch.. I sure do love fetch.

Some of my favorite things to do other then playing fetch is to go hiking, chew on my dog toys, roll in dead things, playing with my Cat sister Kyra, and give lots of kisses.

I love people, and other animals and get really excited when ever I get the chance to make new friends. My parents tend to scold me when I jump up on people, but all I'm trying to do is give them kisses on their face. I've heard that's what you do to people you care about, and I haven't met anyone that I don't care for.

This is a photo of me at my favorite beach along Tumwater, just outside of Leavenworth. That is my favorite Frisbee (Zisc) made by West Paw Design. 

I love every season.. here is a photo of me making turns down the hill this past winter.

When I was 5 months old I got to visit the Columbia River Gorge for the first time, and now we go back every August for our White Salmon rafting season. I especially like picking up poison oak while hiking and giving it to all my co-workers that pet me.

I love to play with my sister Kyra, but I also like to snuggle with her.. and I know she appreciates the mellow time with me.

This is my new neighbor friend Turbo, he comes over for play dates and we wrestle and chase each other all over the property. I love making new friends.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE RIVER THAT WILDWATER OFFERS?

I would have to say that my favorite river that Wildwater rafts would be the Wenatchee. It is my home river, and the first experience I had with whitewater. I love the main section for rafting and the lower section for stand up paddling.

This photo was taken on Icicle Creek during a girls play run that my Mom invited me on.. I sure love SUPing with my Mom. 

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE RIVER OR MULTI-DAY TRIP?

My favorite multi -day river trip is the Rogue River in Southern Oregon. I joined my parents and some friends on the Rogue river last October to celebrate my Dad's 30th birthday. Boy did we have fun! 5 days spent rafting, hiking, and running around on the beaches and banks of the beautiful Rogue river was a blast. I even SUPed with my Mom and swam through a rapid. I can't wait to get back out on the Rogue River, maybe we will get to go back this Fall.

My very first multi-day river trip on the Rogue River. I'm thankful to have my NRS - CFD to keep me safe while on the river. 

A family photo from our Rogue River trip.  Fall on the Rogue River is beautiful and so much fun!

WHAT GOT YOU INTO WHITEWATER?

I was first introduced to whitewater last year on the Wenatchee River when I joined Justine and fellow co-worker and river guide Julianna for a R-2 play trip in my Uncle Neils' mini me. I had such a great time rafting that I soon begged my parents to take me out on a stand up paddle board.

I may have been hesitant at first, but my Mom was patient with me my first time rafting on the Wenatchee River. 

My Dad took me for my first time on a stand up paddle board. I like that I match my Dad on the river, and everyone thinks it's cool that I can SUP. 

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE QUOTE?


"It's not the size of the dog in the fight, it's the size of the fight in the dog." - Mark Twain

WHAT IS YOUR SPIRIT ANIMAL AND WHY?

My spirit animal is a Honey Badger because most of the time I don't really care what happens as long as I have a toy to play with.

My first day on the job when I was hired to be the security manager at Wildwater. I've learned a lot since the first day. 

Written by: Rio dog 

WILDWATER APPAREL

TANK TOPS
Description: Bella racerback flowy ladies tank top.
Colors available: Dark heather grey and black with cool grey logo, and WILDWATER in red on the back between the shoulder blades.
Sizes available: XS - XL ( Women's only!)

Tank tops are $20.00 when added on to a rafting trip, stand up paddling trip, or kayak instruction course. We will bring your apparel to the river. This price includes tax. 

Apparel must be purchased before the river trip so we can bring the items to you, for you to receive the discounted price.

$25 when you want us to mail the tank top to you. This price includes tax + shipping. 


HOODED SWEATSHIRTS
Description: Bella & Canvas, poly - cotton blend hoody, REALLY SOFT!
Colors available: Dark heather grey & black.
Sizes available : XS-2XL (uni-sex)

Hooded sweatshirts are $35.00 when added on to a rafting trip, stand up paddling trip, or kayak instruction course. We will bring your apparel to the river. This price includes tax. 

Apparel must be purchased before the river trip so we can bring the items to you, for you to receive the discounted price. 

$40 when you want us to mail the sweatshirt to you. This price includes tax + shipping.

TRUCKER HATS
Description: Trucker hat with mesh back and semi - structure front.
Colors available: Grey, with white (as seen in photo).
Size: One size fits all.

Trucker hats are $15.00 when added on to a rafting trip, stand up paddling trip, or kayak instruction course. We will bring your hat to the river. This price includes tax. 

Hat must be purchased before the river trip so we can bring the items to you, for you to receive the discounted price.

$20 when you want us to mail the hat to you. This price includes tax + shipping. 

CUSTOM T-SHIRTS 
Description: Gildan - Short sleeve - Ultra Cotton
Colors available: Red & Black
Sizes available: Women's XS-XL Men's S-2XL

T-shirts are $15.00 when added on to a rafting trip, stand up paddling trip, or kayak instruction course. We will bring your item to the river. This price includes tax. 

Apparel must be purchased before the river trip so we can bring the items to you, for you to receive the discount.

$20 when you want us to mail the t-shirt to you. This price includes tax + shipping. 

Give us a call in the office if you are interested! 1-800-522-WILD (9453). 

LOW WATER - WENATCHEE RIVER UPDATE

From late July and into August, Wildwater River Guides shifts our main operation from the Wenatchee River to the White Salmon, which is several hours south of our main base in Peshastin. Although weekend bookings are closed on the Wenatchee from this point on, we do continue to run weekday trips on our home stretch. At this point in the season most of the snow that feeds the Wenatchee has already melted and floated our boats downstream, only to return again as winter precipitation. But the riverbed is not dry. The late-summer water, low as it may be, will still float a raft full of people down to Cashmere. The nature of these trips is different than those we run in May and June, but they do have a unique appeal that simply cannot be compared with early season high water.

The Wenatchee River is at the perfect level for family friendly trips.

The White Salmon River holds the BEST whitewater in the State for the month of August.

First and foremost, the air and the water are actually warm. No more wetsuits and blasts of cold water to the face– come late July it’s “sun’s out guns out” and there is no better time than to show off those biceps or work on your PFD tan than on a casual Wenatchee float.

In the spring season large waves can easily flip a boat or knock you out, but as the water comes down throughout the Summer, swimming becomes more a matter of your own volition than that of the river. In the slower, deeper stretches of the river you can jump into the water and cool off, and just about anywhere save the rapids you can incite playful (or competitive) splash wars between boats. As a guide, I like to take the opportunity to practice flip drills in the late summer. If my guests want to get wet I’ll have everybody get to one side of the raft to help me flip it upside down, then hoist myself and whoever else back onto it in order to flip it back over, and finally pull everybody/everything back into the boat before continuing downstream.

BIG hits in the Spring and early Summer on the Wenatchee River.

Say "good-bye" to the wetsuits until next season - the weather is HOT here and the water feels great.

Another perk of late-season floats is that there are generally far fewer boats on the water, which creates a more natural, remote-feeling atmosphere for you and your friends or family. Sometimes you’ll see a few fellow rafters or spot some quiet fisherman on the bank, and at other times you may come around a bend to find that you have an entire section of the river to yourself.

Most of the rapids on the Wenatchee mellow out when the water drops, but they don’t disappear completely. Drunkards Drop loses the huge raft-rocking waves that usually characterize it, but you still get to feel the several foot “drop” that creates the rapid in the first place. Snowblind, which is usually a disorienting series of white-capping waves at higher water, becomes a beautiful maze of exposed bedrock. In some sections of the rapid it feels like you gloss right over the top of the riverbed, which is perfectly visible through the shallow water. When the water gets lower yet, you have to carefully maneuver the boat through tiny pathways left between the large protruding rocks, making the rapid feel almost like a puzzle. And Granny’s, the last rapid on the Wenatchee, always remains big and splashy regardless of the river’s level. After a relatively leisurely float, it’s fun to end the trip with a full-on class III wave train that will spark your nerves just before takeout.

You will still experience fun rapids on the river. 

“I would say low water Wenatchee is the best opportunity for families to come out and have fun with their kids on a river, enjoy the sunshine and the heat, the excitement of the waves and the splashes, without parents having to worry so much about risk,” Wildwater guide Jaime Jasinski says.


And if late-season Wenatchee doesn't seem to be your cup of tea you can always try one of our other trips available in August. Test your balance on one of our class-II SUP trips, head up to the scenic Skagit river nestled in the North Cascades, or head on down to the White Salmon and huck yourself over Husum Falls.

Stand up paddleboard on the lower Wenatchee River. 

Enjoy a family friendly scenic trip on the Skagit River in the North Cascades National Park.

Optional Class V Husum Falls on the White Salmon River is a great way to get your adrenaline pumping. 

Written by: Nicholas Farley 

LEARNING TO KAYAK: A worthwhile endeavor for people who like things that are awesome.

I've always been drawn to kayaking. While I rafted down the South Fork of the American River as a first year raft guide I found it hard to take my eyes off of the little vessels. I watched the kayakers in envy as they wove in and out of our long caravans of blue boats, plunged head first into waves that our large rafts blasted over top of, and sped past us with a sly, self-satisfied air of independence. Although I didn’t have a boat, paddle, or car – the bare essentials of a kayak setup – I resolved to pursue the sport regardless, namely by leeching the resources of rafting companies and the curious figures that inhabit them. Fortunately, many of the kayakers I hung out around were eager to share the experience and would let me borrow their boats until I could acquire one of my own.

Nicholas learning to kayak in California on the American River

The initial learning curve was steep. My first few times in a kayak I found myself upside down underwater, unable to breathe, and bound to a hunk of plastic that kept me in this less-than-ideal position. I almost felt like the helpless protagonist of a Hollywood action thriller whose feet are bound to cement blocks as he is thrust into the ocean, indefinitely removed from the life-sustaining nourishment of oxygen. For many beginners kayaking can feel dangerous, counterintuitive, and often quite scary. But with a little bit of guidance and practice the sport is anything but.

Nicholas kayaking in June on the Cooper River in Washington

Being a beginner kayaker isn’t like being a beginner at baseball, poker, or just about anything else – rivers are dynamic environments and unless your are in control of your boat, the river is in control of you (regardless of whether you are upside down, swimming alongside your abandoned vessel, or even right side up). But with even a small degree of control, from the balance on top of the water to the simple ability to roll upright, kayaking begins to feel more like a form of liberation than constraint.

Nicholas and fellow Wildwater guide Neils having fun on the river. 

A qualified kayaker will tell you that learning to re-right your kayak isn’t the most important starting point, and that there are in fact many basic techniques that trump this coveted ability. That said, when I first learned to roll my kayak upright I felt as if I had uncovered some sort of superhuman nautical power. The more comfortable I became upside down, confident that the surface air was always going to be there for me, the more in-synch I became with the river environment. With 360 degrees of motion around the fulcrum of the water’s surface, I felt as if I had breached river’s third dimension of vertical, horizontal and vertical space – no longer simply on the water but in it.

Wildwater guide and kayak instructor Lance playboating on the White Salmon River

It’s striking to watch trains of fuzzy little ducklings scamper around the peripheries of powerful rapids, coolly navigating the narrow channels of green water as if oblivious to the ferocity of the hydraulics that surround them. They meander through the rivers with an instinctive confidence and finesse, hardwired with the wisdom to revere the river’s power without challenging it. By using carefully calculated strokes and remaining acutely aware of their surroundings, ducklings seem to dance about the tumultuous river environment without ever putting themselves in direct danger.

Wildwater guide Jamie kayaking a few years back

As primarily ground-dwelling creatures, we humans are not endowed with the same physiological capabilities that allow ducks to inhabit and play about the river environment – our bodies are simply not designed for it. But kayaking somehow opens these doors. As I gradually grew into my kayak it came to feel like more of a bodily extension than an accessory. Like some sort of aquatic centaur, my body became all boat from the torso down. It was as if I had been granted the awesome privilege to experience rivers in such a way that my physiology alone would never have allowed - to actually feel the wrath of the currents firsthand, in their sublime beauty as much as their humbling ferocity. I suppose that the magic of kayaking, for me, lies in this special capacity to help us transcend the very basic limitations that would otherwise keep us far removed from the majesty of whitewater.

Neils kayaking through the first rapid on the Cooper River

Blog post written by: Nicholas Farley