The rapid above the put-in had about three slots you could use to get down, I chose the center right run and we had no problem getting through. When we arrived at Pine Bar the group had not gotten there so Linda went for a run and I read my book. The wind came up and was blowing sand everywhere. Our boat was getting covered with the dust, so after Linda finished running we loaded up and ferried across the river into an eddy that was in the shade where we washed the boat off with our squirt gun. By the time we finished the group had arrived so we crossed back and lent a hand with the set up of boats and the stowing of gear.
The group consisted of the Outdoor Pursuits staff, Paul, Jon and Rachel and employees of NIC. We were working to put together a paddle boat, a gear boat and two boats with gear and passengers. OP put the trip together as a team builder for the staff and everyone who signed up was very excited. The group consisted of Erna Rhinehart and Ron Cole; Tami Haft and Bob Grigg, Rolly and Jeannie Jurgens; Betsy and Todd Conery; Holly and Ryan Edwards; Ernie and Linda Michal-Hawks; Steve and Karen Ruppel; Chris and Carmen Compton. When we ferried across the river everyone had already been assigned duties and the boats and equipment were comming together.
Once everything was stored we had a brief chat about river safety and off we went.
The plan was to float down to some where by Killer Goat Beach and camp. We made the miles in good time but the camps we were thinking of were taken so we pushed on and found a good one on river left at (45 58.301N 116 28.043W). We ate dinner, sat around and talked. Most folks were in bed by 9:30 PM that evening.
The morning brought coffee and breakfast. We didn't hurry to get on the river so we started floating about 11:00 AM. Ahead of us we had most of the bigger rapids. Entering the Green Canyon and Cougar Canyon we would face such rapids as Lorna's Lulu, the two Bunghole Rapids, Harm's Hole Rapid, Bodacious Bounce, Half and Half Rapid and then Snow Hole Rapid. Snow Hole is considered the "big one" on the Lower Salmon and our group scouted it from the left bank. Linda and I went down first and had a good run. The group did excellent and everyone made it through in style. I set up in the eddy located below the tooth rock on the right and took pictures. They are posted on our photo page and available as a dotPhoto slide show.
Lunch, shade, and cool drink followed the run through Snow Hole. Our camp for the night was somewhere down river below China Rapid. We continued down around the oxbow past Maloney Creek, the Northern most point on the Salmon River, and we came to China Rapids, a blind class III s-curve, that managed to part Steve Ruppel from his boat and crew. It was only a short separation, everyone was right there to help gather the floaters and help right the boat. Jon, Paul and Steve flipped it back upright with very little effort. Little gear was lost and nothing was hurt except for a little pride and some confidence. The second night camp was just across from a private cabin that has a landing strip. It was a great beach with lots of camp sites and some shade up in the Locus Trees. There were a few bees and a couple folks got stung but other then that it was a good camp. After dinner people sat around and talked until dark. Some when to bed and everyone listen to Erna as she laughed so hard she fell over in her chair. I was in bed, but the next day everyone was smiling about the noise.
The next morning we loaded and set off traveling through the Cottonwood Creek area. Linda and I were talking about a beach we liked that was located
just at the end of the small rapid leading into the slow water before Wapshilla Rapid and entered the Black Canyon with Frog Beach set as a stopping point.
Some of the group wanted to keep going, but the majority wanted to stay the night and do a day hike to the top of a small peak. Once again dinner was great and we turned in early so we could get on as soon as possible for the push down river to the takeout.
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