119 Degrees and Cashews

Some times modern technology makes life very good. In the case of this trip down to the Hammer Creek boat launch, the development of air conditioning was key. We left NIC at about 6:30 am and had no problems on the way down through Moscow and Lewiston, it was hot out but the ride was very comfortable due to conditioned air in both vehicles. We arrived at Hammer Creek and rigged the boats. There was a private group setting up, and one commercial group pulling out as we hit the ramp to unload. Things went remarkably smooth and our launch put us on the river at about 1:00 pm. The plan was to float down past Pine Bar and pick up a beach some where between that launch and American Bar. The river was running well so we moved along pretty fast. The Hammer to Pine Bar float took about ? and we were close to American Bar by ???. All the good beaches already had parties on them through this section and even American Bar was taken when we got there.

So we pushed on down to the area around Packer Creek. There are four beaches in that area so we hoped one would be open. We came to the first beach on river right and it looked good. Big enough for our group but not so huge that other parties would look at us with daggers in their eyes. The paddle boat hit the beach and so did Linda and I. We checked it out and gave each other the thumbs up so we started unpacking. I guess Paul C. didn’t like something about the beach because he didn’t have Ryan pull in! The went down river a bit and pulled in to shore. Then they started pulling the boat up river! Wow, this was different, guess they needed exercise or something. We were just about to go help them pull when Paul jumped behind the oars and pealed on down the river. Man he must have seen something about this place that he didn’t like. So the group headed down river to a beach on river left just above Killer Goat Beach. It was a good beach and had some real nice spots to set up on so that's what we did.

Dinner was served within the next hour, steaks off the bar-be, salad and cookies, a meat lovers dream. Cashews were brought out while the meat cooked and everyone joked of flying cashews. Linda and I didn’t get the joke but that’s ok, we ate the nuts without comment. It was dark by the end of dinner and most folks headed off to bed within the next hour or so.

Morning brought coffee and a breakfast of Egg-McChivvis’s. Man, were they good and there was plenty of food, oh boy! We packed the boats and were on the river by 11:00 am. We hit the big rapids today so everyone was excited. Ryan was in the IK, followed by the paddle boat containing Tami, Bob, Betsy, Todd, Erna, and Jon. Paul and Ron manned the gear boat, Linda and I followed. From what I heard Tami was the only victim of the river when she bounced out. She didn’t stay in long because they immediately brought here back onto the boat, almost faster then when she left. Ryan, soon to be known as FLASH, had a couple of swims during the canyon section. He flipped on the tail out section of Lorna’s LuLu and then bounced out of the lower half of Half and Half. Both times we were there with our cat to pick him up and get him back into the IK.

Everyone cruised through Snow Hole and China with no problems. We took the second beach on the left after China, a huge beach with massive flat sand. It had shade up in the Locust trees so we set up the kitchen there. Hors d’oeuvres were served via a floating snack table while everyone sat in the river trying to keep out of the heat. Jon told the story of the cashews, so now Linda and I were “in”. After a while Jon announced that it was time for the telling of the Flaming Banana story. I guess we had consumed enough beverages by then and we were comfortable enough to understand the sheer magnitude of the event he was about to recount. Jon is a story teller and by the end of his recounting we could almost see the flames, smell the burning rubber and personally know each character involved. If you ever get a chance to hear his recollections of this historic event, buy him several beers and sit back for some great laughs, but be sure you go to the bathroom first.

Dinner was Chicken with noodles and salad. We woofed it all down and sat up by the kitchen with the ladies challenging the men to “toss” the cashew. Some cribbage was played and the kitchen was cleaned up. Just another day on the Lower Salmon!

Packing was becoming faster, but we still were getting off the beach by about 11:00 each day. Our boating goal was to get into the Blue Canyon and hopefully find a camp some where around, Toad Beach or Sin City. This would get us off the river in time for a rousing horseshoe tournament. We floated along and the sun warmed up the canyon to a condition that many would call infernal-istic. I know that is not a real word, but there is really no word that describes how hot it was as we floated. A beach with a shade tree became our lunch hideout. I brought out my GPS to see if I could get a temperature reading that was somewhat accurate. I placed the GPS on the boat seat, in the shade, on the water, on a pad that would not have collected heat from the sun. We ate lunch. When I returned to my seat and looked at the thermometer reading. It read 119 degrees, on the boat seat, in the shade, on the water, on a pad that would not have collected heat from the sun. Ouch! I then placed the GPS out in the sun and in a few minutes it was reading 130 degrees and climbing! I shut it off. We didn’t need to know how hot it was in the sun. So we pushed off and continued into the Black Canyon.

During the day you try to keep in contact with the boats that pass you to find out where they are thinking about staying. We were able to do this a couple times, but we could only really be sure that the beach at Checkerboard Rapid was taken for sure. We had had several groups pass us and that wasn’t good. The straw that could be the camel breaker came when a big group of rafts motored by as we ate lunch. Yes I said motored! In all the years on the river I have never seen anyone raft up and motor through this section of the river. In fact I think this is the most scenic part of the float, with Rattle Snake Ridge to the east, it’s an amazing view. So as the sound of their motor faded down river we counted the beaches possibly available and the number of groups that have passed and it looked like it will be close!

We entered the canyon and to our left Frog Beach was taken. Yep, the motor heads got it. To our right the beach we though would be there was very steep, it might have been ok, but we moved on. Sin City was taken by a group and Checkerboard was captured by an outfitter. We moved on through Eye of the Needle and looked down river to see that the Pullman Mine Beach was taken also. So Linda and I pulled into the beach at Eye of the Needle to see what everyone else wanted to do. Eye of the Needle Beach is a smaller beach that fits two or three boats, may be six people very nicely. Eleven boaters was a little close, but everyone liked it so that where we stayed.

First item set up was the horseshoe challenge pit. Four the next three hours the sound of horseshoes clanging and people grunting filled the air. Pit etiquette required that no one crossed the tossing area during team turns. This rule was established early for safety sake and everyone was very good to abide by the sanction even though it meant no cooling off during the tossing of the shoe. Jon T set the rule based upon an unfortunate event involving Paul Cs’ wife and one of his better tosses.

As the teams competed FLASH did the prep work for dinner and when this was complete Paul joined in to create a fajita dinner with taco salad complete with all the trimmings. After dinner it was time for the days big surprise. Lindas’ birthday was July 24th and we had managed to purchase and pack a cake to commemorate the event. Now cakes are sort of fragile items, and rivers are filled with raging whitewater. Add the mix of beverages and the final product is a soggy cake, missing candles, and a squish mark where a can of Blue Ribbon kinda landed. So we served the mint frosted chocolate chip cake up with the best birthday decoration we could find, a cold sausage from the morning’s breakfast. Linda loved it, everyone had a good laugh, asses were exposed and the cake remained semi uneaten.

The tournament raged on and everyone enjoyed the evening, turning in early. Paul had gathered us together and requested that we break camp and leave as early as possible in the morning. So everyone scampered off to bed to toss and turn in the sweltering heat.

The next morning brought a quick cold breakfast, speedy load up and a relatively quick down river float. When we weren’t rafted up with the motor the current moved us quickly along and when we had the motor going it was very relaxing. Once the boats were connected and the motor started we kept the boat together through all the rapids on the Snake River. Deer Head and Wild Goose Rapids went by with no problems and before we knew it we could see the last corner, Oregon and the Grand Ronde River.

As we approached the confluence of the Grand Ronde and the Snake we could see the launch and the mass of boaters, both raft and Jet, jockeying for position. Looking up the Grand, a boat came cruising out on to the Snake that looked very familiar. It was Mike Washmuth, Tom and Sarah Husby, who had put on the GR at Bogans and floated down on an over nighter. Man what small world!

Take out was a cinch and we were on the road with no problems. Did I mention that it was hot? We all drove to Asotin and ate the place out of ice cream and jo jo’s. Linda and I lead the way and we were off through Lewiston up to Moscow and to the rest area north of town. I needed to use the rest room and we were a bit ahead of the others, so the stop was appreciated. Once the van stopped I knew immediately that something was not kosher. Everyone piled out and fell on the ground in a pile. Remember the technology we appreciated so much on the way down? We it had give out in the van and they had to ride all the way up to this point with only windows open. It was only about 105 degrees out there, my god, what do they want! So we rearranged our truck, held a cage fight and the three winners got to ride in air conditioning back to Coeur d’Alene. Erna, Betsy and Tami were great company on the return trip. Did you know Erna sucked up their canary with the vacuum cleaner? That is one story you will have to ask her to tell.