Surprise!

The other day the gang at our compound were all settled in at the palapa. They were ready to play cards and I was still napping in the room. All of a sudden I hear a bunch of noise from above, so I got up and wandered up the metal staircase of death to see what was happening. 

I got to the roof and out of nowhere pops Dan Breeden. I was surprised and still sort of sleepy so I stood there trying to figure out what the heck was happening. Dan had just surprised Linda and the Burches and that was the ruckus that woke me.

We have been inviting Dan to come down and visit us in Mexico for years. Now with the help of Beth, he made the trip, keeping it a complete secret from us.

What a fun surprise!

For the next week we get to spend some time with Dan, show him our little hideaway town, and let him enjoy the warm weather and relaxed lifestyle that is Melaque.

Drinks at the pool bar, Laguna de Tule.

Street tacos on the way.

Bus ride selfie.

On the beach in Barra de Navidad.

Boat ride to Restaurant Mary's.

Catching Up

On September 22nd, Linda and I jumped in the rig and headed to  Ft. Benton to enjoy a visit with Dan Breeden at his casa in Montana.  This started as a group gathering of our Wednesday night group, but as the week got closer, many of our friends had things come up and could not attend. 

When we left we were looking forward to visiting Danbo and some friends from southern Idaho, the Lisks. 

We made our way over the pass into Montana, the sun was out and we had a beautiful drive. After Missoula, we headed north and found a camp spot at Russel Gates Memorial Campground  It was a beautiful little spot next to the Blackfoot River. 

All was well until 3 AM when Linda woke up with back spasms. She had tweaked her back about four days before we left. She lifted her mom's walker into the KIA wrong and felt a bit of a pull, but thought nothing of the injury. 

When the spasms hit she could hardly move without extreme pain. I could only watch as she tried to get into a position that didn't hurt. After about 20 minutes, we agreed that we could not go on because she could not move and we had to see if we could get her into the doctor. I filled up on coffee and Linda filled up on muscle relaxers to try and make the drive home bearable.

At 4 AM we were on the road back to Post Falls.  We contacted Danbo and let him know we were very sorry that we had to back out of the visit. Both Linda and I really wanted to see what he has accomplished on the remodel of his place, but we will have to visit him at a later date.

Back at home, Linda visited the Dr. and he referred her to a PT. After a couple visits, they were sure that the pain was muscular and not from the spinal area. They said it would heal and that she could get back to normal with PT, stretching, and a lot of time. Linda's not known for her patience with this kind of thing, but this scared her.  That prognosis was good news, but it was a bummer nonetheless! 

Linda is on the mend and is taking the exercise program prescribed very seriously.  We need her healthy for the winter travels. 

A lot of fog on the drive home.

Small Towns and Friends

Whenever you travel, if you have been in that area before, you remember the different experiences you have had based on the towns you travel through.  On this foray into Montana, my memory brought forth images of me as a nine or ten-year-old traveling with my uncle Bill as he went from small town to a small town making his service/sales calls. 

Our first campsite at Aspen Grove.

Uncle Bill was a Pfaff sewing machine sales and repair man. He would load me in his van and off we would go to Drummond, Deer Lodge, or Ronan, so he could make repairs or sell machines. I would wait in the van while he worked, but as soon as we finished business we would drive to the nearest river and spend a few hours fishing. My Uncle loved to fish and he always had his gear with him wherever he went. Those were great memories and fun times! I got to see a lot of country and fish some great rivers.  

Traveling with John and Loretta Sutherland to visit our friend, Dan Breeden, took us along the Clark Fork River on I-90, through Missoula to HWY 200 where we then followed the Blackfoot River northeast. We climbed over the Continental Divide and dropped into the Missouri River valley. We stopped for the night at a Forest Service campground called Aspen Grove.  We got out of our rigs and, oh boy, was it cold and windy. Our exploration of this area was short and sweet. That night the temperatures dropped into the mid-thirties and we all scrambled for our winter blankets to keep us warm.

We woke up and got on the road to Great Falls. We did some shopping and used the rest room and then it was back on the road for the final leg. Leaving the big city we followed HWY 87 farther north to the quiet little town of Fort Benton where Danbo has chosen to settle in and establish his home.

As we drove we kept our eyes open for wildlife along the highways on the open grasslands. Just outside of Ft. Benton we pulled over at a scenic viewpoint to take a closer look at the panorama provided by the river valley.  As we took our photos a group of three domestic goats came wandering toward us along the railroad tracks.  Our first big game! To say the least, we were a little disappointed when we saw that they were domesticated goats, but we counted them as big game anyway.

The basis for this adventure developed when Dan bought a parcel of land that included a house, a large outbuilding, and ten city lots for his retirement home. John, Loretta, Dan, Linda, and I had just gotten through with a river trip where we all talked about Dan's new home and we made plans to drive over and explore the town and area around his property. 

View from the scenic overlook west.

We spent two days exploring the area near his new place. We got a good feeling about the town, checked out the work he had completed on his new home, and laid to rest many questions we had been asking concerning the location.

Fort Benton is a pretty cool place. It is a small farming community where everyone waves at everyone else. The town has a lot of history and is known for being the oldest continually established town in Montana.  The Mullan Road begins in Ft. Benton and runs from there to Coeur d'Alene and beyond. This was a fascinating bit of history that tied the town to our area as everyone is familiar with Mullan Road.

Looking east over the Missouri River.

During our stay, we walked along the Missouri River to the heart of downtown.  Then the next day we all got on our bikes and extended our exploration of Dan's new home to include the southern part of town where the fairgrounds are located. 

Each night we would gather outside around the fire and talk and laugh.  It was good to see Dan so happy!

On our final morning, we went into Dan's favorite coffee shop and had a big breakfast. We all packed up and said our goodbyes.  We now know enough about this small town to understand the draw Dan had pulling him to the area. We get it.  We feel happy for Dan and this next chapter of his life, though we'll miss having him here in Coeur d'Alene.

Wild goats? Nope!

After we left Ft. Benton we drove back via the Wolf Creek area, HWY 15. The drive would have been beautiful. We followed the creek and wound through jagged rock formations and lush green meadows. Unfortunately, the smoke from forest fires in Idaho and Oregon was blocking the sun and skies.

At Drummond, we pulled off the highway and found the city park/fairgrounds.  John and Loretta had used this hidden spot many times for overnight boondocks when they traveled back to the midwest. It was a nice spot, close to the Clark Fork River, but far enough away from the railroad tracks so the trains didn't bother you. The cost was $10 a site which was fairly inexpensive. The restrooms were not the best, but we were heading home and very much self-contained, so that was not a big problem.

On the final day, we hugged John and Loretta and headed home. 

Great story behind this statue of Shep.

The starting point of the Mullen Road.

John Mullan on the right,
a Pioneer woman on the left. Nice shades!

The guy in the coon skin cap
does not look happy!

The rather unimpressive Great Falls
of Great Falls, MT.

Following Flowing Water

“No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it’s not the same river and he’s not the same man.”

- Heraclitus

The last time I was really lucky was the year I drew a river permit for the Main Salmon River launching out of Corn Creek. That was July 30, 2019. Our luck changed just prior to that trip when Linda's mother had health problems making Linda unable to join me on that trip, something we were both very disappointed by.

Being the permit holder, the trip could not take place without my presence. Canceling would disappoint everyone in the group and so I went down the river myself. Linda stayed with her mother, helping her through her situation.

When I returned from the trip Linda and I talked about the disappointment of not being able to be with each other on that trip. I missed Linda every day we were apart and noted how hard it was to travel solo on a trip of this length and difficulty. Linda missed the river, she missed me, and she missed the adventure.

The COVID pandemic hit the world within the next six months and we began living through the shutdown. We were unable to travel and we were committed to the care of Linda's mother and father. Months passed and the years of our travel freedom were put on hold due to all these factors. Linda and I talked about not being able to go on river trips. As trips came up, the family took priority and we were unable to participate in adventures when they were available.

Three years passed without being on the water. Our discussions went from when we could get back on the oars, to will we ever get back on the oars. I was getting older and my physical self was not the same. Linda still had to consider her mother (her father had passed away) and her health was always a question. We talked about our last trip together on the water and Linda expressed that she would have looked at the trip with different eyes if she knew that it might be the last time we were able to get on the river. She needed to be able to close that book. We had to consider and accept the fact that we may not be able to return to those beaches and be part of the river's flow.

“Rivers are places that renew our spirit, connect us with our past, and link us directly with the flow and rhythm of the natural world.”

- Ted Turner

2022, is a new year, and the pandemic has become a bit of second nature. We have received the vaccination series and the boosters. Linda's mother has settled into life at Orchard Ridge Retirement Center and has stayed fairly healthy and though she is still missing Linda's dad, she seems a bit happier. Most importantly, we have been invited to float again! (We were not as confident in doing a solo trip after all this time)

Pulling our cat out for a wash.

While talking with friends this past spring, we all decided to try to get on the Lower Salmon River in late August. The date was set for August 21st and the invites were sent out to our circle of boater friends. After several months of emails, the group was set at five boats and ten river runners.

Linda and I started the process of getting our gear pulled out of storage and cleaned up. Our cat was a mess. After I used it on the Main Salmon, I pulled it apart and replaced numerous straps due to wear and tear. Everything was removed from the frame and gathered up in boxes and bags, so we had a huge job to get our friend back in running condition and on the river.

Our little shuttle rig.

This boat has been the best craft imaginable. It has run every type of water and been the backbone of uncountable extended day trips as well as extended trips from a few nights to 20+. Our craft came into our lives in 1995. I purchased her from the Aire company using a pro discount that North Idaho College received for its outdoor professionals. Doing the math our girl has been with us for 27 years and is showing her age. We have always taken great care of all our "toys" because we appreciate their care for us. Our "cat" was no different. We've worked to keep her protected when not in use, but she has aged.

We pulled her out of the storage area and took her to the car wash for a thorough cleaning. Back at the house, we made some repairs to the wood boards that provide Linda a comfortable place to ride. Then we sorted through our river storage boxes and started assembling the rest of the gear needed for the six-day trip.

“What makes a river so restful to people is that it doesn’t have any doubt it is sure to get where it is going, and it doesn’t want to go anywhere else.”

- Hal Boyle

Launch preparations at Hammer Creek

On the day of our launch, we woke up early and checked off the final items on our gear and food checklists. We loaded into the KIA, hoping this car could handle the weight of towing the boat trailer as well as our truck had. This was the first time we chose to use the KIA instead of the Dodge so we kept our fingers crossed as we drove through Moscow, Lewiston, and Grangeville to the boat launch.

Arriving at Hammer Creek, we found the launch ramp empty. As we backed in to launch we were joined by John and Loretta Sutherland. They unloaded their boat from their trailer and made sure it was ready. Next to arrive were Dan Breeden, Roye Ely, and Steve Tanner. Their two boats were stacked so we lent a hand getting them into the water.

Cooling off at the put-in.

It wasn't long before we were on the water and drifting. We knew our final members of the group were still on the road and would arrive a bit later, so we followed the flow and slipped down the current to our first campsite.

We floated about two miles to a beach on the river left. The guidebook said it was Apricot Beach (45° 47' 30.38 N, 116° 19' 10.03' W). I had never heard it called that name before and it was nice to be able to use the newly published River Guide to the Lower Salmon and put the correct names on the numerous places along the river. Many of the names we used for beaches came about through our boating circle and they could be a little different from the actual guidebook names.

We set up our camp kitchen and were ready for the evening. Our final boat joined us and our group was complete. Pat Behm, Julie Delseso, and Meryll Peck arrived and unloaded. It was great to be together as a group and everyone was ready for dinner.

Our first evening on the beach!

John and Loretta made the first dinner and boy, was it delicious! John fixed a white meated fish he had caught in Mexico and Loretta made wild rice and tossed together a broccoli salad. We ate our fill, chatted, and watched the skies around us grow dark. We were all tired from the excitement of the day, and now we could snuggle into our beds, watch the falling stars, and forget about the city mess for a few days.

Morning came way too soon and we were up and ready. As we got the gear packed back on the boats, we took time for our breakfast and coffee. The day looked a bit cloudy with telltail red tint to the morning sky. "Red sky at night, sailors delight. Red sky in the morning, sailors take warning!" went through my head as we finalized the loading.

We pushed off and floated. As we went, the skies grew darker and we were hit by rain showers and thunder and lightning. We rowed through the rapids of the Green Canyon and on down to Pine Bar rapids. The rain stayed with us for a while, but as the day went on the showers lessened.

Loading up at Across From Miller.

At this point, we started seeing our first groups. Everyone made the run through the rapids above the Pine Bar Launch Ramp and we moved on down through the nurmerous boaters of various groups. It was after noon and we knew that if there were other groups below us, it could be a long day if we didn't find a beach large enough for our five boats. With this in mind, we pulled off at a beach named Across From Miller (45° 453' 52.78 N, 116° 21' 17.28' W). Roye, Steve, and Dan fixed a dinner of salmon burgers, bean burgers, and chips with an apple spice cake from the DO for dessert. This got great reviews for its flavors and ease of preparation. The bean burgers from Costco got double thumbs up and everyone ate their fill.

The night sky was clear and the stars were brilliant. We all slept well and woke up ready for a big river day.

It was Tuesday and we were heading into the canyons away from the ranches and roads. Our goals included getting below Snow Hole, the big rapid on this river stretch, and maybe even through China Rapids. We moved with the current and took on each rapid as it came. When were getting ready to run Lorna's Lulu, we spotted a herd of Mountain Sheep on the left bank. I took some photos and we then conquered the Bunghole rapids, and Bodacious Bounce.

After the Bodacious Bounce, we came upon a slow-moving area that required maneuvering around some rocks and through a gape. I got to the area and for some reason lost my concentration and got myself into a pickle. We ended up caught for a moment on a rock tooth that was just under the surface of the water. We didn't panic and as soon as Linda moved back by me on the boat we came free. This dropped us in the water behind the rock and we were held there by the backwash. Eventually, we were able to pull the boat from the river's grip and continue on.

Shade hunting at Lower Maloney.

I was miffed that I let that happen. Linda was a bit nervous because she knew we were just above Half and Half, a technical rapid that could be a bit challenging but we worked our way through with no problems.

We stroked on down to the big rapid, Snow Hole!

As we approached the big drop, we were able to see some boats from ROW River Tours enter and drop through the top of the rapid. They entered farther to the left than we usually run this drop. The far left of this run is a huge boulder field which is never talked about as a run. To the right side of the drop is a tooth rock that we usually point our nose at and pull away from dropping us into the left center of the run. At lower levels, you need to avoid the top center rocks by drifting right and then pulling like hell back into the center for the bouncy run. The ROW group showed us that the water was high enough that we could center up at the top of the rapid and shoot over the entry rocks and into the big turbulent center run.

Danbo watching the eddy action
at Lower Maloney.

Everyone ran this rapid about the same. Each boat bounced through the center line and into the tail-out water below. We all had great runs and "there was much rejoicing."

We moved on down to our next campsite located at Lower Maloney (46° 2' 13.90 N, 116° 37' 46.89' W). We got our kitchen set up and everyone got wet.

This campsite provides swimmers a great water ride from the top of the eddy down through some rapids and then a slow return back to camp, floating on the eddy current. Most of the group took advantage of this and enjoyed the afternoon fun.

Linda and I fixed a spaghetti and garlic bread dinner which included one of Linda's famous salads. We all ate our fill.

This campsite was a bit buggy, so Linda and I set up our tent and settled in.

Everyone slept well and the next morning we got ready to take on China Rapids. The group pushed off and within a half mile focused on the next challenge. At the rapid, Dan went first and Linda and I followed. We entered in great shape and pulled hard to keep the boat on the left bank. It was bumpy but we did ok getting set to miss the big hole left-center in the run. At the last second before entering the left of the big hole, I caught my left tube and it spun us around. No big deal though. We spun and slid past the hole backward. Not the best run, but nothing to ruin your day. All other boats made the run and we celebrated completing the final scary rapid of the river. After China, you can relax a bit more. You still have to be on your oars and paying attention, but most of the water is fun and bouncy.

We found a spot to camp shortly after that at Cove Eddy

(45° 59' 51.30 N, 116° 38' 43.33' W) and set our camp. As we set up the weather started changing. It was an afternoon of games since we got to camp so early. First up were a few games of team cribbage. That was fun. Linda and I hadn't played as a team for quite a while. After that, a fierce game of Farkel provided the fun for the early evening. We ate dinner provided by Pat, Julie, and Meryll. They made two pasta dishes. One had salmon and pesto and the other was pasta with peanut sauce and salmon. Their dessert was lemon cake with huckleberries slathered over and topped with whipped cream.

We all ate and then set up tents. Rain was moving upriver along with some thunder, lightning, and wind. We all scampered (or as close to scampered as we were able) to various places to wait out this downpour. It paused for a bit and provided an amazing sunset with spectacular cloud formations. During the night it stormed more and everyone was glad they had chosen to set up tents.

The next morning we packed and were on the river at 10:00AM. We floated on down and found a great campsite at Upper Wapshilla (45° 56' 49.58 N, 116° 45.18' 61' W). We embarked on another rousing game of Farkle. Roye, Steve, and Dan provided a great dinner of Chicken Coleslaw Salad and some dessert bread provided by Dan's mom. We ate our fill of another great meal.

The weather provided us the chance to sleep without a tent on our final night. We went to bed and watched the skies. Everyone knew the trip would be over after our run through the Blue Canyon and onto the Snake River so we took advantage of the cool night's rest.

We got up early and were on the water by our goal time of 8:30 AM. We floated the final miles through the last canyon. At the confluence of the Snake and Salmon rivers, we were greeted by a herd of mountain sheep. We watched the sheep as they watched us. It was a good end to a great run down the Salmon.

Just above Cherry Creek on the Snake River Dan pulled over and set up his boat motor for the ride through the eddies of the Snake. Linda and I moved on and readied our boat to connect with Dan's cat.

Behind us the rest of our group strapped themselves together, Steve's boat in the middle, the two other boats on each side.

We all motored out together. We did have to pull over a couple of times to wait for the other group. Steve's motor was giving them problems which caused them to pull off/slow down. We eventually broke apart just upriver from Heller Bar.

At the ramp, we had the usual cluster, but everything worked out. I failed to eat lunch and was a bit off my game. We drove to Asotin and I took the opportunity to thank everyone and hug them goodbye. Another trip in the book and some great memories were created. We all went our separate ways traveling back to Coeur d'Alene.

On the way home, Linda and I talked about our future in rafting. It has been such a huge part of our lives for close to 40 years. We decided to wait and see how we feel in a few weeks and then make a decision on what we will do. This trip was the perfect trip to provide us a great time with a great group of people to help us answer some questions about how we will look at boating in the future.

”You can’t be unhappy in the middle of a big, beautiful river.”

- Jim Harrison

Cloud formations at Cove Eddy.
Photo by Dan Breeden

Looking for heart rocks on Rock Beach.

Our bed setup on the last night.

From Left to Right:
Dean, Linda, Pat, Julie, Meryll, Loretta, John, Steve, Roye, and Danbo.

Photos from Loretta's camera.

Photos of the Sheep at the confluence of the Lower Salmon and Snake River.