Paradise Put-in
This year a last minute opportunity for a pre-season trip on the Selway worked out. The Selway is one of the great multi-day trips in Idaho. A permit is difficult to get, so river runners try to get a run in before May 15th, when the permit season starts. Pre-season trips can pose a few problems: snow on Nez Perc pass may require an expensive shuttle with balloon-tired vehicles and river levels could be too low or too high (trips in early permit season have the same problems). Luckily, we didn’t encounter any of them. The pass was plowed a couple of days before our trip and water levels were fine for us kayakers – albeit a bit bony for the raft on the first day.
"You are here"
Typical River Scene
It was the first time I put on for a multi-day trip when there were no leaves on bushes and trees. As we moved downriver spring arrived at time-lapse speed. Hummingbirds checked out our camping equipment every time we set up camp (and Pete’s ears!) Seems the little birds are starved for the color red in the green forest of Idaho. Not sure Pete’s ears look like flowers? Maybe we should take a feeder next time? Whitetail deer wandered through our camp. When startled they disappeared flicking their tails. Most impressive wild encounter was a big sand-colored wolf on shore. As we floated by, she/he watched closely, put her ears back, then grabbed the fish she was eating and moved into some bushes. Just to drop the fish and roll in it.
Despite the low water level (1.7 – 2 at the paradise gauge) I would have preferred my bigger boat on day 4, when we hit the more interesting rapids. After a prime session of side-surfing in Double Drop (I was sure I was on line… until I saw the hole), I had some problems keeping tops up and bottoms down. The positive outcome of this little rodeo session was easy decision at Ladle - the high and dry line. After all the excitement I didn’t think my shoulder was up for paddling on the last day, so I hopped on the raft and got some excellent rafting instructions for John on the easier drops.
Double Drop. The green tongue and the hole.
Start of Ladle
The take-out weather was Idaho style: sunny and hot enough to change into shorts and Ts. After we de-rigged and packed all our gear in my trusty Patriot Pete and Ben run the Lochsa above Pipeline. This looked a lot more exciting than when we did it in 1999 (checking the records, we had half the water). Karen and I opted for being on the photo and beta crew. In the evening we started the long drive back for a nice run close to home on the Wenatchee the next day.
