Nellie's Maiden Voyage.

Nellie is an active member of our family and as such is invited on most of our outdoor adventures. She is very athletic and dedicated to being in the front of the pack on all group rides or runs. She prefers to be part of the break away rather than hang with the peleton. Very few, if any, mortals can drop her.

Needless to say she was less than thrilled when we took up kayaking. She has no thumbs so she just can't hold onto the paddle. She goes to great lengths to sneak out of the house and into the car if she suspects we are going to go somewhere without her. She quickly learned that when Owen's yellow boat makes it into the pile of gear going to the car, she is not invited. She was determined not to be left looking out the window from on top the couch when the car drove away this day.

This day we were going to paddle a section of the Illinois River, near the confluence of the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers. It was going to take under four hours and involve no skill, just muscle. There is quite a bit of river traffic, barges, ferries and such, but besides the wakes that these create it would be smooth sailing.

"Why can't she go?", I want to know. "There is room in the cockpit of my boat and I want her to come. She will have a blast and she loves to swim."

"I just don't think it is a good idea.", responds the curmudgeonly husband who is trying to put the kibosh on our fun. Its always just me and the boys. Sometimes its good to have another female around.

Well, I got my way.

I wish I had not.

Daytrip: Swan Valley

August 11, 2007

Swan Valley is a great day trip from Idaho Falls since it is not too far and has an abundance of outdoor options and terrific scenery. It is one of those don't-blink towns and is located along the banks of the south fork of the Snake River. Much of the year you will see anglers in hip boots trying their luck along the stretch of river leading into town. This section of the river is actually renown throughout the country for its world-class fly fishing. The Big Hole Mountains that lead to the Tetons are located north of the valley and the Caribou Mountain are to the south.

A couple of our favorite activities include mountain biking the abundant singletrack off Fall Creek Road or hiking up to the Palisades Lakes, neither of which we did this summer. Tony and I did do a 50 mile back roads mountain bike to Swan Valley a few weeks prior to meet up with David and the kids. David had taken the kids and dogs on an epic 5 hr. hike up Baldy Mt. I think that perhaps our 50 mile ride was easier than what those kids did.

This day we arrived with boats to try out Owen's mad, new kayak skills. We put in at Fall Creek boat ramp and paddle the short distance to the Conant boat ramp just of few miles west, as a sort of test run before heading up to Palisdades Dam to do the longer run. Good thing. It was a learning experience. We learn just how swiftly the Snake runs, how quickly one can go from vertical to horizontal in said, swift river and how doing a planned wet exit in a calm lake differs from doing it quite unexpectedly in a running river. All turned out well but Owen was rattled. We ended the day at Ririe Reservoir. That was fun too.

McCall, ID

August 6-10, 2007

This was Owen's favorite trip, he said. We drove to McCall, ID for a some kayaking clinics with Devon Barker, 2006 world champion whitewater kayaker http://www.hughesriver.com/devon-barker.htm and sponsored Jackson Kayak team member. http://www.jacksonkayak.com/teamjk/teammember.cfm?member=devon Owen was psyched enough to choose this clinic over a week long climbing camp he had wanted to attend that fell on the same week. Idaho is a big state and this was on the far west side of the state from where we live. Great, a part of Idaho I had never explored.

We left the afternoon before the women's clinic to give us plenty of time to get there and still be able to stop and see the sights along the way. We took the interstate to Boise instead of the more scenic route through Sun Valley. It is actually considerably shorter, time wise, even though the mileage is much longer. Those mountains of south central Idaho really get in the way and slow you down, you know. Along the way we stopped at a couple places I had meant to visit when I drove to Boise a few times in 2004.

Massacre Rock State Park

Twin Falls

Twin Falls is a picturesque little town that is at the center of the fertile farming region of the Snake River Plains. Compared to Idaho Falls, it wins out in charm, largely due to its geographical location alongside a deep gorge cut by the Snake River with a pair of waterfalls as the crowning centerpiece (thus the name). A Twin Falls website claims that the average home price is currently $71,500. Hmm....could this be possible? Kinda unbelievable. We camped that first night a little west of Twin Falls on the north side of the river.

Our next stop was McCall, fantastic town. Along the length of highway 55 from Boise rages the north fork of the Payette River. http://www.paddling.net/idaho/payette.html Paddlers and rafters come in droves to test their mettle on this river. On our drive up we picked up a 17 year old kayaker who was hitching a ride to his car in order to do another run of one of the more difficult sections on that stretch of the river. Route 55 runs alongside part the length of the Payette River from Boise and takes a 90 degree turn upon reaching the southern end of Payette Lake. Right at this turn is nestled the historic commercial district of McCall. I completely forgot to take a snapshot of downtown, which is quite unfortunate since it is very much a picture-worthy destination.

We headed up the west side of the lake to North Beach Boat Ramp. This is where we would spend the next three days for our kayaking clinics. While Owen was working on paddle strokes, wet-exits and hip snaps, I was venturing into a maze of boundary waters on the north side of the lake. The waters were serene and crystal clear and I was able to see to the bottom in sections that were surely over 10 feet deep. This ecosystem was teeming with wildlife and I was the sole human inhabitant as far as I could see. This was the life. I was in love.

The second evening, after 4 hours of paddling for Owen, we took a 20 mile bike ride around the lake and into town for dinner at a great little bistro that featured boccie ball in the front gardens. We arrived back at our car in the dark and the kid still had the energy to play on the moonlit shore for quite a while before we headed to our campsite.

Alas, all good things must come to an end and we headed back home via the scenic route through the mountains. We camped just outside Stanley, a town I had wanted to visit since arriving in Idaho, having heard rave reviews of it from a former New Hampshire neighbor who use to visit it every summer. With a dirt road downtown and a reputation for being the jumping off point for epic back country adventure, it exceeded my expectations. Not a single, visible housing development, one bakery/coffeehouse/restaurant, a watering hole or two and not much else. Note to self, check real estate prices upon return home.

On to antithetical Sun Valley. Ironically enough, while there I saw an historic photo of Sun Valley circa early 1900s and it looked a heck of a lot like present-day Stanley. We stopped for coffee and a book on tape and had to get out of there. The Mercedes SUV quota is ski high in Sun Valley. It was making me nervous.

One last stop in Arco for fried pickles and then we were home.