Float Safari?

Anyone up for a float Safari this summer? My vote is Montana but I will leave that up to eveyone. I am thinking several day float down a nice peice of river someplace. Go as a group, drift, camp and get to know each other. Any takers?

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Permalink Reply by Tom Martin on September 27, 2009 at 8:46pm
Hi Jo, yes, i'd like to attempt this, all things considered. If we make it down the Grand this winter and don't destroy the GEM, I'd be up for a mellow summer float with a lot of cool boats my painted slug of a boat can tag a long with. Don't forget to invite Larry Hedrick! yours, tom
Permalink Reply by Joseph Podesta on September 28, 2009 at 6:47am
Awsome everyone is invited of course, larry included.
Permalink Reply by Greg Hatten on September 28, 2009 at 6:36am
Sure... count me "in".
GH
Permalink Reply by Joseph Podesta on September 28, 2009 at 6:49am
I read about a 3 to 5 day float up on the Smith River in Montana? Anyone else heard good things about the Smith?
Permalink Reply by Joseph Podesta on September 28, 2009 at 6:52am
Just read this about the Smith. Sounds great but permits are handed out via a lottery system will need to dig in deeper. ...Noted for its spectacular scenery and blue-ribbon trout fishery, the Smith River is unique in that it has only one public put-in and one public take-out for the entire 59-mile segment of river. Boat camps located along the remote river canyon help preserve the unique quality of this area. The Smith River between Camp Baker and Eden Bridge is the only river corridor managed by Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks as a permitted river. Permits for private floats on the Smith River are allocated to the public via a lottery system prior to the spring season. Permit applications are typically available the first week of January each year, with an application deadline of mid-February
Permalink Reply by Dave Z on September 28, 2009 at 8:29am
I heard it is awfully hard to get a hard boat in and out of the Smith, is that true or false?

Thats a trip on my short list regardless. You have to watch snowpack. This year was no problem, the river and fish were great I'm told by a friend who did it. In a few years past I beleive it was closed off/no permits due to low water, potential fish kills.
Permalink Reply by Mike Dearing on October 5, 2009 at 7:20pm
Greg and I talked about this quite awhile ago, but we were thinking about a group trip down the Rogue. The Rogue is a permit river too from May 15th to Oct15th, but any trips before or after those dates are fair game with no restrictions on party size or length of stay. I float with a group that always does a trip the weekend before and after permit season and the weather always seems to cooperate most years, plus I always get to float the river at least twice if none of us draw a permit.

The Rogue has a deep history of driftboating.The scenery and whitewater are spectacular being how its a true wilderness river, no way in except by boat or float plane. Trips can be tailored from three to seven days depending on where you put in/take out and the amount of river miles one wants to cover in a day. This literally is a trip of a lifetime, ask anyone who's been down before, it can not disappoint.

Mike
Permalink Reply by Joseph Podesta on October 7, 2009 at 6:12pm
What are the runs like on the Rogue?
Permalink Reply by Mike Dearing on October 11, 2009 at 10:46pm
Joseph,

Lots of people have posted pictures of their experiences on the Rogue on this site. To me it is exactly what a multi day float trip should be like. The trip in the canyon (Wild and Scenic) is something that everyone who loves rivers should undertake at least once in their life. The scenery, remoteness, fishing, wildlife, and whitewater are all thrown together in a balance that keeps people coming back year after year. I only wished I had started floating it sooner. I really feel like there are not too many places like this left in the lower 48 and if anyone has a chance to float it they should jump at the chance.

I consider the Rogue to be our "Home River" and try to do it at least once per year. It was, for good reason, one of the original "Wild and Scenic" rivers. Here are some suggestions I give to people their first time down, maybe it will give you a little idea of what its like.

0) Stop and eat at the Galice Inn - Good food, shuttles, and advice
1) Launch at Alameda Bar or Argo rather than Grave Creek. That way you can camp at the put-in and rig your boats ahead of time. It also extends the trip by a few miles and gives you a good warm up before you start hitting the Class III rapids.
2) Spend an hour just watching Rainey Falls.It is an awesome spectacle.Get close enough so that you can feel the vibration. It is really cool watching the Salmon try to get up too.
3) Visit the cabin at Whiskey Creek. It also makes a great first night camp if doing four or more days. The hike up Rum Creek is nice too. During Salmon season (late summer - fall) the fish stack up below the mouths of theses creeks too.
4) Horseshoe Bend is a magical place.The camp on the upper bench is unsurpassed.
5) Stop at Zane Grey's Cabin - The caretaker used to give you fresh vegetables.
5) We generally camp the third night at Mule Creek if its not packed full of commercials. Hike up and tour River Ranch, there is so much history here.The cool waters of Mule Creek make a great place to spend a hot summer afternoon's reading or fishing.
6) Mule Creek/Coffee pot are really not hard in a raft, but trickier in a driftboat. Watch out for Telfer's rock and wear your PFDs. Do not rush through - this is a very special place. Stop and enjoy Stair Creek Falls.
7) Scout Blossom your first time. The move isn't hard but it helps to have seen someone else do it first. Scout from the big rocks on the right.
8) Make the climb to Paradise Lodge and have an Ice Cream bar. Try to visualize what the canyon must have looked like during the floods (You will understand when you are there).
9) We generally camp our last night (Night 4) at Tate or Tacoma, but be carefull with food down here, most bear probelms tend to occour here. Be sure to hike up to the waterslide on Tate Creek if its s summer trip. Don't miss the chance to do the waterslide!
10)The waterfalls at the end of the Clay Hill (Flora Dell and Fall Creek) Stills are worth the short side hike.

General:

Spend most of your time above Blossom - Much more of a "wilderness feel" - No jetboats, bears, and few lodges.

We have never had bear issues above Blossom - Use the bear fences on your last night.

You can Read and Run most everything if you have good river rumming skills and are used to at least class 3 water. I sometimes scout Blossom, sometimes I dont, kind of depends on how I feel and what the flows are doing. Upper Black Bar is also a bit tricky (stay right). You don't need to be a hero at Rainey - use the fish ladder on the right for driftboats. The Middle Chute can be fun in a raft, but the entance is tricky.

We are able to use our firebox much of the time but call first to confirm that it is OK. You must have a groover but we often don't use it.

We have found it easy to get permits in May and June. The river is high then (3 - 5K) but really isn't much harder at that level, I have run it when it was over 10,000cfs, we actually ran Blossom on the right of the horn rock, it was one of only two rocks still visible through the whole rapid. The waves and holes through there at those flows were massive. Mid-Summer levels of 2000 - 2500 CFS are nice and relatively forgiving. Late summer and fall can give you low flows that make things challenging. I think we have run it as low as 1000 CFS.

Sorry for the book, if you have any specific questions about this trip I'll be happy to try and answer them.

Mike

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