What To Do With a Wood Boat In Jackson?

Unfortunately, my wife and I have to take a month off of work to live and play in Driggs, ID from mid-July to mid-August. It's a real shame.  

Since we are from Denver, we don't know the area very well and I was thinking ya'll might have some suggestions for what to do with my newly completed boat while we are there.  I'm looking for suggestions for good float trips for sightseeing, good float trips for fishing, good float trips for practicing my oarsmanship in some whitewater (I've only floated the tame North Platte in Casper) and good overnight camping/float trips. I've done a bunch of research online, so I know about most of the usual spots, but some first-hand knowledge would be very helpful. Anything within two or three hours is fair game.  Also, we will probably only have one car, so if people know good shuttle services, be sure to include them.  Thanks for the help everyone!

In the meantime, here are a few pics of the finished project:



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Permalink Reply by Chris Patterson on August 2, 2010 at 7:09pm
I drove the canyon from Alpine to Jackson last Saturday. I stopped and watched the rafts and kayaks run Big Kahuna and Lunch Counter and don't see any problem with taking a drift boat through at current water flows. Kahuna can be skirted river left and Lunch Counter was just decent rollers. I know water level makes all the difference so I need to look up Saturday's flows and store that as a point of reference. I would like to hear other opinions though!
Permalink Reply by Chris Patterson on June 24, 2010 at 1:12pm
Driggs is an excellent center point for multiple rivers big enough for a drift boat. I have not been there for a couple years so I hope this information is not out of date.

Start with the Teton River right there in the Teton valley. The river starts near Victor and flows north toward Driggs and then on towards Tetonia before turning west and heading to it's confluence with the Henry's Fork near Rexburg. There are 3 or 4 marked Sportman's Access points between Victor and Tetonia off Hwy 33. You will be fine on any of the sections above where Hwy 33 crosses the Teton west of Tetonia. The river below this Hwy 33 bridge gets real rocky, real fast. I have never taken a boat through there but the guides from the Teton Valley Lodge used to do so. You should have good water since we have had a cool, wet spring in Idaho this year.

Not very far away (30-45 minutes) is the South Fork of the Snake with a couple excellent floats. This is a BIG river but anyone with some experience and some good river sense can handle it. No whitewater, just high flows and some big hydraulics. Access starts at Palisades Dam and a float to Spring Creek Bridge or even Conant Valley will give you some excellent fishing water. The river then enters a canyon that will make for an EXECELLENT overnight trip. Awesome fishing and awesome scenery.

The other posters have mentioned the Snake through Jackson Hole so all I will add is that it will be worth the drive to go float there as well. Pacific Creek to Deadman's Bar or Deadman's to Moose. Those are my favorites. Moose to Wilson and Wilson to South Park offer good fishing but the river is inside levees for much of that. I prefer the wild banks of the upper river. South Park down is back to canyon and heading toward the whitewater section.

From Driggs you are only 1-2 hours from the Henry's Fork. Don't miss that. Box Canyon. Last Chance to Osborne Bridge will take you through the Harriman State park. Osborne Bridge to Riverside campground. Can't go wrong with any of those.

That is the stuff I know. I am planning on exploring the Henry's Fork below Ashton Dam someday but these above named sections keep pulling me back.

Have fun and post lots of pictures.

Chris
Permalink Reply by Brant Jaouen on June 24, 2010 at 1:22pm
You guys are awesome. Thanks for all of the help Chris. I can't wait to try out all of these sections. Is there any agreement on the difficulty of the trip from Deadman's to Moose? I've heard and read whitewater but I'm curious as to the difficulty? I'm thinking an overnight trip on the South Fork of the Snake in the Canyon would be really fun as well. Thanks again!
Permalink Reply by Chris Patterson on June 25, 2010 at 9:14am
Other than the actual "whitewater section" south of town there really isn't any whitewater on the Snake through the Jackson area. The river moves along fairly quickly and there are braided channels, log jams and sweepers throughout. I think you, and your boat, will be fine.

The South Fork is a much bigger river, simply because of the irrigation water being sent downstream that time of year. Idaho is famous for potatoes and it is the Snake that makes that possible. No real whitewater but the volume of water makes some interesting hydraulics. You need to plan on an overnight float through the canyon. It is something like 26 miles with only a few access points.
Permalink Reply by Bill Neal on July 12, 2010 at 10:29am
The problem with the Deadman's to Moose section is braiding and snags, which have claimed several drift boats in the past couple of weeks. I would recommend avoiding this, since the stretches above and below this largely avoid the problem. Wilson to South Park has great bird life, and moderate maneuvering. If you have only minimal whitewater experience, I would avoid the upper Snake River Canyon (not the South Ford Canyon) stretch in a boat without watertight bulkheads. South Park down to the West Table takeout (start of the Canyon stretch) is a pleasant float with occasional maneuvering south of Jackson.
Permalink Reply by Brant Jaouen on July 12, 2010 at 10:43am
Bill,
This is really helpful. I've read that the Deadman's to Moose section is tricky. The reason I have contemplated it is because I wanted a full-day float in the National Park. Are the snags/strainers seasonal or should I plan to avoid this section all summer? Thanks again.

Brant
Permalink Reply by Bill Neal on July 12, 2010 at 11:25am
There are so many other great stretches of river available for you out of Driggs--the local rivers others have mentioned, the South Fork of the Snake, and other sections of the Snake around Jackson--that I wouldn't even mess with it. Jackson Lake dam (poor put-in) to Pacific, or down to Deadman's will give you plenty of time in the park and time to sightsee around the park the same day
Permalink Reply by Jesse Ronnow on July 12, 2010 at 7:37pm
Brant,

I live in Rigby about 2o minutes from the Byington boat launch (about 1 hour from Driggs) on the South Fork and will echo the comments of Chris Patterson. Not much more to add but this, I have the absolutely wonderful task of entertaining employee's and their clients for the bank I work for on the South Fork during the summer. As a result I am on the river about 4 days a week right now. If you would like to follow someone down or just have another woodie with you on the trip, drop me a line I would be happy to hook up for a float on the South Fork during your trip to Driggs. I also spend a lot of time in the summer camping in the canyon, if a float won't work I may be able to help with the planning on an overnighter through the canyon. Besides all of that, I would love to look at your boat! Enjoy your boat and the water in the area, it's wonderful.

Tight Lines,

JDR
Permalink Reply by Brant Jaouen on July 12, 2010 at 9:56pm
Wow, you guys have been very helpful. I should turn this thread into a web guide. Jesse, I will certainly contact you when I'm in Driggs. I just bought a "groover" for camping in the canyon. Send me an email with your info. My email address is brant.jaouen(at sign)gmail.com. Thanks again. I'm driving up on Thursday, so the trip is almost here!
Permalink Reply by twoblacklabs on August 2, 2010 at 8:06am
Anywhere on the Teton will be amazing. South fork of the Snake? Henry's Fork? It's all right there. I used to live half way between Victor and Driggs. Most amazing storms come through there in the winter. I miss it so much.

The Henry's Fork is the most amazing place! You will want to ask around to avoid Cardiac Canyon though. Several falls that aren't the place to have a drift boat. Kids today are running All of the falls but even when I was kayaking Class IV-V on a daily basis, I portaged. Sheep Falls (or goat, don't remember the name) is run regularly now. Heck. Even Upper and Lower Mesa Falls have been run. All with whitewater kayaks and excellent paddlers.

While you are in the area, make sure you make the drive from Idaho into Wyoming, north of the park. It's only accessible in the summer and it's amazing also. I think it was Grassy Lake Road. Somewhere around Flagg Ranch on the Wyoming side. Plan on 3 hours. Well worth the afternoon.

Bitch creek is interesting also. Hike and fish it. Again, not a place for a drift boat but it's really close to Driggs.

By the way, you get an official "YOU SUCK". I left the area almost 20 years ago to go to school. Wanted to come back and work for the Park Service after becoming a Paramedic. Life happened and I was never able to get back. Still dream about it almost EVERY night though.
Permalink Reply by Bill Neal on August 2, 2010 at 12:02pm
Brant: I have spotted you and your boat twice driving on highway 22 through Wilson. Looks great! So let's have some feedback on which rivers you've liked best so far around here. Bill
Permalink Reply by Brant Jaouen on August 2, 2010 at 10:04pm
So....I've done some exploring but I have a lot left to do. I've done the Snake through Teton National Park (from Moran Junction to Deadman's Bar). This is a great scenic float but the three times I've done it in the evening have left me disappointed with the wildlife. Cool vistas but not much wildlife. Also, the flows seem to have gotten lower in the past two weeks and there are sections that I can't float through with 4 people in the boat. It stinks to have to get out and drag it over the rocks, so I think I'm done with that section. I may try the section that AJ floats below Wilson Bridge next. I've also floated the Teton from Teton Creek to Bates Bridge. Water is skinny this time of year but the evening hatch is incredible! Fish aren't lunkers but the fishing is fun. Lastly, I've floated the South Fork of the Snake from Conant Valley to Byington. I've floated this section three times and seen moose on two trips. And here is where the story begins....

On our second float on the South Fork, my wife was at the oars and I was fishing. We had two others in our group. About a mile below Cottonwood Flats, my wife misjudged the current and we ended up in a tree and capsized. All four of us were fine, but the boat took a serious beating. My back seat was completely ripped out, the bow and stern were both torn up, the pulleys on the anchor system were ripped off and there were some minor cracks in a gunwale and in the bow/stern log (where the anchor system attached). Also lost were one of my seat backs and my cool seat-back oar holder and a bunch of cup holders that I was dumb enough not to glue down. Also, I lost all of my fly fishing gear, a GPS, a pair of binoculars, expensive sunglasses and a litany of other personal items including 4 cell phones! No one was wearing a life jacket, although I was able to pull one out for myself while I was riding down the river on top of the boat (everyone else was standing in the river safe and sound by then).

The good news is that it wasn't hard to turn the boat over and dump the water out with some help from a great father and sons who were floating by. Also, I saved the oars so the Cat brought us all home safe and sound. Overall, I'd say I learned a lot of important lessons, not the least of which is that if I'm not on the oars, I still need to be paying attention. Also, if you like something, put it in a ziploc bag in your pocket or in the dry storage. Anything that's in the boat and not tied you should be comfortable losing. Finally, I've started hanging my life jacket off of my seat and wearing it an any of the tricky sections (I wore it from Cottonwood flats to the take-out today). We floated the same section today and I couldn't believe that it had happened, since 15 feet farther river left takes the tree that got us completely out of play. It was a dumb mistake on my part not to alert my wife of the trouble.

I spent some time with paint and epoxy and the boat is largely fixed. I will do a better job of filling the cosmetic stuff in the fall when I'm not floating every other day and I have access to my tools. The Cat will get a fresh coat of blue paint this week and I'll call it done. I don't know what to do about the back seat. I may check with Gary Beebe at Mountain Drift Boat to see if he has an old seat I can mount back there. Most everyone thinks that it's pretty comfortable to sit on a pad back there anyway.

So that's what I have so far. The boat sticks out around here and people have been really nice and given me tons of "nice boat" comments. Bill, if you see me, yell and I'll stop so you can get a better look. I've also run into Jesse from this thread but he didn't get a chance to see the boat up close. Floating the Teton again in the morning then taking a day off to paint on Wednesday. Tough life!

Brant

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