LOCATION: Hells Canyon Dam-Pittsburg Landing
RECREATION: Boating, Fishing, Rafting, Kayaking, Jet Boats
CAMPING: Near Cambridge: BROWNLEE (11 Spaces) COPPERFIELD PARK (62 Spaces) HELLS CANYON PARK (23 Spaces) McCORMICK PARK (34 Spaces) BIG FLAT (13 Spaces) CABIN CREEK (12 Spaces) EVERGREEN (12 Spaces) HUCKLEBERRY (7 Spaces) LAFFERTY (8 Spaces)
FISHING: Steelhead, Rainbow Trout, Chinook Salmon, Sturgeon, Smallmouth Bass, Channel Catfish
GETTING THERE: To reach Hells Canyon Dam, take highway 71 northwest of Cambridge. The drive is about 60 miles.
CONTACT: Hells Canyon National Recreation Area, P.O. Box 832, Riggins, ID 83549 ,(208) 628-3916
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We ran into a very intense rain storm just outside of Cambridge as we made the drive to Hells Canyon, so we stopped at Bucky's for 20 Bucky Burgers. It was good timing as the rain cleared and the sun came out for the drive down to the dam. Brownlee was at 26' below full pool; Oxbow and Hells Canyon reservoirs were full. Amazing water level for Fall. We couldn't believe all the new blowouts into the reservoirs; some looked like a gravel roadbed for an interstate highway rebuild. Must have been a heck of a flood in January as Hells Canyon hit a record 102,000 cfs.
We got to the put in at 4:00 pm just behind another private group.
The flow was 19,600 cfs. We had to wait 45 minutes before we could unload
a thing. Six of our eight boats were inflated so loading went fairly quickly
and we
were on the water by 5:30. We floated about 2 miles that evening
and camped at Chimney Bar. A little bit of a hike up to camp but a very
nice, large campsite that fit our group of 20 quite well. Burgers for the
2nd
time that day; not the best of planning.
We got on the water around 10 am Friday, which was earlier then I would have thought given the size of the group. Tom wanted more weight in his 14' Riken SB and took 2- 6 gallon water jugs from Bob. Bob in turn took the dry bag off the front of my boat. No problem, I like a lighter boat. The weather was warm and the water was very nice. You actually got a heat 'blast' as you went through the first few rapids. Water temperature was 73 degrees.
Then came wild sheep! We scouted from the left. Nasty looking reversals
at the bottom of the Oregon side and some bigger looking waves down the
center right side with a nasty reversal far right . Last year at 30,000
cfs I made a clean run down the center right side (Idaho side). I incorrectly
assumed the water was at a high level today
and decided to got just right of the rock at mid-river, then pull
back into river center behind the rock and avoid the big holes down the
right and the reversal to the left. Told the other 7 boat captains to stay
up top and watch as 'I would give them a show', then hike back up and film
them come through. Well I gave them a show!
I entered just about where I wanted to, if I made any mistake it
was taking a line 4 feet right of the rock to avoid the small hole below
it. (which I should have hit) Too far right! I cranked the butt of the
boat toward the center and took three long, hard pulls back. The 16' Jagarundi
was loaded down with three people, a full 123 quart cooler, dry box,
dry bags, chairs, water, etc., and didn't respond. I set up for the first
big wave, pushed through just fine and entered the second hole. It was
a Kodiak looking wave much larger then the first and much larger then the
boat. Down, down we went then up & up. I was digging those oars like
crazy (three times, I think). The Huge wave stood the 16' cataraft straight
up, for a second, but the reversing lip at the top of the wave proved to
forceful and back over we went. My first back flip! My first cataraft flip!
In fact only my second flip in 14 years of boating. I was 11
years over due.
Susan and the Doc were hanging onto the safety rope on the downriver side of the boat while I clung to the up river side. After we completed the wave train I moved to the center of the boat and climbed on board. Looked around to see where we were, no problem. Looked down for the flip line and shit! I got in a hurry and didn't rig them this morning. Not that I could have pulled that 1000 pound boat over anyway. But maybe 2 or 3 of us could have. I pulled Susan up on top (bottom) and jumped back in the water where the Doc and I proceeded to pull the boat toward shore one kick at a time. About 3/4 of a mile down river we hit an eddy. God was I exhausted!
Got both front and rear bow lines over the outside tube and the three of us pulled like hell from a rock ledge 8 feet above the boat. Slowly the behemoth inched up and over. Bam, back on top it was. The river Gods only wanted my Kavu hat that day; and the Doc's hat as well. All other gear intact, just wet. We did lose a roll up table but it was found in an eddy by a fellow boater. My box (never again to be referred to as a dry box) had 6" of water in it. I was later to learn that it claimed my cam corder.
The first rescue boat arrived just in time to join us in a cold refreshment. They said it got real quiet at the scout point as I went over, then the mumbling and off to see how they could help. Tom took the right side, way right. He avoided the hole that got me but almost toppled when he hit the reversal way at the bottom. Then he set up safety. Two other boats took a clean ride just left of the mid stream boulder, then center. One boater took his Achilles 14' sb down the left but hit the reversal at the bottom of the rapid on the left side and quickly I wasn't the only one to flip in Wild Sheep that day.
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What did I learn from my many mistakes?
1) Two or three of us should have gone down together. Never go through a rapid alone without safety set up below.
2) Always rig for a quick flip. Two or three of us could have gotten that boat over. Had the water been worse below we could have fought the bow lines for a flip but it would have been ugly.
3) Put more weight on the front when 2 passengers are riding the rear.
4) Hit the high side 'Flintstone' move (hands to the footbar) much earlier when hitting the wave, rather then oaring up the face till it's too late. However, I don't know that anything could have stopped that barge from flipping.
5) Always carry a cam corder in a pelican box even if in a dry box.
6) Don't buy/use a SeaLion Dry Bag. My
10 year old NRS bag did just fine but a brand new SeaLion leaked as did
2 SeaLions on the other boat.
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We pulled up to Granite Rapid, the 2nd class IV, on the right (Idaho)
and hiked up to scout. On the way up we spotted a Cinnamon Bear climbing
a ravine on the other side. Steve also saw a bear 1500 feet upstream from
our first campsite. A couple of rafters fishing at the Wild Sheep scout
spot had had their cooler ripped open by a
bear the night before.
I decided that traditional low to medium water run should be employed and honed in on the traditional as far left as you can 'sneak route'. Last year at 30,000 cfs the green room was open and we went right over the submerged mid stream boulder into a huge, 24', hole surrounded by the smooth green tongue (Awesome!) Today the rock was covered but the waves below the green room was closed and there was a huge reversal below. The ride was smooth, Susan was a happy camper.
I forgot to mention that Susan flipped in Wild Sheep some 12-14 years ago and has walked around each of the past 7 trips. She had decided she was ready today. What timing! She had also walked Granite each of those previous trips as well. But even after the flip in Wild Sheep she was going through Granite with the boat.
Saddle Creek had blown out in January and was very rocky with the stream now going right through camp so we went down to Bernard to make an early camp and get our things dried out. Bernard Rapid was washed out. The sun came out and it was a beautiful, drying afternoon. The Wilson Cabin is a short hike up the hill and there is a large eddy on the Oregon side for fishing. Camping here also gave us some whitewater the next day.
The next day was cooler with a little breeze, so dry tops were in
order. Lower Bernard, No Name and Water Spout
were all washed out. The big waves of the day came at Sluice Creek.
My crew and I looked like the Jamaican Ski Jump team as we hit those big
rollers. In unison, we leaned far forward. The hole below the mid stream
bolder in Rush creek was as big as ever. Stay right and avoid that one!
We stopped at the outfitter's cabin below Johnson Bar to use a real rest room and catch up with the years events in the lower canyon. We floated down to Pine Bar (Willow Creek) for our traditional jump off the huge Rock in the eddy. It has been tradition for the Hell's Canyon virgin's to take the 15' plunge with less clothing then the old timers but this years group wasn't receptive to that. Nineteen of 20 made the climb and jump followed by a huge water fight. We floated on down to Meyers Creek campsite; not a great campsite but a group favorite.
The Jetboats were to meet us at 9 am (Idaho time) the next morning so we began tearing down our gear and making hap hazard piles on shore. Before we took the frame off the last 16' Jagarundi cataraft all boat captains took practice at righting an upside down cataraft with properly installed flip lines.
The first jetboat arrived at 8:30 Sunday morning. We ate breakfast and loaded in shifts. It's amazing how much gear one of those boats can haul. Several years ago we managed to get 17 people and gear in one boat. We had two today for our crew of 20. I joined the first crew in the bigger boat and we headed up river. It's really a fun way to get back to the top. Jetboats take a much different line as they go up through a rapid. Our pilot took us down through Wild Sheep then up a second time at our request ( since we loaded him early). I got a birds eye view of the hole that got me. It was big! The second group had to take two runs at making it up through Wild Sheep. Pretty exciting ride they tell me.
The Jetboat cost us $1145 for the 2 boats. Since it would have cost $405 plus gas to have the 3 rigs shuttled down to Pittsburgh plus extra time driving out so we figured it was only about $25 per person extra for the ride. Well worth it. Hells Canyon is the deepest gorge in North America extending upward nearly a mile from the river basin. A three day float really gives you enough time to take in it's true beauty and enjoy the serenity. A great way to cap off the Summer.
Happy Paddling,
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