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Published: July 12th 2010
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I guess all the kids and dogs were already in bed last night when we arrived because there was no evidence they were right next door until I heard them screaming and barking at 7:00 am this morning !! I was not very happy to say the least. We didn't have to get up until 9:00 am today and we were both looking so forward to sleeping in and getting that little bit of extra rest. Oh well, I had no choice but to get up because I couldn't sleep through it but Tim did eventually fall back asleep and got a little more shut eye before time to get up and get ready for our big adventure today. I used the extra time this morning to clean up around the house some including cleaning out the refrigerator. It's been almost a month since we left home and there were a few things that needed to be thrown out so i did that and then wiped it down a bit. I went for a little walk and took the trash over to the big dumpster and met the very loud little brats next door. Lucky for them they were adorable so
I couldn't be mad at them anymore but the dog was a different story..........just kidding. I was so excited about our speed boat trip down the Snake River through Hells Canyon today. Tim and I had seen pictures before and it was just gorgeous but we were really pumped about getting to see it close up and personal. I found us a great little company that offered the full day trip, including lunch and a couple of other neat stops along the way. I woke Tim up, made him some breakfast and then we headed on up to the marina where we were supposed to meet our driver and tour guide Butch. Everyone was there and on time, just how I like it, and we all loaded up and was ready for our adventure. Butch and his helper Mitch went over all the safety rules with us and then we were off. He had to go slow until we were out of the marina but then he opened that thing up and before I knew it we were doing 55 miles per hour down the Snake River. It was so exhilerating and the cool morning air felt so good blowing
through my hair. The sun was barely shining on my face, just enough to keep me warm, and it was awesome. Butch stopped every so often filling us in on the history of the canyon as well as informing us of some of the geological information too. We stopped by a small mountain that still had petroglyphs on it from thousands of years ago. He would periodically stop on the river to point out great little fishing spots and tell us old indian stories that have been passed along for centuries. We rode down the river until lunch time when Butch pulled up to his own private dock where we got off the boat and walked up the hill to his ranch for lunch. As soon as we topped the hill you could see tons and tons of deer snacking on the fresh apricots that had fallen from a storm just a few days before. There were lots of turkey there as well. We watched as the animals played and enjoyed the orchard together before heading over to the picnic tables for our catered lunch. Tim and I had the italian wrap sandwich with potato salad, chips and a cookie
for desert. After lunch we made our way over to the orchard where we picked some fresh apricots and saved them for later. Next, we headed down to Butch's private beach on the Snake River and relaxed for about an hour or so. I played in the water while Tim rested under the umbrella in a comfy chair. On the way down to the beach I passed a some brush where I saw a little deer snacking on some of the greenery. He let me come right up to him and take some pictures so I did and then I left him alone and went on down to the play volleyball in the sand. This was turning out to be a great day and it wasn't even halfway over yet. We relaxed for a while and then it was time to hit the river again. Butch and Mitch continued to take us down the Snake River all the while informing us of every little detail there was to know about the canyon and the river too. We passed several Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep up on the mountainsides along the way and that was really cool. We only saw the females
but kept looking for a male throughout the day. There were a few other tour companies on the river as well as some individuals but it was no where near as crowded as what you would think. Throughout our "fast" ride Mitch would bring us bottled water or a snack or anything he could to make our time on the boat comfortable and fun. We ended up going 60 miles deep into the canyon and it was just breathtaking. On the 60 mile trip back to the marina we stopped off by the only waterfall in Hells Canyon and that was an awesome surprise. It was on into the afternoon and the sun was pounding on us so we all jumped in the ice cold water and splashed around in the waterfall to cool off for a few minutes. After the initial shock of the cold, it felt great !! We made one more stop along the river at the visitors center where we walked through more orchards and read tons of information about the history of the canyon. This stop was right up Tim's alley........you know how he enjoys his history lessons ! Before making it back to the
marina we passed by the opening where the Salmon River meets the Snake River and that was really cool. Of course Butch had to get a couple of more big splashes in so we would be good and wet before our departure. Unfortunately our day with Butch, Mitch and the speed boat was coming to an end but wow what an incredible day it was on the river. We made it back safely where Tim tipped the crew as we left the boat and said our fairwells to our newfound friends. We headed up the hill where Big Bertha sat, drenched from head to toe, but it was all worth it. We dried off, changed clothes and then headed into town for some dinner. We found a great pizza place and enjoyed a large meat lovers together before calling it a night. We were exhausted from our long day going through Hells Canyon but first we had to find the nearest Wal-Mart. Our waitress pointed us in the right direction and off we went looking for the big blue bridge. Thankfully, it wasn't very hard to find. She wasn't lying, it was a big blue bridge and as soon as
we crossed it we spotted the new Wal-Mart Super Center in Clarkston, Washington. Yep, we went from Idaho to Washington with just the crossing of a bridge. That's one of the things I love about doing these trips, you never know where or what state you're going to be sleeping in from one minute to the next. We settled in at the new Wal-Mart and with our exhausted bodies and full bellies we were off to bed. Today was an awesome fun-filled day but tomorrow will only be filled with miles and miles of pavement. It's going to be another long driving day but we've gotta do it if we want to see Jackson Hole and Yellowstone. Nighty night !
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@HellsCanyon
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Glad you enjoyed your stay
By the pictures you posted, it looks like you had a fantastic trip on the Snake River in Hells Canyon! Butch and Mitch definitely treat their clients right on those River Quest trips. Stopping at their lodge is always a treat, and you got to share apricots with the deer - BONUS! If you wander back through our area, please be sure to hollar -we'd love to say Hi, down at the Visitors Bureau Office in Clarkston :) Travel safely - @HellsCanyon