Idaho: Where the potatoes are big and the whitewater is bigger

So. a few weeks before Mother's Day, we were visiting friends, and the subject of going to Idaho this summer to hang out with my friend Amanda came up. We talked about how it would be a fun girls weekend, if Angie could come with us too. I casually mentioned that a trip to Idaho to go kayaking would be a great Mother's Day present. Scott said okay, and I promptly went home that evening and booked my flight.

The weekend before last, very early on Friday morning, Angie and I boarded a flight for Boise. Ah, I suppose I should explain the draw of Idaho. We've (Scott and I) have been kayaking for about 9 years, and we've attended a skills camp for the last 8. These camps are run by some really amazing paddlers: An Olympic Gold Medalist, an Olympic Silver Medalist, former Olympic Coaches, Course Designers, US National Team Members, it's really an all star cast. Some of these all stars run an amazing Raft and Kayak Outfititng company on the Payette River in Idaho. (If you are ever looking for some whitewater fun, look up Cascade Raft and Kayak, you won't be disappointed.)

Over the years we've become very close to these wonderful people. Scott and I vacationed in Colorado with one of our 'coaches', he taught me how to snowboard. Scott, several friends, and I spent a few days at Cascade on our way to do a seven day trip on the Middle Fork of the Salmon River, in 2001. That Olympic Gold Medalist, just calls us to say "hi". Basically these people have become our dear friends.

My friend from here, has spent the last three summers (she's a teacher) working for Cascade. Oh, yeah, and paddling every freaking day. (insert derogatory name, said with love and jealousy here) She went to Chile last year (our Idaho friends run a school in Chile during the Idaho winters, tough job, eh?) and is going again this year to be their "teacher". (insert word here) When she suggested we come out and visit her, and do some paddling with our friends, can you say 'jump at the chance?'

Okay, now back to the trip. Amanda picked us up at the airport and we immediately headed for lunch. KFC. There is a whole story behind KFC and the three of us. Let's just leave it at mashed potatoes, 70 MPH, feeding the driver, while she drives a car load of female paddlers, a sight to be seen.

After lunch we made it to Cascade. Hugs all around, and on to the river. We started with the Main, A nice Class II-III run. (Rivers are rated from easy to hard Class I to Class V.) It's been a while since I've spent any time of the river. The last two years I had a total of 8 days on the river, essentially the 4 days each year of our camp. Prior to becoming a Mommy, I would have called myself a good paddler, a solid class III-IV boater. Before I got pregnant, I was on the water several times a week (flat water workouts), and I was slalom racing 6 or 8 races a season, in addition I was playing Kayak Polo, at least once a week. I was in my boat a LOT. Kayaking is all about muscle memory, I had a lot of boat time, so I had a lot of muscle memory. Post baby? Not so much.

I had a tough time with our first run. Water levels on the Payette were out of control. The wet spring and good snow pack has the river running at about 120% of normal. I just felt out of sorts. I didn't feel in control of my boat. For the past few years, with all the slalom paddling I've been doing, I'd forgotten what it is like to be in a small boat. Slalom boats are big, about 13 feet long, they ride along the tops of waves, turn more slowly. Whitewater boats are smaller, about 7 feet long, they turn on a dime. At one point on this run, I caught air. I got up on top of a big wave and soared. It was fun, if you like 8 feet waves. Really, the Main is super fun. Not much can hurt you. Lots of big wave trains, and at this water level, really big wave trains. I made it through, felt a bit shaky, and worried because I was hoping to do the more challenging section of the river known as the South Fork, or the Staircase Run.

Saturday we had planned on doing a raft trip on the Canyon, Class III-IV with a portage around a 40 ft. waterfall, (upper South Fork) because it would be something the three of us could do together. Angie is not a kayaker like Amanda and I are, so for her to do anything like the South Fork it would have to be in a raft. Sadly Angie woke up with a migraine on Saturday and didn't feel like she could make the trip. It's too bad because it was quite a trip.

We got on a boat with these four, um, very large people. One of the guys said he was 280. Turns out they were really fun and had done a fair amount of rafting. HOWEVER. One of the men in the group, let's just say, he was clueless. He'd stop paddling, just because, he was never paddling at the same rate as the person in front of him, therefore he was constantly hitting someone's paddle, because he was out of sync. Whatever, all these things, can be over looked. What cannot be forgiven is illustrated in the following sequence of photos.

See Janice and Amanda paddling with happy smiles on their faces as we go through the rapid called "surprise". (Janice in Red sparkly helmet, and Amanda in the Green helmet)

See Janice, being hit in the head with the paddle of the guy in front of her, as he leans into her, making it impossible for her to get her paddle in the water.

Notice who is missing from the raft???? Yep, Janice is missing, because the guy in front of her has pushed her out of the boat.

Notice the "not so happy" face? Yeah, not so happy about swimming in the snow melt water for a half a mile.

We laughed about it for a long time with our raft mates. I gave that guy such a hard time on the raft, on the bus, as we looked at the photographic evidence. Even though I got a bit more water than I had anticipated, we did have the fun boat, there was a lot of laughing and good natured ribbing.

After the raft trip Amanda and I did another run on the Main. It went much better. I was in a smaller boat, and felt like I had much more control. It was fun again.

But not for long...

Sunday, the Lower South Fork (Class III-IV) was on the agenda. A few years ago, no problem. I was so nervous. I haven't been this nervous in a long, long time. What was I getting into. However, if I was going to do this, these were the optimum conditions. Tom, the Cascade's patriarch was going to lead me down, and I'd have two safety boaters along. Three people to save me. It's a good thing too. I was unprepared for the huge, HUGE 12 foot waves. I had my slow and thoughtful slalom paddling style and I should have brought my big water game. (I've never really paddled any big water so, I have no game) I got through the technical part of Bronco Billy (major rapid #1) and rolled on just a big wave. I have to admit, I think I panicked a little. (okay, a lot) I swam, with Tom right there. oops. After a pep talk I prepared for Staircase, by going through a couple of big wave rapids that I don't even know the names of. I rolled, only this time I came back up on my own. Okay, relaxing a little. Grip not so tight on my paddle.We then got to Staircase, got out, looked at it, Tom showed me my line, and we were back in it.
I made the technical move at the top okay, hit the eddy I was aiming for now I just had to skirt around this one big hole and I'd be out of the tough stuff. I got most of the way around the hole. I think I might have gotten a bit too close. I didn't get to the right side of the river soon enough and so I had to go through some pretty meaty waves. I rolled. I rolled, I rolled. Tom pulled me up, Tom pulled me up, Tom screamed at me to relax (he started out telling me and by about the 100th time he was screaming) and pulled me up. I was upright, without my paddle and through the rapid. Fortunately, Amanda found my paddle up stream, (yeah, go figure) and I was able to catch my breath.

The last big rapid was Slalom. At this water level (HIGH!!!) It was just a technical move at the top, a couple of other less precise moves throughout and then I'd be done. Yeah, I made the technical moves, and got rolled on a big wave. This time I came up and stayed up, whew.

Seriously the ugliest paddling I've EVER done, it was not at all pretty, but I've done it. I paddled the South Fork of the Payette!!!! I got worked, but I did it. And now I can brag about it to make Scott jealous! However I have this sneaking suspicion that we will be taking a trip to Idaho next summer...stay tuned.

Angie, Amanda and I went out that night to do a Hydrospeed run down the Main. Basically floating down the river on a heavy boogie board. It was super fun and relaxing after my white knuckle afternoon!!!!

It was such a great trip. I was never so happy to be home to see my boys. I missed them terribly. (before I left I uploaded videos of them on to my ipod, and I watched them several times a day, sigh.) They had a really wonderful weekend with their Daddy all to themselves, and I had a fantastic time reminding myself that I need to keep up my skills so I can teach those boys how to kayak someday...or rather, take them to Idaho, so Tom can teach them! I just have to be able to keep up with them!