Archive for 2006

Lake Creek Blowout on the Middle Fork

by ECHO Staff on September 12th, 2006

First hand account of the Lake Creek blowout and Pistol Creek logjam that occured on July 26, 2006 by ECHO guide Colleen Winters.

We camped at Fire Island, the night before Lake Creek blew out and caused the total closure of the river, due to a logjam. Lightning colored the sky in the early morning, but few raindrops came down on our camp. We left Fire Island around 9:30 and started floating down the river just like any other day.

As we approached Lake creek, a few of us noticed the lack of current and that the high water line was just barely out of the water. We knew then that Lake creek had dammed up the river at some point during the early morning. We soon caught up to our Sweep boat, along with many other float groups. They were parked on river left, just below a river bench on the river. Rumors were already coming back that logs had jammed up Pistol Creek Rapid, and that the river was not runable. After a short walk we were all staring down at the huge mess, wondering what was going to happen. We had three commercial groups and at least two privates who had already arrived and floating down the river was going to be impossible any time soon.

The Forest Service had gotten word by radio, and because they were camped right above us on the river, they had shown up by the time be got back to our boats. For us, we had to start making lunch, and setting up tents knowing we would at least have to spend the night. That evening, we heard the Forest Service might be able to bring some explosives in, and may or may not blow the logjam in the next few days. We made the decision to fly our guests out from Pistol Creek Ranch, and made the phone calls. We had a nice dinner with our guests and had everybody up around 7:00am the next day. Once everyone had their bags packed, we headed down the trail to the ranch and had one last look at the jam.

All day long the Forest Service crew pulled log after log out of the pile. The logs actually started flowing at one point, but then really got jammed up. The Forest Service than decided that in the morning they would use the explosives to get rid of the river hazard. We arose early, had our coffee and breakfast, and headed out to see the event. We weren’t able to be very close to where the explosives were going to be going off, so we spent all morning trying to figure out where the best view would be from. Some headed up the hill to get a view and some headed down river where we had a pretty good shot. With the guards on the trail to stop traffic, and an explosion time that kept getting pushed back, we waited. The logjam finally exploded and we were able to get some good photos.

A few seconds after the explosion, the debris started flowing down the river, and amazingly left a good channel down the right side. The Forest Service claimed that it was ninety-five percent clear, and that they should have the river open by the next morning. A few of the forest service kayaked all the way down to Indian Creek to make sure it was run able, and then declared the river was back open that evening. Since it was so late in the day, everyone camped once more on the river bench, and celebrated a job well done.

This post was tagged with , and posted in Middle Fork of the Salmon River.

Big Water and Sunshine: The Perfect Combo

by Zachary on June 22nd, 2006

We just got off a fantastic five day Middle Fork of the Salmon Rivertrip on Tuesday. We lucked out with gorgeous, warm, sunny weather and awesome medium-high water flows! The first day was full of adventure with Velvet Falls and The Chutes, plus enormous wave trains. Some of the haystacks (big waves) made the Salmon River feel like the middle of the ocean. Folks kept asking what the rapids were called and were shocked to discover that many of them don’t even have names. By the time we got to camp the first night we were all exhausted from so much paddling, so we devoured dinner and headed to bed pretty early.

The whitewater over the next few days was a little less technical, but the rapids provided some of the biggest waves and wettest splashes. We stopped for a long soak in the Sunflower Hot Springs along the way, enjoying the spectacular views of the river and the canyon from the warm baths above. In the evenings we enjoyed time around the campfire, telling stories, playing games, and listening to Catfish perform a Hamlet soliloquy. One of the afternoons, Scott took us on a short hike to some hiding coves built by the Sheepeater Indians as part of their hunting strategies. The group huddled around Scott as he re-enacted the Native Americans’ hunt and how they trapped their prey. On the last night, we feasted on lasana and played Mafia, a wonderful camp game, under a gorgeous starry sky.

We woke up early on the last morning in preparation for a 25 mile stretch of huge whitewater. The Impassable Canyon turned out to be “passable” and we squealed with glee as we crashed through the house-size waves at Rubber. Cramer Creek was the final hurrah and it definitely ended the river trip with an enormous bang (see photo). It was the wave of all waves, but we paddled hard and managed to punch through it. Sun-kissed faces grinned from ear-to-ear as we did paddle high fives down to take-out.

This post was tagged with , , and posted in Middle Fork of the Salmon River.

Special 3 or 4 Day Middle Fork Trips

by ECHO Staff on June 12th, 2006

The Middle Fork of the Salmon is normally a 5 or 6 day trip covering 75 or 100 miles. There is no road access to the river between the put-in point and the take-out. But there are some airstrips along the river, and we are using two of these to offer shorter trips.

MIDDLE FORK 4-DAY TRIP August 20 – 23, 2006 $1295 per person
On this trip we begin by flying in to the Thomas airstrip at the Middle Fork Lodge and floating 65 miles to the regular take-out at Cache Bar. This trip gives us two days of relatively easy water before we enter Impassable Canyon, with the best and most challenging rapids the Middle Fork has to offer. Some highlights of the trip are natural hot springs, Indian pictographs, and such great rapids as Earthquake, Redside, Webber, Hancock, Rubber, House Rock and Devil’s Tooth before we reach the confluence with the Main Salmon, or River of No Return. We end with Cramer Creek, the four-year-old rapid on the Main Salmon and the biggest of them all.

MIDDLE FORK 3-DAY TRIP September 1-3. 2006 $995 per person
On this trip we fly into an airstrip at The Flying B Ranch and float the last 35 miles of the Middle Fork. The river starts gaining momentum shortly after leaving the Ranch, and continues to build as we float through Impassable Canyon before running onto the Main Salmon.

Price includes:
- charter flight from the town of Stanley to the river the morning of the first day
- Tents, sleeping bags, air mattresses and camp chairs
- All meals, beginning with lunch the first day and ending with lunch the last day
- Beer, wine and soft drinks with meals
- Bus transportation from the river to the town of Salmon the last day

Price does not include:
- Transportation to Stanley before the trip and from Salmon after the trip
- Pre- and post-trip lodging

This post was tagged with , and posted in Middle Fork of the Salmon River.

Idaho Guide School Report

by Zachary on June 11th, 2006

Due to trip logistics and possible road closures, the decision was made to fly our students into Indian Creek. Once we heard the road was open to the Boundary Creek put in, the guides headed in to start from the top for a little pre-season training. We encountered some of the biggest snow flakes as we headed up over the pass, putting few inches on the road. When we finally reached put-in, we all took a look at the river that was flowing just over 6 feet. What a different river than the one we left in the fall. As we stood with the snow coming down, Maggie pointed out the warning sign for low water that still hung on the vacated forest service building, and we all had a good laugh.

Snow at the Boundary Creek Launch Site

Snow at the Boundary Creek Launch Site

The next morning we rose early to coffee and more rain, and hit the river. We needed to make the 25 miles down to Indian Creek that day, to meet the students, and most of us hadn’t ever seen the river this high, or ever. Paying close attention to spacing and boat order we left the eddy and headed down the river. We all made the left at Murphy’s hole, and headed down to Velvet Falls. We stopped to scout, and all picked out our lines. Our last boat, with Kelly on the oars, bounced off the rock she was trying to pull behind and headed straight into the hole. With her boat now upside down, she swiftly swam to shore and Zach and Marc were after her raft, which they successfully were able to get stopped not to far down the river. After getting Kelly’s raft re-flipped, we all jumped back into our boats and made it to Indian Creek after a long cold day on the river.

Due to weather, our students were stuck in Salmon at our locked up guide house until the morning. They jumped on the Islander and landed at Indian Creek around ten o’clock the next morning hungry for French toast and bacon! After filling up, Zach led the safety meeting and divided the group up into four teams of two. Colleen and Marc did the first lesson in rigging gear onto rafts and we were soon rowing down the river practicing catching eddies along the edge of the river. Even with the river dropping, it was still a difficult task finding eddies big enough to catch, but soon everyone was getting the hang of it. We reached camp, Marble left, and divided into new teams to learn about setting up camp. Three people set up camp tarps, chairs, fire pan, and collected wood with Zach. Three more set up the kitchen with Colleen, and Marc worked on tying up the rafts and putting up the groover. These jobs would then rotate the rest of the trip, so everyone would learn all the camp jobs, and eventually be able to do it themselves.

Zach Teaching a Class on Ropework

Zach Teaching a Class on Ropework

The rest of the night included a delicious chicken dinner, chocolate fondue, a few beers, and some guitar music around the campfire.

The next day was a layover, and we had a lot to cover. The morning was knot tying, where we again rotated through different stations. Next was throw bag practice. What started as a funny idea of Brait, soon grew into the new game of throw bag football. Three attempts at the end zone, then switch teams. The bystanders re-stuffed the bags and tossed in a new one after every attempt. Once we were done practicing on land, we headed for the river. Teams stood on the banks, and the guides all headed up to be swimmers. We all rotated through swimming in the cold water, and practicing throwing. This also made sure everyone was comfortable in the water.

We camped at Loon Creek the next night, and hiked up to the Hot Springs for a great evening Soak. The next day, we headed down to Survey, where we all took the night off and had Fajitas, Margaritas, and great “dare wear” party for Hata’s Birthday.

Hata's Birthday Party at Survey Camp

Hata's Birthday Party at Survey Camp

We soon arrived at the Main Salmon, where three of our friends from Sawtooth Adventures joined us for some training of their own. The Main Salmon was higher than any of us had seen it and we all marveled at the beauty and how fun the rapids were at the higher flow. Our second to last day we spent as a layover day and covered boat repair as well as safety topics. Our last night on the river was a touching one as we all discussed epiphanies that we had during the trip. The trip ended as we pulled into Carey Creek, our take-out, and loaded the truck for the nine hour drive back to Salmon.

This post was tagged with , , and posted in Guide School.

What’s Up With the Guide School?

by ECHO Staff on June 4th, 2006

From the ECHO World Headquarters in Oakland, we can only speculate how the Idaho Guide School is going, but we spend plenty of time discussing it.

The Idaho school is a 9-day guide training course on the Middle Fork of the Salmon and the Main Salmon. Both rivers have been flowing at mid-to high water levels this past week which adds an extra element of excitement and challenge to their river adventure. We are sure they are finding plenty of opportunities for learning, gaining experience, and having a wonderful time!

With daunting weather reports at the beginning, we were a little worried. The trip started off with gray skies bringing snow, rain, and highs in the mid-40′s. It takes a true whitewater enthusiast to want to run a high-water Middle Fork Trip in winter conditions. Wet suits, splash jackets, wool sweaters, and plenty of hot cocoa were likely the survival tools that helped them make it through the first few days of stormy weather.

Looking at the weather report for the last few days of their trip, we are all wishing we could be on the river with them. They are now floating down the the Salmon, camping on big sandy beaches, sleeping under starry skies, and enjoying the warm sun during the day. The weather report for the next few days predicts clear, sunny skies with highs in the mid-80′s. Somewhere along the course of the guide training, Idaho turned from spring to summer. And now we are all ready to pack our bags and get out on the river!

This post was tagged with , , and posted in Guide School.

ECHO Family Runs a High Water Tuolumne Trip

by Zachary on May 3rd, 2006

The ECHO training trip on the Tuolumne was a huge success! Some hailed from as far as Salt Lake City and New York to come on “The T” and both Dick Linford and Joe Daly freed up their weekends for what was supposed to be relaxing river trip. As we gathered around for the safety talk at Meral’s Pool, Dick Linford said with a grin, “If I’d known the T would be running at 8,000 cfs, this trip would’ve been cancelled last week!” But, the boats were loaded and in the water and all 21 of us guides were ready to go and very excited about the adventure ahead.

Boat Safely Below Clavey Falls

Boat Safely Below Clavey Falls

The waves and holes were huge and the water was moving very quickly, but we all managed to stay in our boats through the first ten big rapids and in no time we arrived at the daunting Clavey Falls. After a tough ferry across the Clavey River which was adding another 1,500 cfs or more to the Tuolumne, we scouted and had no choice except to run the Linford Slot down the right. When Jeff’s raft came through a few people, including Dick, were catapulted out of the raft and had to swim part of Clavey! It was very exciting for those of us watching and they all were pulled back into the boat with smiles on their faces.

Dan, Zach, and Eric Relaxing at Big Creek

Dan, Zach, and Eric Relaxing at Big Creek

At Big Creek camp we had time to enjoy the green lushness of the river canyon, the wildflowers, and the waterfalls pumping out of the hillsides. We tried a new Dutch Oven recipe – Garlic Rosemary Lamb – which was well-received and might be a new dinner on the Middle Fork of this Summer this summer. We also had excellent seminars on sanitation, first aid, Z-rigs and wraps.

Day 2 only had one big rapid, Hells Kitchen, but it was chock full of excitement. When Dick took over ECHO’s new cataraft from Zach, we knew it would be an eventful afternoon. And, sure enough, as we rounded the bend after a fun ride through Hells Kitchen, we noticed the cat surfing in a hole at the Playground, Dick flailing around trying to regain control of the oars, yelling for hi-sides, and looking absolutely determined to keep the boat from flipping. Meanwhile Zach was hanging on for dear life, frighteningly close to the full groover, looking entirely pleased with the situation. After a minute or two the boat came out of the hole and a smile finally broke out on Dick’s face. We could hear them hooting and hollering, thrilled that they had come so close to flipping, but had managed to stay upright. It was an entertaining end to a great trip.

This post was tagged with , , , , and posted in General News.

The “Intrepid Eleven” Run the First Tuolumne Trip of 2006

by Zachary on April 18th, 2006

The eleven brave boaters that signed up for our April 8th Tuolumne River trip had an epic one day journey. Most of the roads in Tuolumne county were closed that weekend and the river was raging so we put together a special trip for them after nobody wanted us to cancel it.

We started our trip by hiking two miles downhill along the South Fork of the Tuolumne. At put-in, we found that the river was 5,000 cfs instead of the 3,800 cfs that was reported. Our guides were up to the challenge so we put on and ran the Tuolumne at one it’s most difficult levels. Some guides say that 5,000 cfs is the most difficult level on the Tuolumne because we have to run the big rapids right down the middle. At higher flows, it’s easier to sneak around the big holes that lurk in the middle of the river and can flip boats.

April High Water on the Tuolumne River

April High Water on the Tuolumne River

We’d normally take out at Ward’s Ferry bridge, but both roads in were closed so we had to paddle an additional mile across the reservoir to a 150 foot long log jam. Here we slowly pushed logs out of the way and paddled through it. After the log jam we had a motorboat tow us across Don Pedro Reservoir we arrived at Moccasin Point Marina. It was an adventurous day!

This post was tagged with , and posted in General News.

Guide School Ends on April Fools Day

by ECHO Staff on April 4th, 2006

We just finished our 2006 Oregon/California guide school on April Fools Day after a week of rain and boating. Our Oregon crew reports a good time, cold weather, some great new friendships, lots of boating, and a great April Fools Prank.

One of our younger students, Mack, came to us with a serious cold and a 100 degree fever which he failed to mention to us until our third day on the Rogue. His parents called the office a number of times worried about him, but we had nothing to report as he was in the wilderness for five days. Mack was fine and it became an inside joke of the guide school to continually ask him “How ya feeling” as we were all concerned and nobody could stop asking him for an update.

Mack’s dad came to pick him up from the school the last night and Mack thought it would be a good time to play a joke on him. So we bandaged Mack up with an arm sling and head bandage and came up with a great story about a boat frame falling on top of him. When his dad showed up, Mack told the story with a straight face while the other trainees and guides were biting their tongue.

Mack and his dad left our guide house with plans for the emergency room. It turns out that Mack kept the joke going until his parents were on the phone talking about shoulder surgeons. A fun ending (for some) to an epic guide school.

Fun April Fool's Day Joke

Fun April Fool's Day Joke

Our next guide school will be on the Middle Fork and Main Salmon from May 28 to June 6 and is almost full.

This post was tagged with , , , , and posted in Guide School.

ECHO Guide School Featured in Paddler Magazine

by ECHO Staff on March 23rd, 2006

The March/April issue of Paddler Magazine features an article about ECHO’s 2005 guide school. Written by Laura Stavoe, the article is from the point of view of a forty-something mother of twin boys who joins the school in part to overcome her fears of white water. Laura tells a good story of having to deal with the cold, the rain, the hard work and the anxiety of spending eight days learning the basics of guiding on the Rogue and Tuolumne in March. The learning curve is steep, and the hands-on experience is rewarding if exhausting. Laura does a nice job of weaving a blow-by-blow account of what happened with her thoughts of home, children, and the question of what in the world she is doing with these crazy people.

The article features some gonzo photographs of that weren’t taken during training, but some realistic photographs that were. A trainee wrapped a raft at Blossom Bar on the Rogue, the the shot of the wrap is one that we debated about. But it did happen, and it was an excellent lesson for the trainees, so we thought it belonged in the article. If you get the magazine, that’s ECHO Idaho guide Colleen Winters and trainee Martin Waters on the raft, anchoring the Z rig.

Read the Article

In other news, ECHO Idaho guide Rob Marin, who spent much of the winter guiding on the White Nile in Africa, just boarded a trimaran in Cape Town, South Africa, to sail to Miami. We wish him luck.

This post was tagged with , , and posted in Guide School.

In Search of Brokeback Mountain

by ECHO Staff on February 24th, 2006

Many of our guests ask what our guides do in the off-season. Well, this season Jeremy Matlock and Adam Farmer spent their time working on a short film titled “In Search of Brokeback Mountain.” Jeremy sent a copy to ECHO World Headquarters here in Oakland a few weeks ago and we loved it. We are very proud of the many surprising talents of our guides. The following is a synopsis of the film:

A desire he couldn’t ignore.
A love they wouldn’t deny.

Jeremy Matlock stars as Yakley Tumbleweed, a young cowboy who’s finally come to grips with his deepest desires. In a bold and courageous move, Yakley sets out on a daring quest for Brokeback Mountain, the only place where he can fully satisfy his burning passion. But his journey becomes an unforgettable adventure, as Yakley encounters unforeseen obstacles, bizarre characters and one merciless mud puddle. With the odds stacked against him, follow Yakley as he refuses to let go of his dreams, and goes “In Search of… Brokeback Mountain.”

This post was tagged with , , , and posted in Guide News.

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