Hell's Canyon

"The first thing you'll want to do is turn your caps around backwards, because once that wind hits 'em, they'll fly off your head," advised our boat captain Butch Brown of Hell's Canyon White Water Adventures. Our day started with breakfast at the Hells Canyon Adventures lodge. They were quite generous with breakfast, and it was great! They make their own cinnamon rolls and muffins etc. You just can't beat homemade. The lodge was great, air conditioned, huge family room with a king, queen and three twin beds.
Back to breakfast; watermelon, juices, coffee, cereal!

The Jet Boat ride down the Snake River thru Hell's Canyon was a fantastic experience. We left at nine in the morning for a six-hour ride over several sets of rapids to a lunchtime destination of a canyon oasis known as The Kirkwood Ranch.

This ride marks one of the greatest experiences of my life and through my brief video clip, I can re-live it time and again. In the morning, the temperature was somewhere in the high 80's, but peaked well over 100 on the way back.

Up close to the river like we were, it was wonderful to smell its mineral-fresh scent and watch the waves toss back and forth. We met a nice couple from Kansas who shared the Lodge with us. Though we didn't meet until breakfast, it was fun to spend the day with them and get to know them more. The trip consisted of coursing over a series of level 4 rapids, and 1 level 5 which tipped the front of the boat upward. Nobody got seriously drenched though, which was too bad considering how hot it was.

Our first stop was at a narrow inlet in the canyon where we docked. A climb up some steep rocks and up along a narrow trail led us to some ancient Native American Pictographs painted on the canyon wall. The colors are beginning to fade just a bit, and the designs are definitely up to interpretation.

As we docked at the Kirkwood Ranch, Butch, our Captain, laid out our lunch while everyone hiked and toured the acreage. The food was great, very refreshing, and came at just the right time as we were all getting very hungry. By then it was so hot that I just had to get wet, so I went into the river up to my waist. It felt great.

Epilogue

Upon arriving back home, a tremendous sense of melancholy filled us that lasted longer than normal. I'm not sure why exactly. However, having filmed in the desert before, and having spent time in the beautiful solitude and sun, I think that something transforms a person in country like that. High country offers a sense of freedom and independence and high degree of adventure even if you do nothing but sit and admire the land.

The solitude of the high desert country is an antidote for the soul. We never saw more than 1 car at given location, and passed even fewer within spans of many miles. Since we both love and dream of living in a small town, each town we came upon was small with populations that numbered into the hundreds and less. So, when the day came to leave all of this, head back into the land of strip malls, overpriced stores, manic city streets, this sense of quiet and anonymity was stolen from us.

Needless to say, we will return.

A Winding Canyon. Shadows at dawn create a striking pose on the walls of the canyon as it winds around the Snake River.	Hell's Canyon. At the foot of the dam, sunrise illuminates the bend. It was cool and comfortable in the morning. That, of course, was about to change.
On the Boat. Members of our group as we get ready to take off for the first set of level 4 rapids.	Holding On. Everyone grabs ahold of something as we brace for the first set.
The First Rapids. A beautiful shot of one extraordinarily beautiful place, and the gorgeous Snake River. Oh yes, it's hot out there!	We Survived. The river is choppy after we descended the first rapids. Many more lay ahead. This ride ranks as one of the greatest experiences of my life.
Native American Pictographs. The rock canyon walls were scribed with these ancient pictographs. We docked long enough to climb the trail up into the canyon for a better look.	Here We Go! The next set of rapids await us just around the bend. I loved the way the boat rocked when the waves got stronger and stronger. The next set were a level 5.
Back of the Jet Boat. Looking back at a gorgeous view. Actually, it was one view right after another.	Water Divides from behind the boat creating a mesmerizing wave-tail that I could just stare at for hours.
Sparkling Green. Rocking, slapping the boat, tipping us to and fro. The green waves of the Snake River were so calming that I wish I could bottle them!	Heading Back Everyone was pretty much worn out by now what with the heat and just the perfect ambiance of the canyon.