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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Oct 2005
    Location
    Idaho
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    10,953

    TR: Bruneau River, Idaho, May, 2011

    http://www.americanwhitewater.org/co...detail/id/533/

    This is a southwest Idaho classic desert river trip. A lot a kayakers and light packing boaters will run the Jarbidge and tie in to avoid the nasty shuttle road. We don't pack light and I was only one of a few kayakers in the group so I rowed my Spider.

    We all took small round boats. Our CFS cutoff was 3,000 cfs. At 3,000, we were not going to put on. Once you are in the canyon, there are not many options to get out so the remoteness adds a few levels of consequence. I have buddies that have kayaked and cat'd it at much higher flows...not a place I would want to flip a 13' raft.

    Either of the shuttle roads are gnarly as far as shuttle roads go. Group sizes are pretty small due to the shuttle. So, we decided that Tina Falkore (my van) would make two trips with people and gear and we would hire one ride for me and a few stragglers and coolers to make it in. We had 12 people in the group with adds an issue of camps in the canyon-there are only a couple big enough to actually enjoy the camping portion of the trip.

    The CFS forecast shifted with an incoming thunderstorm that bumped the numbers pretty high. Luckily, no one had cell service in the canyon so we put on anyway. One group just ahead of us holed up for three days until the water dropped. Everyone else waiting at the put-in scrapped their trips due to flow.

    We ran the Five Mile series of rapids at just over 4,000. All the rafters on the trip who have never spent time kayaking continuous V water, said it was a blast. The couple of us who have V experience, had a blast with some retrospect of humility, a full belly of humble pie, and some frazzled nerves.

    There are no pictures of Five Mile as we were all earning passage. Here are the pics of the rest.



    Tina Falkore weighing in at about 10-11,000 lbs. It's a bumpy road so there were some mid-trip adjustments and tightening to be made.




    Lotta wide open country out here.




    ...until you drop into the canyon. I think you lose 1,000' in just over a mile.




    Just little further down and over there.




    Due to the lack of population, the military does a lot of training out here. We also saw some pretty bad ass mock dog fights and a crow do a couple of barrel rolls.




    When in Idaho... passing the time before I had to drive up to meet another pickup at the canyon rim.




    The second trip wasn't as bad-you couldn't see where your car would stop rolling if you went off the road.




    Night one dinner. It was a Mexican themed trip. Every meal was Mexican and I called not it on groover duty.






    The hired gun. I'm now in the process of building up an 80 like this one. I had to wake up at 5 am to drive out to meet the incoming shuttle. It was about three hours from the put-in to the take-out.




    The shuttle driver spends a lot of time in the area. There is a bitchin hot springs that you need a tub or trough for because the water comes out at about 140F so you have to mix it with river water. The problem with this is the locals with no desire to hot spring also like guns coupled with destructive behaviors. The shuttle drivers says that the tubs he takes down usually last about two weeks before they are shot full of holes. Here we are "borrowing" a watering trough from a ranch junk pile before dropping into the canyon.




    We dropped in the other side for a change of scenery this time.




    One of the hangups with these roads is there is not a lot of maintenance. The other hang up is there is no real backing up and going the other way once you commit to going down to the river.




    Luckily, we have winches. After over an hour, five big dudes, and hi-lift, we were back on the road.




    Desert flowers everywhere. Along with snakes. At one point, one of the boats had a rattle snake in it which they removed with a paddle. It swam back in through the floor so they pinned its head, grab the tail, and flung it as far as they could. I was the only person on the trip who didn't see a snake of some type.




    Finally on the boat and into the canyon. You have about 1/4 of more open water and then a canyon for the next 3 days. It's really cool to be down there. The views are spectacular.
















    Night two camp which is the first night of camping on the actual river trip. We were lucky to get the one "spacious" camp available.




    I call this the camp of the "Curse of the Dead Cow". Right after downing the goods to gain entry to the spirit world, a dead, bloated cow floated by legs up heading downriver. That's when shit hit the fan.



    We went from sunny partying, drinking, carrying-on to 40-50 mile per hour winds. Because of the mounting vision quest we where embarking on, most of the group headed up to pride rock to watch the front come in. It was cool. See if you can spot cowboy Waldo on the ridge line.




    With dinner prepared but not cooked and a bunch of altered idiots walking around in the desert, three of us decided to stay at camp to hold the fort down. Some people didn't use sense in securing things so there were dry bags open in the bushes, PFDs flying around in the wind, boats almost tied up, chairs flying, etc. At one point, the wind picked up a rollatable which blindsided my buddy's wife from about 20 feet away. It split her lip and gave here a bloody nose.

    As luck would have it, this was costume night and she was wearing a white Mexican wedding dress. My altered buddy walks up to see blood all over the front of his wife. Can't say that I would ever want to see that scene again. It all ended well though.

    They take off to repair the wounded so I continue to batten down the hatches. Then it started to rain. And by rain, I mean 1-2"/hr type of rain (I'm no meteorologist but I think this is where the extra 1300 cfs came from). So I secure camp, grab some beers and go hide in the cave under the piniata. Then the group shows back up. We all go warm up in sleeping bags/tents, the storm passes, and it's time to continue the party.


    The cave I hid in and the makeshift anniversary piniata for the happy couple. Here I am lining up the piniata festivities.




    Apparently, the Kokotat rep thought all the demos would be blue this year. The blue boat with the blue people gearing up for the day. Drysuits for the upcoming rapids were not really an option.





    We interrupt this trip report with 4 miles of big water.

    And that's it. There were a couple of close calls in Five Mile but everyone stayed upright and in the boats.

    With the weather and snowpack, we'll probably be down to May levels in August. Just in time for the 110 degree desert heat.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Oct 2008
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    Somewhere else
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    5,676
    Looks awesome!

    Love the cow-print raft too... what is that?
    Goal: ski in the 2018/19 season

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Aug 2009
    Location
    Lost in Time
    Posts
    330
    Great TR..beautiful canyon...would love to run that some day! That van of yours (Tina Falkore) is also pretty awesome as well!

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Oct 2005
    Location
    Idaho
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    Quote Originally Posted by Shorty_J View Post
    Looks awesome!

    Love the cow-print raft too... what is that?
    It's a Maravia Spider. We know the Maravia folks pretty well and my buddy had that made a few years ago.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
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    Paper St. Soap Co.
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    3,303
    thanks for the tr

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Oct 2005
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    O+Positive
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    2,930
    I like how you roll, Conundrum. Nice TR!
    Montani Semper Liberi

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Oct 2008
    Location
    NorCal
    Posts
    2,573
    This is pretty cool stuff!

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Dec 2006
    Location
    crown of the continent
    Posts
    13,947
    well played sir.
    Something about the wrinkle in your forehead tells me there's a fit about to get thrown
    And I never hear a single word you say when you tell me not to have my fun
    It's the same old shit that I ain't gonna take off anyone.
    and I never had a shortage of people tryin' to warn me about the dangers I pose to myself.

    Patterson Hood of the DBT's

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Feb 2006
    Location
    prb
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    1,424
    beefy burly and psychotic. A nice story.
    looking for a good book? check out mine! as fast as it is gone

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Oct 2005
    Location
    Missoula
    Posts
    613
    ***added to the hit list***

  11. #11
    Helldawg Guest
    Wow, impressive. That road looks like a major PITA. Nothing worthwhile comes easy I guess??

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Oct 2005
    Location
    Idaho
    Posts
    10,953
    Howdy fellas. I'm bumping this because my shuttle truck/trailer is complete. I'm looking at running shuttles for folks. TGR price is $500 on weekends from take out to put in for 7 people, 3 14' or less round boats (more if kayaks), and gear. This is a pretty good deal when you consider gas, wear and tear on your vehicle and knowing the area. It would be based on my availability and I can do some midweek but I charge a little more.

    Hit me up via pm if interested.

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Mar 2008
    Location
    South Central Spud Land.
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    2,196
    Good to know. I will spread the word. Love this TR too.
    Quote Originally Posted by skuba View Post
    you can let it free and be as stupid as possible


    Thread Killer
    I would like to see your point of view but I can't get my head that far up your ass.

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Mar 2009
    Location
    Aspen, Colorado
    Posts
    2,645
    I did a Bruneau trip back in 1996. I have a picture taken somewhere on the drive in of a sign warning about dangerous objects which may fall from aircraft. Apparently there is a bombing range nearby. It was pretty cool seeing A-10s flying low over the canyon rims.

  15. #15
    Join Date
    Oct 2005
    Location
    Idaho
    Posts
    10,953
    Quote Originally Posted by Jethro View Post
    I did a Bruneau trip back in 1996. I have a picture taken somewhere on the drive in of a sign warning about dangerous objects which may fall from aircraft. Apparently there is a bombing range nearby. It was pretty cool seeing A-10s flying low over the canyon rims.
    I've been stopped on the road to take a piss and have those fly 100 or 200' off the deck right down the road at me and pull up just a bit before things got weird. There's a boater who flies A10s who will buzz boaters and the local ski hill depending on his training mission. Pretty cool stuff.

  16. #16
    Join Date
    Oct 2005
    Location
    Idaho
    Posts
    10,953
    Tested out my new trailer and I think things are good to go. Granted it was empty but went down the east road, through the river, and up the west side. Without any issues (I didn't have any) it was about 2:15 each direction from take out to put in. I think fully loaded it will be a bit slower but still a decent trip.

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  17. #17
    Join Date
    May 2012
    Posts
    2
    This looks bad ass awesome tr!

    Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using TGR Forums

  18. #18
    Join Date
    Sep 2006
    Location
    Tetons
    Posts
    6,384
    That looks like a sweet trip!

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