Trip Highlights

March 28-April 2, 2010.  Beau, Julie, Ben, Ruth, Nels, Blue, Flora, and Nathan floated the Lower Owyhee River in 2 rafts, 1 inflatable kayak, and 3 open solo canoes.  What a trip!


Weather and streamflows made the trip exciting and unpredictable.  We launched at low water, but enjoyed big water conditions by the time we entered Green Dragon Canyon.  We had conditions from mid 20's and driving snow to 65 degrees, sunny, and calm.  The Lower O never disappoints!




The USGS streamflows for the trip are posted to the right, as is an excerpt of Ruthy's writing.  Please enjoy the slideshows and trip info. 

• Day 1
• Put in at 11:40 pacific time
• windless conditions with many birds
• Camped at no name mile 9.  Past hike-out camp on the left.  Big gravel bar.  Fast eddy.
• Day 2--great action!
• big tail wind
• Julie, Beau swimmers
• Huge winds up top blowing tumbleweeds over the canyon rim--they settled in great drifts on the volcanic talus below.  Swirling in wind eddies on the way down, the weeds came to a splashy rest in the river or bombed our boats
• camped upriver from virgin bar, river left.  On the high ledge with thick sage
• Day 3--battling the weather
• on the water at noon--heavy snows and cold temperatures combined with emergency boat patching to lengthen the morning
• weather broke--fun in rapids, then to camp at Ryegrass with hot springs and hikes to canyon rim.  Sweeping vista; fence line visible to horizon as tumbleweeds piled high against it
• Day 4--Carnage in the Canyon
• We needed to make up for lost time.  Early push off and 14 mile day.
• Water level up to 4000 cfs.  Rushes and weeds in huge rafts on the river and in eddies
• Whistling Bird covered and pretty safe.  
• Green Dragon Canyon--continuous rapids, choppy water, and pushy eddies.  Ben swam in Squeeze--rescued just above Montgomery!
• Julie took a hard swim in Montgomery
• Beau swam in an unexpected hole below Montgomery--Carnage in the canyon!!
• Beautiful conditions to camp--little wind, nice big class II and III wave trains
• Camped at the old airstrip up from Jackson Creek
• Day 5--huge miles
• Hung prayer flags as we left camp
• big class II wave trains.  Nuisance and Morcum covered--read and run at 3000!
• Nels as a C-1 boater!
• Amazing afternoon--reservior low, lots of current, warm sun, and no wind.  23 miles to Echo Rock hot springs.  This was a huge disappointment until we found the real springs way up the hill!  Thanks to the Keepers since ancient times...
• Reservior a waste of burdock and some other weed.  But we saw a beaver.
• Day 6--mistake soak in the morning
• left at noon with only 4 miles to go.  50mph winds, driving sleet, low visibility.  Cold.  Arrived at Leslie with no energy left.  
• Take-out, drove out of Leslie through 10 inch drifts of snow.  Very muddy.  Happy to arrive at the Old Basque Inn (map) for food and lodging.  

Bird List

1. Great Blue Heron
2. Northern Harrier--esp. male breeding plumage
3. Kestrel
4. White-Tailed Kite
5. Canada Goose--esp eggs on bank
6. Red Wind Blackbird
7. Dark Eyed Junco
8. Violet Green Swallow
9. Barn Swallow
10. Bank Swallow
11. Say's Phoebe
12. Turkey Vulture
13. Ring-Necked Pheasant
14. Marsh Wren
15. Killdeer
16. Spotted Sandpiper
17. Black-Necked Stilt
18. Goldeneye
19. Mallard
20. Common Merganser
21. Brewer's Blackbird
22. Raven
23. European Starling
24. Northern Flicker
25. Magpie
26. Canyon Wren
27. Western Meadowlark
28. Red-Tailed Hawk
29. Golden Eagle
30. Rufous-Sided Towhee

The shuttle

I've posted a new map at the top of the blog:  it is the shuttle route.  Click on "terrain" to get an idea of the shape of the country we will be driving through on Saturday and at the end of the trip.  I also included a side trip to the Jordan Craters Wilderness--I would suggest that we visit this, either on the way in or out.  Out would be easier, as we will have all the cars.  

Anyway, just so you have some idea what to expect.  Fill up gas in Jordan Valley for sure, whatever we do!!

5 days out!

Time to start thinking about travel plans.  I included two maps on the blog--one from Northern California to Rome, the other from Missoula to Rome.  We need to all meet up at Rome on Saturday.  From Missoula, it is about a 12 hour trip with stops, etc.  We will leave Friday night and get whatever miles behind us that we can.

I don't see us all arriving at Rome until late in the afternoon on Saturday.  Then we have to run the shuttle--this is 70 miles each way over ranch roads.  I would guess 4 hours to run the shuttle, especially if we stop to check out the Jordan Craters Wilderness.  We'll be eating late on Saturday night.

Looks like we will have enough rigs to easily do the shuttle, so that is good.  We will sort out shuttle logistics on Saturday.  Please check/update the gear list if you need to.  

More later!

Current weather, streamflows, and planning

Hi folks,

We have the roster almost ready to go--waiting for one more person to confirm this week.  I've started a google docs page with a table for getting our gear together--make sure you visit the page and fill out the table with what you will bring.  Also indicate how many meals you will cover and what they will be so we can have a good variety!

Here's what NOAA says about the current conditions in Rome (the put-in).  This is about what we had last year, maybe a little warmer.  The winds in the forecast are light--this is really different from last year!  The forecast was from March 13th, 2010

The river is currently running a measly 484 cfs.  We need a 1000 minimum.  The Owyhee fluctuates widely.  Here's the graph from the USGS, also on March 13:

Check out the Google Doc (I emailed the invite to this page) and fill out the table!  Excited?  I AM!!!

March 1st: roster and planning

Check out the posts below for information on the river trip.  Lower Owyhee, launch date March 28.  Take out April 3, 2010.  Drive times around that to be discussed.  


Order a map and check out the BLM website for the Lower Owyhee.  Cheers!

BLM Regulations for the Lower Owyhee

This link takes you to the BLM management site for the river.  You can order a map for $10.  There is a .pdf of the map here.

Planning

Ok, so the trip is from Rome to Leslie Gulch.  This is about 65 miles, with several hot springs and fun rapids along the way.  Green Dragon Canyon is a trip highlight (image to left), as are shorebirds, decrepit homesteads, and a remote moonscape.

We need to know who can drive, how many canoes their rigs can carry, what safety gear they have.  We will eventually have to plan food and camp gear.  For the moment, know that if you are in a canoe, you need a wetsuit.  You will be unhappy without one.  Rafters, you should be just fine.

It looks like we will have a couple of rafts and then a bunch of canoes.  Awesome!  Talk to me, folks, let's get this planned!

I will be calling this week--have your excuses ready if you aren't coming on this trip!