Rough Water Ahead (Payette River Idaho)

We were fortunate to see some real white water kayaking on our trip last week. These kayakers were definitely in the extreme category. The white water must of have been at least 15 foot depth between the peaks and valleys in the rapids where we took these pics. The pics were taken on the Payette river in Idaho. The kayaker finally did right himself. I was worried as he did struggle to get back up on top of the water.

Rough Water Ahead


Going Over


Under Water

I've always wanted to do that! I doubt I will, but I have been on a raft through some white water. That was fun, probably not the challenge these folks had, but we had a blast.

How did you happen to be there when they were going by? Just lucky?

How did you happen to be there when they were going by? Just lucky?

Click to expand...

The highway winds along the river in this area. We came around a corner and seen the two kayakers headed into the rough water from the highway and were able to pull out and get the pics from a parking area along the highway. These guys were very experienced and did have a crew on shore to assist them if needed in the rough water. I am not sure what help could have been done other than body recovery.....

Further down the river there were many more kayakers and rafters. This area of the river was less hazardous but still provided excitement and camera action. We did lose three out of state white water rafters this week on the Snake River in the Jackson area.


Snake River drowning victims identified

Grand Teton National Park officials have confirmed the names of the three rafters who drowned Friday on the Snake River. The victims are John Rizas, 63, and Elizabeth Rizas, 58, from Beaufort, S.C., and Linda Clark, 69, from Shreveport, Louisiana. The Rizas and Clark were floating on the river as part of a Grand Teton Lodge Company float trip when their raft overturned Friday just after 11 a.m. They were on a raft with a total of 12 passengers and the trip's guide, on a 10-mile stretch of the Snake River approximately one-half mile south of the historic Bar BC Dude Ranch when their raft overturned. The incident spilled the raft's passengers into the cold, swiftly-running river, Grand Teton National Park reported in a release Saturday.

The accident was just the fourth fatal rafting trip on the Snake River inside the park in the past 56 years, according to Grand Teton National Park.

On average, approximately 63,000 people float the Snake River with commercially guided trips in Grand Teton National Park, according to the release from the park. Guided trips account for about two-thirds of the total number of people who float the Snake River in the park each year.

I'm betting the South Fork, but honestly not to sure (been on both). North fork is much more difficult.

Thing that always impressed me with the water out there (Idaho) is that from the road, it looks small (whitewater), but actually on it, it can be huge (as big as the Upper Gauley or Ottawa in the east).

Not sure if many people are familiar with it, but if you get up to Crouch, there is the "middle fork of the payette" which is a great river as well, and a great road drive to boot.

Bob, we call kayaking out west "roadside boating" at its best. Lots of river runs out there run along a highway of some sort. Anytime coming up to summer, on a highwayroad, you will most likely see some kayaker somewhere boating. The water lever is not determined by rain as it is in the east, but by "snowpack", the level or amount of snow that has been accumalated (sp?) in the mountains. The more snowpack from the winter, the higher the water level will be in summer. Hotter the days, higher the rivers, as long as you had a good snowpack from the previous winter. Keep in mind, July it could be 90 degrees outside, but you probably will need a drytop because that river water is coming from snow in the mountains, and its COLD.