W.I.L.D Idaho Expedition by Max

For the past 3 days we have been on the South Fork of the Boise, rafting and kayaking and on the Hagerman-to-Bliss section of the snake . We used the big oar rafts to cary all our gear.  Sean and one other person were in the raft the whole time.  Kristin stayed in a kayak the whole time and every one else switched off from being in a kayak to raft the whole time. Harry was in the raft for the first part of the day. Then he switched with Maggie so she was in the raft for the second part of the day. We found a campsite which we stayed at for the night... it was really nice campsite.  We had a good dinner and then went and talked and did our 3 day forecast. We woke early the next morning  and packed up and got going on the raft. I was the first person on the raft with Sean that morning.  So then we got going down the river... I was in the raft for a little bit but Challis started to get a little spooked kayaking, so I switched with him and I was the person kayaking.  We went for a while and then ran down "Raspberry Rapid."  Megan did really good and then we got going we were finishing up the last part of the river were Megan was in the raft. Then we got to the take out, packed every thing up, and drove 3-4 hours to the Snake River, where we camped for the night.  We woke up early, packed up our gear, and drove to the put-in. Sean ran shuttle, literally running back to the put-in, and we got going the river was really good the waves were really good.  And then we got to the Bliss Wave, which made this section famous. It was AWESOME... the wave was huge and fun!

Later, Max

Grocery Shopping, by Megan

Yesterday was the halfway mark for our trip. It has flown by so quickly. We had to restock on food, and instead of Kristin and Sean picking out everything, they let us plan out our meals and do our own shopping. Everyone was allotted five dollars per person per day, for a total of thirty-five dollars. On the drive back to Boise from the Snake River, each student planned out three meals, figured out quantities needed, and came up with a price estimate. Before we came back to BSU, we stopped at Win-Co. We spent about an hour and a half shopping for groceries. It was exciting seeing all of us run around the grocery store trying to find obscure items on our menus. Eventually we all found everything, checked out, and headed back to the Outdoor Program. 

Even a task as simple as grocery shopping was a really eye-opening experience. Having a tight budget but still making sure to get enough to suffice everyone was more difficult than I had originally perceived. It definitely helped my leadership skills, and I think it helped everyone else as well.

A Look Forward and Back

We just pulled into Boise State for our second round of re-stocking our coolers, bathing, and other house-keeping activities.  We had a blast this last time out!  We did an over-night raft support trip on the South Fork of the Boise and ventured to Hagerman Idaho to paddle on the Snake River.  The South Fork of the Boise is a low- volume river (which made our southeastern paddlers feel a little more at home) with spectacular views.  Steep canyon walls line the stretch and the river is renowned for its world-class fishing.  It was prime fly fishing conditions while we were there...I will let the students tell you about how we knew that.  In contrast to the South Fork of the Boise the Snake River is a classic big water western run.  The rapids a large, deep wave-trains with swirly eddy-lines and fast water.  The Hagerman stretch is home to the famous Bliss surf wave- and we spent most of the morning surfing our brains out!  

Every member of the group grew this past week- Megan and Challis are now rolling, and Max is perfecting his bow-stall in a new boat.  Harry and Maggie are quickly becoming seasoned kayak instructors, and have also caught some world-class surf waves.  Every student has been the "leader of the day" once now, and we will begin leadership teams on Thursday.  Students are working through our 10 Elements of Leadership lessons and excelling.  We are lucky to have such a talented group.  We have been able to accomplish so much as a result of their motivation and enthusiasm.

The students have ventured to WinCo with Sean to purchase all of the food they need for the rest of the trip.  They each had to plan a dinner, lunch and breakfast that they will cook for the group.  They were given a budget and are challenged to plan a nutritious and delicious menu.

After dinner tonight we have rented the swimming pool to perfect our rolls and to teach the BSU Staff at the Outdoor Program their rolls.  We feel one of the best ways to really master a skill or topic is to teach it, and the students are looking forward to sharing their skills before we leave for the Payette River tomorrow morning.  

Personally, I am most excited about sharing the Payette, my home river stretch, with the students.  The Payette is warm, deep, and hosts innumerable fantastic rapids.  There are 7 different stretches to choose from, all ranging from class I-IV (not including the 15 miles of class V which we will NOT be running).  Activities will include paddling, swimming, swiftwater rescue lessons, boogie-boarding at a playspot, reading, frisbee, hacky-sac, and a service project. 

Stay tuned for updates from the students.

B-Town in the 208 y'all

OK, so we went to downtown boise yesterday which was cool for me cause I kinda live here  and stuff so i got to see all my friends. But anyway there was live music in the streets and we went to pie hole pizza-ria which has this baked potato and bacon pizza which is good. Stable craft fo' sho' (inside joke). And then some stuff went down that my parents don't need to know about (inside joke) but its solid that I'm gonna be gettn' made fun of by Maggie fo-eva. In the end it was an  epic day and everyone had a smile on their face when they went to bed.

Adapting to the "Wild West"

I have lived and paddled in the south all of my life; therefore, my three week paddling expedition to Idaho is a step--no, leap--out of my "southern comfort" zone. The traces of luscious green Carolina mountains do not exist in this dry, tumbleweed climate, and my definition of a class III rapid has dramatically changed. While paddling down the Middle Fork of the Boise (class II+ rapids), Harry (also from the south) looked at me with wild eyes and said, "THIS is class II?!" Indeed it was; although, to us southern paddlers many rapids felt more like class III rapids. The eddy lines are much larger and swirlier, which has definitely given me some trouble. My instability will evolve over time into stability--just as it did when I was a beginner--and the confidence I have in myself and my paddling is sure to increase. Regardless of all of the changes--the big water, barren mountains, the chilly nights and mornings, and the extremely dry climate--I know that this trip will be a life changing experience for myself as a paddler, leader, and person. I am pushing myself beyond my limits on the river, learning and practicing the concept of Leave No Trace, and further developing my skills as leader. I cannot wait to see what unfolds in the next two weeks of the trip, and will enjoy reflecting on my adaptation to the "Wild West."

-maggie

First Few Days of Expedition

Hello all! Just wanted to let you know that we have had a great first few days on WILD Idaho 2008. It all started with Max arriving last Saturday, with Megan, Maggie, and Challis joining in on Sunday. Harry flew straight from his graduation to Boise on Monday, and we went directly from the airport to the campsite on the MF Boise River, near Twin Springs, Idaho.

During the first few days, Maggie and Harry were joined by Dani and Geoff from the BSU Outdoor Program for the first part of their ACA Instructor's course. They had classroom sessions and river sessions, discussing various techniques instructors use. Kristin ran that part of the expedition, challenging everyone to ratchet up their teaching and paddling skills.

Meanwhile, Max, Challis, and Megan paddled with me on the MF Boise. We did a variety of stretches on this Class II+ gem. We worked hard to get back into paddling shape, and to practice the skills needed for the rest of the expedition. Max and Megan were great peer leaders, helping Challis learn the basics.

Then, we all regrouped to run more of the MF Boise River. We popped massive "enders" on some really fun waves, worked our way down 12 miles of the river, and passed the huge city of Twin Springs (Population: 2).

Well, that's all for now, but we will get the students to add to this blog. Here are a sampling of pictures to let you see what we have been up to: http://www.flickr.com/photos/27853663@N04/?saved=1


Sean