Idaho recently lost a popular guide on the Payettes South Fork. Honor the life of a veteran guide by brushing up on your own knowledge of safety.
The Idaho Whitewater Association is planning its annual Safety Saturday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., July 21, on the Main Payette River from Banks to Chief Parrish.
The organization will have information and a safety check of gear at the Banks launch area. Beaches will be identified where stations will be set up for raft-flipping exercises, kayak rolling, a throw-rope toss, swimming practices, a Z-drag demo and kayak extrication.
Participants can pull into each beach and take part in the activities. There will be a barbecue at Chief Parrish where rafters and kayakers can eat and then head on downstream to the take out point at Beehive Bend.
by Kaycee Murray - KTVB.COM 7/15/07
Article link is HERE. BOISE - More than 250 volunteers are spending their weekends combing the water for trash.
Last year, the group found 5,800 pounds of trash during the floating season.
They find many strange items, even a few wallets.
[We find] parking meters, bicyclesandall kinds of stuff, said Boise River volunteer Chris Crawford. Crawford began the volunteer program four years ago to help keep the Boise River clean.
Come meet Team Jackson Kayak paddler Jay Kincaid! Jay placed first in the 2007 Reno Whitewater Festival and is currently ranked in the top
4 freestyle paddlers in the world. Jay will be at Alpenglow Mountainsport at 1pm Tuesday July 31 for a Q&A - then paddle with him at the Gutter at 5pm.
In association with Alpenglow Mountainsport - Come out and try the new Jackson Kayaks for free and meet some new paddle partners! If you are newer to paddling this is a great place to work with eddy turns. If you like to surf it’s a great hole.
Bring your hot dogs and I’ll bring a grill and stuff to squirt on ‘em! 
EMAIL ME if you have any questions!
GUTTER INFO AND DIRECTIONS
Fire is burning grass, sage and juniper in steep terrain 45 miles south of Silver City, Idaho in a BLM Wilderness Study Area.
The fire is over 30,000 acres and has potiential to grow with the extreem temperatures. Go HERE for news release from Wildland Fires and Incident Reporting System.
Check out these links for the 4-Part Series from The Weather Channel’s Epic site.
Part1
Part2
Part3
Part4
We had a blast last night at the Gutter! About 15 people showed up to demo boats and meet new people. Four kids under 15 showed up and were great fun to watch going vertical in flatwater and playing in the hole. Mike V. was surfing a Rocker and Mike M. tried surfing a Sevylor IK but wouldn’t let us count his swim and make him drink out of his bootie… Then we cooked up some dogs and enjoyed the last of the sunset.
It was also great exposure for the WorldKayak site. I’m hoping to see an increase in Boise membership during the next week Here are some of the highlights from last night…
WorldKayak Boise Event: 7-10-07
                            
Come join Chuck and Tim from Alpenglow and I for Whitewater Demo Daze at the Gutter tonight 5pm. Alpenglow will bring all of the Jackson Kayak models available for you to try for free! Having an Eskimo roll is required. Bring your own accessories as they will only have a small quantity of skirts, Pfd’s, and Paddles.
I’ll have a grill so bring up something to cook on it!
EMAIL me or Call Alpenglow at 331-BOAT(2628) with questions!
Cascade Whitewater Park Fund Raiser in Cascade, Idaho.
Its your last chance to float this flatwater, because its becoming a Whitewater Park. This fun, festival, fundraiser will benefit the whitewater park in Cascade, Idaho. Come up for fun flatwater races.
Race downriver in a boat, or anything that floats! Costumes are encouraged, but floaters must wear a lifejacket.
Registration starts at 11am at Armstrong Park (take Hwy 55 to Cascade just north of the south highway bridge)
Call City Hall for more info: 208-382-4279
Idaho Statesman By Zimo - Edition Date: 07/08/07
*MY NOTE: He has some great ideas - I would add TAKE THEM PADDLING!
Its been a busy summer. I have two new grandkids in a month and one on the way in September.
Im not bragging or anything. Well, maybe just a little. Im going from one grandchild last spring to four by next falls steelhead season.
It got me to thinking, especially as I sat in the hospital this week waiting for the good news about the arrival of my granddaughter. I thought about kids and the outdoors.
I grew up with a fishing rod in my hands. I grew up exploring the woods, walking mile after mile, flushing grouse, riding bikes down dirt roads, and eating fresh berries.
My dad had me out fishing when I was slightly taller than the fish we were catching. I remember wed be fitted with life jackets and thrown off the boat so that we would get used to being in water.
While I was in the waiting room, I read something in Idaho Watchable Wildlifes -Windows to Wildlife- that was disturbing. It said kids are too plugged in.
Theyre not unplugged and just goofing around in the outdoors.
The report said that the average child, 6 to 11 years old, now spends an average of 30 hours per week looking at television or at a computer screen.
Thats not healthy. Kids need to be outdoors for physical and mental health.
Kids spend 6.5 hours each day using electronic equipment in their free time, according to a Kaiser Family Foundation study.
My kids grew up in a canoe trolling for trout on Sagehen and Herrick reservoirs.
They grew up in the backyard picking up worms, watching lady bugs and trying to catch butterflies.
The campouts and hikes got them face-to-face with nature.
Sure, as adults today they have to be plugged in, but they also appreciate being unplugged and getting outdoors. Its a priority in their lives, and it will be in the lives of my grandkids.
The words of author Richard Louv really hit home. Louv wrote the book, -Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children From Nature Deficit Disorder.-
Todays kids arent getting outside. When you really think about it, you have to get out in nature to keep your sanity, even if its just a walk in the park to watch ducks glide in for a landing.
Its tough today. More households have a single parent or two parents working full time and they dont have much time to get their kids outdoors.
But were lucky here in Boise and the Treasure Valley. The Greenbelt and the Foothills are just minutes away, and those natural areas provide much-needed therapy.
Here are some easy ways to get your kids a dose of the outdoors:
-Go out in the backyard at night, lie down on a blanket and look at the moon and the stars. Dont forget the mosquito repellent.
While youre out there listen to the sounds of the night, like the wind rustling leaves and the crickets. Birds that are roosting in nearby trees may squawk or flitter.
-Take a walk along the Boise Greenbelt. We are so lucky to have it. There is so much to see, and it can be done in a short afternoon or evening. Do a different section of the Greenbelt each week.
-Sit on a bench near one of the ponds along the Greenbelt. The birds and fish surfacing on the water will keep you answering questions for a long time.
-Stop by the MK Nature Center behind the Idaho Department of Fish and Game building, 600 S. Walnut St. There is more going on at the nature center as far as fish and wildlife than anywhere in town. And theyve got all the answers to the million questions youre likely to get from your kids at the visitors center.
-If you have more time, drive up to Bogus Basin and take a walk. Take in the magnificent scent of the pine forest and wildflowers.
Hug a ponderosa pine tree before you come home.
-Drive to a small mountain stream (about knee deep) Put your lawn chair in the stream and sit down and relax. Watch your kids play in the water and build dams or dig in the sand. Great for hot weather. Again, wear life jackets where appropriate.
-Take binoculars wherever you go. Kids love binoculars and focusing on everything from dragonflies to beetles.
-Wade in the shallows of the Boise River and look for bugs and other stuff on underwater rocks and vegetation on the banks. Dont forget to wear life vests.
-Hike to the top of Camels Back Park and just sit there. Look at the busy city. Then turn and look at the mountains. Tell your kids about the importance of solitude in the mountains.
You can bet Im going to take my grandkids to the solitude of the mountains.
How about 52? We met a great couple from California over the 4th in Crouch. Bruce and Marjorie had a couple of Jacksons strapped to the top of their van, so we had to stop and talk to them. We watched the parade with them and decided to paddle on Friday. We ended up running the Main with them this afternoon. Marjorie first picked up a paddle when she was 52 and has been paddling for 15 years! At 67 years young she is still paddling class IV .If you ever have a chance to boat with them near their home on the Kern, they are so positive and great fun to be around! They also volunteer a lot of time to paddling events on the Kern. Here is a pic of Troy with Marjorie.
