TL;DR

The Hells Canyon Snake River Hellhikeandraft Part II blog continues the adventure through Hells Canyon, highlighting the unique combination of rafting and hiking in one of the most remote and rugged areas of the Pacific Northwest. With expert guides and an immersive wilderness experience, this trip offers an unforgettable way to explore the stunning landscapes and rich history of the Snake River and Hells Canyon.

When we left off last week, the #hellhikeandraft crew had just landed in Boise. I had driven the shaggin’ wagon (or more correctly, the 15 passenger van) to Boise, to pick up the crew. I was thrilled to finally be meeting the group. Most had flown in from all over the country, only a couple members had driven straight to New Meadows, and we’d be meeting with with them later that day. In preparing for any of ourq hells canyon snake river trip, we meet with our guests the evening before at Roadhouse Java to discuss logistics and answer all the last minute questions. But, this hells canyon snake river trip, #hellhikeandraft proved to be a bit different in a lot of ways. So there I was pulling in to the Boise International Airport, when I saw a group unlike any other, first they all had red teton sports backpacks and second, they all had that wild look in their eyes that could only mean one thing- they were ready for adventure!

We quickly loaded up in the van and set off, heading North, out of the city and into the mountains. We were headed to find this crew some adventure! Two and a half hours and one bathroom break later, we pulled into one of the most gorgeous valleys in all of Idaho, Meadows Valley. We joined with the others at Meadows Valley Motel and went over a couple of housekeeping items, then readied ourselves for the next day. There may or may not have been some wine poured and spirits lifted in anticipation for the great unknown. The crew left bright and early, headed to the trailhead for the Seven Devils Wilderness. It would be the last time I’d se them for a couple of days, I was slated bring in the rafts and meet them in Hells Canyon Snake River. We watched online (there were a a couple SPOT devices on board) as the crew, guided by our own Marshall Minder, Rick Robison and John Welch made their way through the Seven Devils Wilderness. There are many recounts from the crew members on their blogs, and on social media sites so be sure to browse through all of the information, by clicking here.

Marshall Minder, outdoor extraordinaire! Photo courtesy of Val in Real Life

Rick the machete wielding man! Photo courtesy of Outdoorsy Mama

After three days of hiking, we all met up at the mouth of Granite Creek in Hells Canyon Snake River. And embarked on three days of rafting. Parker and I had arrived with 2 rafts blown up and geared down, we had a paddle boat rolled up ready to go, as well as two inflatable kayaks and a SUP (stand-up paddle board) AIRE demoed the SUP out for us, to give it a whirl for this Hells Canyon Snake River trip. When we landed at Granite Creek, we quickly readied camp so that we could spend some time playing on the SUP and get some appetizers started. We knew the crew would be hungry, tired and thirsty when they arrived, so we got everything ready to go, we couldn’t wait to hear the stories of the trail. After a cold beer and some riverside cuisine:

Spinach/Artichoke dip with Pita Chips to start, followed by

Dutch oven river chicken with carrots and potatoes

Kale/Brusell Sprout salad with a white balsalmic vinegarette

Green beans with sauteed bacon

Drop biscuits

Homemade dutch oven peach cobbler for desert

Click here to see a photo of the meal, courtesy of Val in Real Life.

My mouth is watering thinking about it. With full tummies and trail stories, everyone headed up the hill to their tents, with visions of rapids dancing through our heads, we looked forward to the next day, rafting the mighty Hells Canyon Snake River. More on the rafting to come next week…

Be sure to check out these pages (I can personally attest to their awesomeness)

Trevor Joy (coloradohiking.org)

Jes Zaneis (Chronic Climber Chick)

Adam Nutting (Hiking the Trail)

Tara Oster (Ski, Toast.)

Paulina Dao (little grunts)

Russ Beebe (Wine Hiker)

Shannon Croom

Annie Yearout (Outdoorsy Mama)

Wendy Newland

Jeff Howell (Missouri Howell)

Val Joiner (Val in Real Life)