 Camille Swan stand up paddleboarding through Wild Sheep Rapid in Hells Canyon. On August 3rd, 2019, eleven friends and I launched on a multi-day, multi-river trip in Idaho. We spent two nights on the Snake River through Hells Canyon, then shuttled everything over "the hump" to the lower section of the Salmon River for four nights. This was a trip that was planned over six months ahead of time, and it was worth every drop of blood, sweat, and tears that I shed to make it happen.
 Camille Swan paddling Rattlesnake Falls on a SUP. Photo captured by Brad Mickelson. Brad and I recently explored the Pacific Northwest. Together, we drove over 2,200 miles and experienced the Columbia River Gorge, the Oregon Coast, and the Olympic Peninsula, and also sightseeing the cities of Portland and Seattle.
The real reason we went on the road trip in the first place was so that we could attend my brother's wedding reception in Bellevue, Washington that Saturday. I requested the week off of work and proposed the idea to Brad. Brad had never been to Oregon or Washington and was most stoked on seeing the coast and the Olympic Peninsula. I was most stoked on paddle boarding the White Salmon River. Therefore, this blog post is going to be about paddle boarding the White Salmon River!  The Middle Fork of the Salmon River is absolutely amazing! I caught myself saying, "I wish I could come back and do this day as a day-trip"... daily.
Every turn in the 100-mile stretch of the Salmon River unveils beautiful geology and landscapes, fun rapids, and great fishing. Next to the Grand Canyon, it is hands-down the most magical stretch of river I have experienced. Two weeks have passed since I returned back to civilization and I still can't stop thinking about the river. It was such a surreal experience in many forms, but I wanted to share my reflection on how this time I was able to experience the Middle Fork in a way that I would never have guessed that I could: on my SUP. To see some of the highlighted rapids from the Middle Fork and read more about the trip itself, check out this excellent blog post by Northwest Rafting Company here. Also, I got the chance to meet and paddle with the founders of Jack's Plastics Welding on this trip- Jack and Lauri. They are amazing and their gear sets the standards on high-performance dry bags and Paco Pads! Seriously. I do not trust any other dry bag on the river. Check them out here. |