Sawtooth solo trip slide show

Wilderness Tripping
#1

A little slide show from this summer’s solo poling trip in the Sawtooth Wilderness.





http://s85.photobucket.com/albums/k63/swb9321/Grandjean%20up%20the%20SF%20Payette%20by%20canoe%20August%202011/?albumview=slideshow

#2

Nice Pics, Steve
I also replied on the ST site. Paddled a friends NC Prospector last week and was wondering how your Prospector compares with the Coho? Just not much imfo out there on the Coho.

#3

Thanks, Terry.
I answered you on the ST thread.

#4

Tree Health?
Looks like a great adventure.Whats up with all the snags/log jams? Fire? beetle damage?I did some solo hiking/camping in the area in 1982 and I don’t recall the dead trees.

#5

Beetles, then fire.

– Last Updated: Nov-11-11 1:54 PM EST –

I don't remember the exact year of the fire, but it was around '79 IIRC. Most of the damage was on the south side of the river, with some in the river basin. If you were backpacking in the high country of the Sawtooths, you were likely not in or even near the burn zone. Where were you exactly?

#6

Thanks for the fotos
I’m sure that it was a great trip even though it was certainly a lot of work! Very beautiful country.



Thanks again for sharing… but especially for not running over that snake in the road!! Very nice presentation.

#7

That’s awesome
I am jealous! What a great trip.



We have a guy who has been poling forever and wins contests in our canoe club, and I have been nagging him to teach me! Looks like fun.

#8

Wow!
Just saw your pics, really nice…few questions


  1. Where is this?
  2. Looked pretty shallow for most of the paddle.
  3. Wolves?
  4. Why wear a helmet, bigger rapids?



    thx for sharing, beautiful!
#9

Answers to Coldfeet
Glad you enjoyed the pics.


  1. The trip starts out at the end of the road at Grandjean, Idaho on the SF of the Payette, and goes upstream into the Sawtooth Wilderness.
  2. Two-and-a-half part answer. I didn’t stop for photography on the deeper parts, but yes it is mostly pretty shallow by late summer. Not as shallow as it looks though, because the water is very clear.
  3. Wolves? Yep.
  4. There are some bigger rapids than shown in the photos, but the helmet is mostly a consolation to safety when poling alone. A potential fall in the rocks from standing is a consideration, as is the very real possibility of smacking myself in the head with a stuck pole (BTDT). Momma don’t want me gettin’ cold-cocked without any witnesses.
#10

interesting
Thx for info. Talked about your trip to a friend yesterday, one day I hope to travel into each state and check out it’s scenery, either paddling or hiking. Most probably paddling.



Did you do a combo of poling/paddling?



Momma, brought you up very good!

#11

This trip…
…was strictly poling. Stretches where a paddle would have been useful were short and not worth switching. If I had taken the time to get into that upper 3 miles, a paddle would work there. There is a long stretch of fairly popular cl3 beginning at Grandjean and going downstream to Lowman, but none of it is in wilderness. It’s almost all next to forest road or highway, but still very nice river.