Rafting big water offers dangers, thrills

The early part of whitewater rafting season is well underway and will be celebrated at back-to-back gatherings on the Lochsa and Salmon rivers in coming weeks.

First up is Lochsa River Madness, a grassroots gathering on the Lochsa River over Memorial Day weekend.

It will be followed by the outfitter-organized Big Water Blowout on the Salmon River at Riggins on June 3.

Rafting is more of a participatory activity than a spectacle, but both of these events offer opportunities for nonrafters to watch high-flow-induced carnage – raft lingo for flips and spills.

On the Lochsa, spectators gather at Lochsa Falls, a Class IV rapid that has a knack for exposing the underside of boats.

On the Salmon River, rapids Lake Creek and Ruby offer gawkers the best chance to see mayhem.

“People show up like NASCAR fans to see folks make big rides or sometimes not make it and see flips,” said Roy Akins, a Riggins fishing and rafting outfitter.

Spectators, who line the river in lawn chairs, encourage rafters to take aggressive lines and aim for the boat-flipping Big Easy Wave in Lake Creek and the Pancake Wave in Ruby.

“They boo you if you make it and cheer you on if you crash,” Akins said.

Similarly, the carnage fans on the Lochsa want boaters to aim for the meat of Lochsa Falls.

“When rafting becomes a spectator sport, you can expect people to push the limits on what is normal for having fun on a river, and nothing demonstrates that more than this Lochsa Madness event,” said Hunt Paddison, owner of Three Rivers Rafting at Lowell.

It’s more of an organic event without an entity managing the show.

Paddison said boaters should remember the Lochsa is a serious whitewater river that requires proper gear like whitewater boats and life jackets and cold-water precautions like wetsuits and dry suits.

“I encourage people to make safety their priority and be courteous of other river users and to be mindful of the biggest threat on the Lochsa, which is hypothermia, and to be really careful on Highway 12 – the semis don’t slow down too much.”

The river, known for big early season water, is a favored destination for experienced boaters looking to ride the crest of spring runoff.

“The Lochsa is like 50 fantastic rapids that vary in difficulty. The river users can increase the difficulty of the rapids as the skill set ratchets up,” Paddison said.

Its location along U.S. Highway 12, its general lack of woody debris and dangerous obstacles, combined with its big waves, make it an ideal river for outfitters to introduce nonrafters to the activity.

“From a commercial standpoint, with the right protections and a good guide staff, you can offer the general public an experience on the Lochsa with good risk management in place,” Paddison said.

“You can get safety boats out there, you’ve got good roadside support and, on top of that, it’s a free-flowing river so it changes constantly. It’s very dynamic and it’s beautiful, absolutely beautiful.”

The Idaho Whitewater Association will show video highlights on the evenings of May 27 and 28 at the Wilderness Gateway Campground Pavilion.

The Big Water Blowout was organized to demonstrate that Idaho’s rivers, while dangerous during the higher flows of spring, can be safely run when people go with professional, trained outfitters.

But Akins said it also serves as a sort of diplomacy between the small town’s river-based businesses and its traditional ranching, logging and mining base.

During the blowout, many Riggins outfitters offer discounted trips.

It features other activities such as live music after-parties and a Dutch oven cookoff that Akins said has become as popular as the rafting side of the Blowout.

The schedule for the June 3 event includes whitewater carnage videos being shown from 9-10 p.m. MDT at Riggins City Park.

Outfitters will be running short trips through the biggest rapids from about 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Dutch oven cookoff starts at 3 p.m., with judging at 6.

It will be followed with live music by the Scott Pemberton O Theory, a Portland, Ore.-based jam band, at Riggins City Park. More information is available at facebook.com/bwbrf/.

Barker may be contacted at ebarker@lmtribune.com or at (208) 848-2273.