Beautiful pictures Steve. Thanks for sharing.
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North Fork Boise poling and camping
- Thread starter Steve in Idaho
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Thanks for the kind words, folks!
Answers to questions....
Stripperguy - In southern Idaho, the grass is all pretty dry by midsummer. I am pretty rusty on my environmental descriptions, but the area around here is considered "high desert". I don't know what you call the surrounding mountains, but we don't get a lot of yearly precipitation. Once the Blue Mountain and Cascade ranges get done wringing the moisture from the incoming clouds, there isn't much left for us.
At this elevation, I consider it prudent to filter or boil my water. Up higher, it gets optional.
Going down with a loaded canoe, it's pretty easy for the boat to get going a little fast for dodging the boulders. Controlling the speed turns into a lot of work.
No paddles - that's correct. No opportunity to even use them on this trip. Having been there before, I was well aware of that already.
The fires have been pretty common the last decade or two. With a hot and dry summer like we had this year, they can get really big really fast. We have a lot of beetle-killed timber. When the grass fires hit those pockets of beetle-kill, they blow right up.
Rob - In this part of the state, we have pockets of thick timber, with open country between. The pockets tend to get thick with beetle-kill, and that's what causes the fires to get so intense.
Kim - it doesn't show too well in the photo without my reading glasses, but if you look real close you can see there is a rope going from the junction of the poles horizontally to a distant tree. It takes a little fussing with it to get the angles right and to allow for stretch with that much rope - but once set, it's good for the night.
Murat - I must have posted something that mislead you to believe my wood pole is a two-piece. Both of my wood poles are one-piece poles. I have given some thought to making a two-piece wood pole though, and if I ever make it work I will be sure to post about it here. The poles are 1.25' diameter. One of those poles is ash, and the other is fir. The ash is stiffer and stronger, but heavier.
Answers to questions....
Stripperguy - In southern Idaho, the grass is all pretty dry by midsummer. I am pretty rusty on my environmental descriptions, but the area around here is considered "high desert". I don't know what you call the surrounding mountains, but we don't get a lot of yearly precipitation. Once the Blue Mountain and Cascade ranges get done wringing the moisture from the incoming clouds, there isn't much left for us.
At this elevation, I consider it prudent to filter or boil my water. Up higher, it gets optional.
Going down with a loaded canoe, it's pretty easy for the boat to get going a little fast for dodging the boulders. Controlling the speed turns into a lot of work.
No paddles - that's correct. No opportunity to even use them on this trip. Having been there before, I was well aware of that already.
The fires have been pretty common the last decade or two. With a hot and dry summer like we had this year, they can get really big really fast. We have a lot of beetle-killed timber. When the grass fires hit those pockets of beetle-kill, they blow right up.
Rob - In this part of the state, we have pockets of thick timber, with open country between. The pockets tend to get thick with beetle-kill, and that's what causes the fires to get so intense.
Kim - it doesn't show too well in the photo without my reading glasses, but if you look real close you can see there is a rope going from the junction of the poles horizontally to a distant tree. It takes a little fussing with it to get the angles right and to allow for stretch with that much rope - but once set, it's good for the night.
Murat - I must have posted something that mislead you to believe my wood pole is a two-piece. Both of my wood poles are one-piece poles. I have given some thought to making a two-piece wood pole though, and if I ever make it work I will be sure to post about it here. The poles are 1.25' diameter. One of those poles is ash, and the other is fir. The ash is stiffer and stronger, but heavier.
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Mr. Steve,
Thanks for that reply...over here, it's sometimes difficult to find kindling dry enough to start a campfire. There are sections that grow so thick it is almost impossible to hike through, especially near mountain peeks and along streams and rivers. Undergrowth is occasionally so thick, you can't find a spot to put your next step, and carrying can be challenging. The poling has me intrigued, I paddle (or try to) quite a few minor rivers and streams that a tough to get upstream, due to current, rocks and lack of paddle clearance. And some of my routes are so twisty and socked in with marsh grasses that I can't see more than 20 ft ahead, standing would surely help there too. Something to think about for next season, I suppose.
Thanks for that reply...over here, it's sometimes difficult to find kindling dry enough to start a campfire. There are sections that grow so thick it is almost impossible to hike through, especially near mountain peeks and along streams and rivers. Undergrowth is occasionally so thick, you can't find a spot to put your next step, and carrying can be challenging. The poling has me intrigued, I paddle (or try to) quite a few minor rivers and streams that a tough to get upstream, due to current, rocks and lack of paddle clearance. And some of my routes are so twisty and socked in with marsh grasses that I can't see more than 20 ft ahead, standing would surely help there too. Something to think about for next season, I suppose.
- Joined
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Stripperguy, it sounds like you are a prime candidate for poling!
Steve,
Kudos to you for keeping the old traditional ways of traveling in canoes alive. With the poor water year we are likely to have in the West, it will help to be creative with the route finding. I paddled the Birds of Prey section of the Snake once below Swan Falls Dam. Idaho has lots of great water. Your photos are very well put together. Thanks.
Kudos to you for keeping the old traditional ways of traveling in canoes alive. With the poor water year we are likely to have in the West, it will help to be creative with the route finding. I paddled the Birds of Prey section of the Snake once below Swan Falls Dam. Idaho has lots of great water. Your photos are very well put together. Thanks.
