Float Trip 1: Harry Morgan to Russell Gates
Harry Morgan Campground is a couple of miles outside of the little town of Ovando, just off of Highway 200. From here floaters generally float down to the Russell Gates Campground (County Line), which is easily seen from the highway. One may float further down to the confluence with the Clearwater River. Floaters will have to carry their rafts about 20 yards up a gradual bank to the parking area. The section from Russell Gates to the Clearwater Bridge has numerous rapids. The canyon drops quickly in this section, and casters have to work the pockets and rocks diligently. From the Clearwater Bridge to Roundup, in my opinion, is extremely dangerous and should be avoided by all float fishers.
Float Trip 2: Roundup to River Bend Campground or
Whitaker's Bridge
Only expert rowers should float this section, as it is extremely dangerous with all the boulder-strewn rapids. A short float would be to River Bend Campground, and a full day's float would be Whitaker's Bridge.
Float Trip 3: River Bend Campground or Whitaker's Bridge
to Johnsrud Park
It
only takes one nasty drop-off and a sluice of water with huge rocks to make for
an unpleasant day. Standing on the water's edge, Thibodeau Rapid doesn't look
all that impressive, especially during high water when half of the boulders are
submerged and out of sight in the murky water. When the water drops, however, make
no mistake. I always have my passengers exit from my boat just upstream on the
right side. They can take a well-worn path just below the bottleneck.
Throughout
my years of guiding in my raft, I enjoyed this small challenge. During my last
year of guiding, I had to maneuver through Thibodeau in a low-profile pram that
I had designed and built. Without the cushion of air and the forgiveness of a
raft, I was scared. When my last client stepped out of the pram, he turned to
me and said, "I'd really like to show off in front of my wife and run it with
you."
I
replied, "No, I am being very safe and prudent by allowing no passengers."
What I didn't say was that I had a knot in my stomach, and I wasn't sure how my pram would handle in the fast-water chute. As it turned out, the boat handled well, but I had to do some artful dodging in that short drop-off. Turning around, I marveled at how simple it looked, but I know tales and true stories of river carnage.
Revise summer of 2010.
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