Grande Ronde River

April 30, 2006

By Devon Barker. Learn more about Devon.

My North Idaho kayaking continued yesterday when I
found myself in Lewiston, Idaho or as most know it;
jet boat capital of the world. It was here that jet
boats were invented, used to haul supplies into remote
regions of Hells Canyon and delivered the mail and
sears catalogs to lonely homesteaders scattered
throughout North America’s deepest canyon.

My brother offered to take me to one of my favorite
play waves called Hole in the Wall on the Grande Ronde
River nestled on the boarders of Oregon, Washington,
and Idaho. Considering the shape of my car and the
fact that when in Rome do as the Romans, I decided to
take him up on it. We drove an hour and then went
down fifty miles to take out just outside of our home.

We put in at Bogans Oasis and flew downstream to Hole
in the Wall surf wave. The wave was perfect and the
loops were huge. My brother, Jacques, is just
beginning play boating but had a great time here front
and side surfing.

Two kids came with us from our shuttle driver’s
family. Brian and Tulus who is an exchange student
from Brazil. They had a great time fishing, taking
pictures, and seeing this remote canyon.

After surfing we continued downstream through the area
where Chief Joseph’s band lived for centuries. We ran
the rapid called the Narrows. I wished I was in my
kayak as it was a little scary in the jet boat. We
passed the mouth of Joseph Creek as I told the boys
that old Chief Joseph was born in a cave just up the
creek a little ways. The hills were so green and it
seemed that you could just look up to see an
encampment of Nez Perce grazing their horses and
fishing in this lush area. The federal government
forced these people to move from this remote area in
the spring of 1877. They were forced to cross Snake
and Salmon Rivers at flood stage with all their
horses, cattle, women, and children. The hills still
fall silent.

At the confluence with the Snake River we began to see
mailboxes, as there is still a jet boat mail route
today. I turned to my brother and asked if our next
jet boat shuttle could be at Skookumchuck the awesome
tidal surf wave. “Oh yeah he said, and we can sleep
on the island right by the wave!”

Devon