Discovery Channel and Femme 45: Why Waterfalls?

Me on the first drop on the Lower Wind River

Who is Femme 45?

Discovery Channel Canada wondered the same thing.

Barry the camera man, loving hanging out with the ladies

Femme 45 is a group of ladies in the Pacific Northwest with kayaking always on the brain. Sharing waterfalls, big rapids and whitewater joy with other girls is the goal and having fun every time is the outcome.

Kate, Monica, Melissa, Christie and I...smiles all around cause life is so good

Kate and I waiting. Lots of waiting when there are cameras.

On Sunday, a group of Femmes (Christie Glissmeyer, Kate Wagner, Melissa DeCarlo, Monica Gokey and myself) took a camera crew to the waterfalls of the Lower Wind River, as well as the infamous Big Brother on the Green Truss. The idea was to explain how we can have so much fun doing something that seems so dangerous.

The answer? Well, thats tricky.

Walking to the put-in through Washington's finest tropical forested landscape

Monica and I setting safety on the first drop

Partly its the rush of facing a challenge. Every drop, every rapid is like a problem that must be solved using personal judgement and confidence in skills.

Partly its the act of carrying out a specific plan. We see a line, and we go for it.

Partly its the feeling off a horizon line. Free-fall...whoa.

Mostly, its our connection to the river's power and the people we are with that keep us asking for more. Working with such a powerful force of nature along with an incredible group of friends makes for some incredible experiences.

Monica on the second drop

To demonstrate this, we decided to hike into the Lower Wind River and run the 4 waterfalls a couple of times. Afterwards, Christie, Melissa and I took the film crew into the Green Truss where we ran a more difficult drop called Big Brother. The drop was a first for me and due to the support of my friends and the confidence in my ability, it went perfectly.

With all the fun, I can't help but think what we might do next.

Femme 45: Ladies of the Little White Part I

If you've ever sat in a creek boat and felt the pull of a boof stroke as it transitions into a weightless moment, landing on aerated water then you can relate.

Waves spraying and folding over a steep riverbed of huge boulders, cascading over cliff faces.

Turquoise tinted, translucent waters boiling into chaotic hydrolics.

Steep and jagged canyon walls speckled with glowing green mosses and ferns.

A creek that feels like it should be on another planet.

The Little White Salmon, Washington State.

Here's an idea of what I mean, in case you still can't understand.

These ladies, some of the Columbia Gorge's Femme 45, document the thrill in this Ladies of the Little White preview.

Icing on the Multi-day Cake: Selway River

Straight beauty, 24 hours a day. Photo by John Blackshire

There was scattered talk about the Selway during our Middle Fork Trip. Seemingly unlikely in the first few days, events just kept falling into place for our group to extend the big blue watery road-trip another few days.

The road over the pass was rumored to be plowed.

Levels were low, but days were getting warmer promising higher flows.

A shuttle bunny offered to drop my car in Missoula...my next destination.

And...we would be putting on the river for the final two days before permit season.

I even managed to make the 3 hour drive south to pick up my belongings in Sun Valley, then turn around and drive another 4 hours back north, landing at the Nez Pierce pass at 2:30 am. Friends were doubtful I'd make it, so I woke at 5am just to be sure. It wasn't until I pulled into their camp that I actually believed I would be on another one of Idaho's legendary river trips.

Thus the Selway happened.

Casey and I with the standard Selway Perma-grin. Photo by John Blackshire

We began to float on the crystal clear-water, all just giddy with the idea that we managed to arrange another classic river trip at the last minute.

Day one was mellow and beautiful, nothing new really. Camp was found the only way a camp can be found on the Selway, with the perfect combination of exhaustion and riverside perfection. We passed the afternoon mushroom hunting and hiking up to the nearby airstrips. Here I met and man who walked as if in his own backyard.

He had flown his small plane in to enjoy an evening in the Bitterroot wilderness, a region he helped protect by writing the Management plan decades ago. He spoke of days spent floating down the river or traversing through the snowy backcountry. He was rich in stories, and I was lucky enough to be there to hear them. Truly a gift.

Perfect place to spend the night. Photo by Nathan Galbreath

Camping by the bridge, ideal dinner and post-whiskey stargazing spot. Photo by John Blackshire

By the time the last day arrived we were pretty accustomed to cruising whitewater, floating into each rapid lackadaisically.

And then we hit the rapids.

Whitewater! Photo by Andy McMurray

Boat scouting everything, we took turns dropping into the chaos. Watching to see the degree of success, we each followed remembering with each stroke how much fun big rapids can be.

"I like rapids so much better than flatwater" Casey commented, nearly laughing hysterically as he spoke.

Casey, throwing gainers off huge cliffs. Us looking like ants down below. Photo by Andy McMurray

Pulling onto shore above Selway Falls, we quickly went our separate ways, taking advantage of any ride we could find. Sometimes a quick goodbye is the easiest. Luckily, I got to hang out with the Montana boys for the next few days...mountain biking and creeking with the locals is never a bad thing.

Can't wait for the next time I get to pack that Green Boat and set out on the water.

Middle Fork of the Salmon: 5-star, All-inclusive, Adventure Resort

Just floating through Idaho's legendary River of No Return Wilderness

Photo: Todd Corey

The invite for this 6-day multi-day river gem came from a stranger. Of course, if you are a kayaker it doesn't take long to find a connection and realize that you knew each other all along. Mike sent me a message in hopes of adding another female to round-out the crew for a friend's Middle Fork of the Salmon river trip. Since it is just wrong to pass this opportunity up, I was in.

2 ft snow launch into Marsh Creek, Photo by Todd Corey

Three months later I pulled into Salmon, ID to meet up with the group of southeastern boaters who I assumed would be great people, as I had only ever met one before.

The cold air and snowy forest floor made me throw in a few more layers as I jammed my food and camp equipment in the back of my Green Boat. As we packed, another group of guys pull-up to launch. Seemingly strangers as well, it didn't take long to make the connections between mutual Montana friends and suddenly I was now boating with 12 new people. It just kept getting better.

Marsh Creek, keeping warm with Hamms, Photo by Todd Corey

Marsh Creek was low, but it didn't last long. Snow pelting in the face was annoying, but it eventually subsided. Hands were going numb, but they still worked. This was about the extent of our troubles during the whole trip, and they only lasted for a few hours.

Days passed watching herds of elk traverse the mountainside. Afternoons were spent hiking up to see ancient pictographs on the canyon walls. Mostly, time just stopped and we continued to ride the river.

My "tent," also known as "Green Boat Lean-to." Works like a dream. Photo by Nate Galbreath

With so many rivers located in amazing wilderness in this country, it isn't hard to organize a multi-day river trip that will amaze you. However, the Middle Fork is in its own class because of the incredible hot springs.

The first hot spring. No time to take off dry-suits, must get warm. Plus they make for good flotation. Photo by Todd Corey

Every night but one we filled our stomaches with food from heaven then lounged in nature's hot tubs till the whiskey ran out. There were tiered, shallow pools with a built-in shower at Sunflower campground and deep, hot and large tubs at Loon Creek.

Supposedly built by Chinese workers, the hot spring at Look Creek was deep, warm and luxurious, Photo by Nate Galbreath

It was like we stumbled upon a 5-star, all-inclusive, adventure resort in the middle of paradise.

Luck was good with putting some great people all on one river trip. Lofty, Andy and Dick to name a few. Photo by Dick Lewan

The whole crew at the take-out