Donaldson Crew Adventures

Every year in January - a group of us try to get permits on different rivers through an established 'lottery system".  We pick a couple rivers, and a bunch of us try to draw.  Submissions are due Jan 31, and the draw happens by Feb 15.  We've had pretty good luck over the past few years.  Three years ago I drew on the Main Salmon river in Idaho.  Last summer the Lovejoys drew a permit on the Rogue, and this year in 2025, the starlings drew a permit on the Snake in Hells Canyon!  Unfortunately this year we would be without Hunter due to his new job and little vacation time but he will be back with us in future trips I am sure.  In his place Abbie's friend Addy came with us.

If you are wondering where Hells Canyon is - see this map.  It forms part of the border between Oregon and Idaho.   It is a dam controlled river that is known for big water.   The rapids are different - technical yes but because of big waves, lateral waves vs a tricky low water move. (we saw one flip while on this trip on a set of rapids we were scouting just before we went through).   

Our trip plan:

Our Put-in date was Monday June 30, so we decided to drive over on June 29th and camp at a camp group upriver about 10 miles above the dam.  (you cannot camp at the put-in which is right at the base of the dam).  We booked sites at Hells Canyon Park Campgroup.  It was perfect!  If you book - book the temp camp sites up on the grass.  (there are about 8 sites)

We would raft the approx. 30 mile stretch from Hells Canyon Dam to Pittsburg Landing.  We would take it slow and do the trip over 5 days with a layover day (which are always great fun).   Pullout would be July 4th for the long drive back home.  (hoping to catch some fireworks along the way in different towns!)

Day 1 - Bend Oregon to Hells Canyon Park (Drive)

Long drive but relatively uneventful.  We met up in Prineville to convoy.  We stopped for lunch in Baker city.  Weather was HOT.  Mid 90s after 6pm  guess that’s why it’s called Hells Canyon.  Refreshing swim in the water and fajitas for dinner.  Temps ended up being in the high 90s and over 100 a couple days until the last day.  

Abbie with the big cliff jump!

Night 1 dinner by Chris!  Kevin prepped a special desert from ‘fruit off the land’.

Day 3 - July 1 - Battle Creek to Saddle Creek (6 miles)

River day 2 - our night to cook for the group.  We did teriyaki bowls.  

Day 4 - July 2 - Layover at Saddle Creek

Fun layover day with swimming, hiking and group photos overlooking the river. Notice the ‘group charcuterie board’ we did at lunch.

Day 5 - July 3 - Saddle Creek to Dry Gulch (9 miles)

Day 6 - July 4 - Dry Gulch to Pittsburg Landing / Pullout (10 miles) + drive home

Hard rowing 10 miles through cold temps and pouring rain the the pullout.  After all the heat from the trip today was a real change for us  

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What else would I like to try for?

I think we have the skills now to handle the Middle fork of the Salmon.  Very hard to get a permit but the Selway would be amazing.  Both of these rivers are in Idaho.  This one might be more a guys trip but Mark has been pushing to packraft the Escalante in Utah as well.    

We took Abbie and PJ for a trip to north Idaho for the labor day long weekend.  Our destination was the Sandpoint/Bonners Ferry area.  Our goal was to scout some properties with a real estate agent.  The weather was great/warm so we were also able to get some swimming in as well!  

We travelled up to the Schweitzer Ski hill near sandpoint after arriving around noon on Friday.  Great views of the lake from the village.  

We went swimming twice at Sandpoint city beach.

One of the properties we liked along the Moyie River

Exploring different spots along the Moyie River

Bonners Ferry is a cute town (about 3600 pop)

This is Trump Country!

We were very close to the Canadian border so PJ wanted to go step foot across the border.

Kelly and I along with Jenn (Kelly’s sister) and Dylan got away for a quick two day retreat to sisters staying at the five pines resort.  

We hike along the Metolius to get out for some outdoor fun. 

Our first major trip of the summer was a 6-day/5-night rafting trip on the wild and scenic section of the John Day River.  This is a 70 mile stretch with a put in a Clarno and a take-out at cottonwood.  Beautiful central Oregon desert canyon rafting trip.  2 years ago we did a shorter section upriver from here starting at Twickenham and taking out at Clarno which was our put in for this trip.  the colder than average variable weather spring we have been having this year continued to play out on this trip with warmer temps earlier in the trip dropping to cold and windy near the end of the trip with a torrential rain storm one night and a major wind-storm another night but thankfully our days were more pleasant.  

Like our raft trip to the Grand Ronde river last year we went with our friends the Lovejoy's and the Kerrs.  This year the Noah's ran the smaller 'super puma' raft, while Hunter, Jack and Nathan kayaked.  

This section of the John day only had one major set of rapids that were in the class 3 range.  We hit this set on the very first day but other than that its light class 2 and river float for the most part through a beautiful canyon with some interesting frontier history loaded with stories from early homesteaders, farmers, ranchers, and cattle rustlers.   This was the first longer trip with the new raft after its initial voyage in April on the lower Deschutes and first trip with the family.  

We decided to go out for dinner but instead of trying to fight the hordes of tourists at restaurants we packed up food for a picnic and went down to an area of the deschutes called the big eddy.  It was nice and quiet.  

The lighting was really nice this evening.  And of course Noah wanted to get pictures of him mid-air jumping :)

We decided to try and float a section of the Deschutes that was a little less busy than the old mill area in Bend... but also unknown to us other than a recommendation.  After researching google earth, the plan was to put in near Tumalo (just downriver of Tumalo state park) and then take out a a place called Twin Bridge downriver.   

Overall, it was a fun float.  A little shallow in spots where you were hitting rocks on the bottom.  Twin bridge is too far though... a good 2.5+ hours and there are a couple of rapids that are maybe a little too 'exciting' for 'float rafts'.  In retrospect, I would have taken out at the bridge you cross under in the Tumalo.

We spent Memorial Day together and enjoyed the great spring weather doing a family hike along the south canyon loop segment of the Deschutes River Trail system south of the Old Mill area. It was about 3.5 miles so a good hike for little PJ.

Memorial Day Long weekend 2016.

Saturday we did work around the house so after church today we decided to go explore a new location in the area.  We decided to head down to LaPine State Park, which is about 25-30 minutes South of Bend off Highway 97.  

Our first site was the 'Big Tree'.  It is the largest (by circumference) Douglas fir tree in the World.  It used to be the largest in girth and in height but a storm knocked the top over many years ago, so that honor is taken by a tree in northern California.  

After visiting the Big Tree we went for our first every family mountain bike ride on the Fall River loop that departs from the McGregor Overlook parking area.  A 4.75 mile ride mostly flat with a few ups and downs.  Along the way  Hunter, Noah and I did the small offshoot to see Fall River Falls.

Today we went for a family canoe trip along a very picturesque section of the Deschutes River south of Dillon Falls. Amazing weather and colors.

This weather has been way unseasonably warm.  It hit 66 degrees this afternoon on the car temp reading, which is incredible for March 8.  We did a family outing to Fall River today.  Drove southwest of Bend to the Fall River Campground.  From there we simply hiked upriver along the fisherman's trail along the water returning the same way.  Red came along and enjoyed playing in the water, as did the kids.