Gearboat Chronicles

Steelhead Conditions and Good Books

2012-02-27T17:29:00.017-08:00

I couldn't find a pie chart so this boring graph will have to do. Lay your eyes on what the Grande Ronde river has been up to:

Notice how it went way up – which any fisheries biologist worth their patched waders will tell you triggers a release of the swimming pheromone in adipose glands among contiguous anadromous species, causing them to mosey . . . then the river level went on a slow downward glide . . . creating a perfect storm of me wanting to go fishing.

To interpret this data, place a piece of paper on your computer screen and trace that spiky graph with the descending water level. Now, turn that paper over so it now goes the other way and represents your chances of catching steelhead. Notice how it rises. Science is fascinating.

I was over on the west side of Oregon last weekend visiting my clan members, but had the forethought to pack my fishing stuff and drove like a banshee to cross the Wallowa County line and cast the waters for a couple hours. It's a nice incentive to take your mind off the driving.

And what do I see along the highway but the Winding Waters Jeep Cherokee fishing mobile, Tom Farnam down on the bank going after it. Here he is with a bull trout he caught while looking over his shoulder saying, "hey Jon."

Notice them spiffy new Redington waders. They're welded with supersonic beams or magic or something so there's no holes poked by a sewing machine. Which makes sense for waterproof things, you have to admit. I don't understand how they go about it, but do tip my thinking cap to whoever came up with that Buck Rogers futuristic process.

Tom said the bite had been on like Donkey Kong and he landed all manner of swimming things, though what might have been a steelhead did not make it to the bank. This was Tuesday, Feb. 28 and for more info, check out the Winding Waters Fishing Report.

For guided fishing outings with Sir Thomas Farnam, direct your inquiries to the Winding Waters Command Center after perusing the fishing page. For someone to drink a beer with and talk about your day of fishing, contact me.

Good Things To Read

I was over in Eugene playing with my nieces so they don't forget who Uncle Jon is and went by the University of Oregon library to look in on their Alvin Josephy special collection.

Alvin was . . . how can I put this in academic terms . . . kind of a badass. I stumbled on Alvin's work while studying history in college. Lots of history books are boooooooring, which may come as a shock. Just trust me. But I was jazzed about Alvin's stuff and that got me reading up on the Nez Perce story and that got me wanting to visit the Wallowas which found me rafting for Winding Waters and, ultimately, writing these Gearboat Chronicles. Whoah. It's like a Kevin Bacon chain of connections. Also, Kevin Bacon was my first grade teacher and taught me to read, which allowed me to read Alvin Josephy's books, so the circle is complete.

Josephy's book The Nez Perce Indians and the Opening of the Northwest is considered a go-to book for understanding the Nez Perce, Wallowa Valley history and the War of 1877. A boatload of books have been written about Chief Joseph and the Nez Perce and some are easier to read than others because they don't bog you down with things that are true. Alvin's work is not of that school. I'm not saying it's a difficult read . . . it's not. But it's got some weight to it. There are 644 pages in my copy, not counting notes and such. Not something you'd zip through at the beach on a long weekend. That said, it's really rather compact, considering how much Alvin managed to cover. Read it if you've got a hankering to understand the area.

Another worthwhile read is Alvin's memoir, A Walk Toward Oregon. The guy did not sit around playing video games, I'll tell you that.

Here's one of my favorite Alvin Josephy encounters: I used to work at the local radio station and Alvin and his wife Betty would come out in the summers to their home outside of Joseph. Eventually I wrangled an interview with the man and I was jittery. Josephy had an impressive radio career before an even more impressive writing career and it was intimidating. Until we finished the recorded interview and started shooting the breeze. He seemed pleased to talk about radio work and it was great to be kicking stories around with someone whose stories you've admired.

Cut to the next summer. I introduced myself when I saw him and reminded him I worked at the radio and then the next summer that would be repeated until one time he said, "You remind me every time who you are, but I remember. You work at the radio." So I was simultaneously pleased and embarrassed.

So a year or so goes by and the next time I see him I walk up and say, "Hey Alvin, good to see you . . ." and start shooting the breeze until he stops me and says, "I'm sorry, remind me who you are. . . ."

Sadly, Alvin and Betty are no longer with us. But we do have the Alvin M. and Betty Josephy Library of Western History and Culture at Fishtrap, run by friend of the Josephys Rich Wandschneider.

Wandschneider, founder of local writing outfit Fishtrap, has a lively site with highlights from the archives that anyone interested in Wallowa County or Western history should bookmark and keep up on. Check it out.

OK, folks, you've got your reading assignments and fishing updates so we'll see you on the river.

All Steelheaders On Deck

2012-02-20T14:43:00.001-08:00

[Update to the update....It's back on. We had that surge but the Wallowa has already settled back into green and fishable....gauge at Troy is reading 4,400 as of Sunday morning, after jumping up to around 10,000....steelhead magic 8 ball says: all signs point to yes.]

[Update....a sad one, but with the promise of a bright spot....windy and warm conditions jacked the Grande Ronde level from about 1,500 cfs to 6-thousand in 24 hours. So, uh, all this stuff below about it being go-time is on hold for now. But. When she settles down there should be a slug of fish that have moved up the system.]

Ahoy, fishers – it's go-time. It's happening. Wallowa River and Grande Ronde steelhead are opening their mouths to take in items that have hooks concealed within.

For proof, we go to the photo file from fishing guide Tom Farnam's recent successful Wallowa River exploratory mission (special thanks to the thoughtful outdoorsman who left the Keystone can on the bank so Tom could use it for size comparison . . . we've made about two bucks so far this fishing season picking up these mementos).

Creel report indicates 1.7 hours per fish, or roughly 8.3 Keystone Lights if that's how you keep track.

Paul has a full rundown on Tom's very good day over at the Winding Waters Fishing Report.

Tom landed two hatchery fish that day and kindly left one at my house, where it was transformed by my homemade smoker and secret brine recipe into smoky steelheady deliciousness. Mira –

Lots of real estate available on that grill....but I have plans to pack it in there next round.

Like to build your own smoker for zero dollars? Well, then it's time for another episode of Jon's Handyman Corner.

For this project you will need –

A neighbor named Carla who has an old plug-in electric cooktop she lets you have.

An old Weber barbecue with one handle missing (see photo).

Tinfoil.

An apple tree you can cut limbs off.

A recipe for the brine, which you should disregard and substitute whatever you have lying around the kitchen. I threw in some pineapple juice and molasses curveballs along with the standard mix of kosher salt, worchesterhoweveryouspellit sauce and brown sugar and so forth.

Look online for a full recipe, but be prepared to wade through many versions. Smoking fish, it turns out, is one of those battlefield topics where people have definite, fixed notions and get their dander up if you deviate from their view. Type of salt, type of wood chips, how much heat, how long, blahty-blah.

My first batch turned out pretty good and once I get things nailed down I'll unleash my own recipe upon the world.

Meantime, soak your fish in the brine overnight. Crank up your homemade smoker by placing wet chips in foil with vent holes....add more chips after about an hour. Pull it after three and you're in bidness.

My quest to add more steelhead to the smoker had mixed results this weekend. I hooked one, had it on long enough to be smiling wide, then it moseyed downstream on me and I stood there thinking I could impose my will over the wild things, which was not the case at all. There was tension and then there wasn't. Just slack line, billowing back toward me like a gentle slap. This was followed by a moment of silence, then a series of cracking noises as my heart broke into nine hundred and eighty-three tiny shards.

But I dusted myself off after a little cry and hooked another fish not too long after. Behold –

"Whatever you do, fish, don't just jump out of the net I'm holding at the perfect angle for you to jump out of."

That's me, urging this wild fish to unhook it's teeth from the net. It did occur to me I should get a grip on the tail if I was going to get a picture, but these thoughts were interrupted by this –

Aaaaaand, back you go.

Special thanks to Fishtrap Writer and Fly Fisherman In Residence Cam Scott for the outstanding camera work on capturing that exciting release. Cam is a professional, so he didn't seem phased at all by my unorthodox methods of letting fish go before I got them to the bank, or not holding it up once I did get one to the bank.

So the Wallowa is fishing good and I also hear that the Grande Ronde near Troy was producing steelhead this past weekend.

Make a list of all the things you should be doing, crumple that in your fist and place it in your barbecue, which will be used later if you follow my instructions for smoking the steelhead you will be catching.

Then click here for Winding Waters guided flyfishing trips.

Also enter the Winding Waters steelhead hotline into your speed dial (877) 426-7238 and get on the river with guide Tom Farnam who, legend has it, surgically added a steel plate above his frontal lobes so he could think more like a steelhead.

One more thing: click the Winding Waters Steelhead 101 for a great primer on the Wallowa County flyfishing scene.

That about covers it. Now if you'll excuse me, I've got to go tie some more Rombach Specials, which are unique fly patterns that rely heavily on the theory that ugly, unlikely objects send steelhead into a rage, provoking strikes.

Happy fishing.

River FAQs with Greek philosopher Heraclitus

2012-02-13T13:27:00.000-08:00

How deep is the river?

I get this a lot. Trouble is, unless you heave a leadline overboard to take a measurement, there’s really no way your river guide can answer except for “about however many feet,” “maybe x,” or “around y.”

About that deep.

So I emailed Heraclitus, river guide buddy and ancient Greek philosopher, for help explaining why.

Here’s his response:

On Mon, Feb 13, 2012 at 8:43 AM, Heraclitus [heraclitus13@atlantis.net] wrote:

Oooh...good question. Over there in Hells Canyon where Winding Waters runs trips, the water level in the Snake River is controlled by how much agua they let out of the dam, so the river goes up and down. Sometimes a lot in one day.

On rivers with no dams, like the Lower Salmon or Grande Ronde, it changes because of snowmelt, rain, stuff like that. On one hand these water levels don’t swing as much on a daily basis, but when a gullywasher dumps a bunch of rain or hot weather comes on real quick and melts a bunch of snow all the sudden, there’s no dam technician (lol) to hold it back and a wild river can crank up real quick.

It’s kind of like a river changes all the time and you couldn’t raft the same river two different times because it’s like, it wouldn’t be the same or whatever.

I’m not saying that right. What I mean is, ‘You can’t step twice into a river because . . .’ No, that’s not it . . . ‘The same river is twice stepped on by . . .’ I don’t know. You know what I’m trying to say though. It needs some work, but there’s a nugget in there somewhere.

Can't spawn twice in the same river either.

...hey, let’s float the Wallowa and Grande Ronde again, that steelhead trip last fall was epic. Toga party in the wall tent, what? Super crazy. Athena says hi. She smoked that hatchery steelhead with some hickory chips and it was off the hook. We’re not bringing Dionysus again tho, that dude was out of control. I mean, god of wine and festivities, I get it – but he should be the god of aspirin and hangover cures. I’m not riding in a boat with him wining all day again. He was all, “waah, my eyeballs hurt” and “don’t splash the oars so loud, it hurts my headache...” Loser.

Anyhooz, get over here and we'll fish the Styx. Bring your 6-weight and a bunch of muddlers.

There you have it. River levels change. Plus these rivers we float are pool and drop, meaning a deepish section after a rapid, then it shallows up and you get another rapid. So the river bottom is never uniform anyway.

Pool.

Drop.

If you can’t see the bottom it’s a guessing game on the depth. One reason we have our favorite spots for rock jumping, where we know there’s a big, deep pool where you won’t hit bottom. Safety first.

Fun a close second.

I like the idea of heaving a leadline over to do soundings with, so I’ve got an email into Sam Clemens to see if he’ll walk us through taking readings. He’s done some of that. I’ll let you know if I hear back.

See you on the river.

Plate and Pitchfork River Trip

2012-02-06T13:49:00.000-08:00

Frostbitten

Another reason I like small town living is that going to a fundraiser is enjoyable. Chance to catch up with friends, kick a few bucks to some outfit you like. Most of the fundraisers I've been to in the big city involved a guy pointing at me through the pocket of his jacket demanding all my money. It's just not as personal. And you can't write it off on your taxes.

So the Frostbite fundraiser at the OK Theater was more than OK, it was fun. Here's my "I Heart Fergi" sticker, which all the cool kids are putting on their Big Wheels:

They also had "I Appendix Fergi" stickers, but they were less appealing.

Another Fergi bumper sticker says, "Fergi: Where 2" Feels Like 6" – which reminds me of what an ex-girlfriend of mine used to say . . . you know what, never mind.

Winding Waters guide and Corriente cattle rancher Craig Nichols worked the Frostbite auction again and navigated money from wallets to a good cause with the same ease he runs a boat through Snowhole Rapid on the Salmon or the Green Room in Hells Canyon.

The blur you see is caused by the updraft created by 200 hands reaching for their checkbooks.

Plate and Pitchfork River Trip

Here's exciting news – Winding Waters is clanging the dinner bell for a new expedition with The Plate and Pitchfork Road and River Trip, launching this summer with a tour of Craig and Liza Jane Nichols' 6 Ranch, the Carman Ranch in Wallowa and fine dining all down the line during your up-close look at Wallowa Valley ranching, local food production and then local food consumption with riverside cuisine prepared by top Northwest chefs Benjamin Bettinger of Beaker & Flask and Jason Barwikowski of the Woodsman Tavern. Click that there link up above for full details.

Aside from Plate and Pitchfork, Saddles to Paddles, Steelhead Support Trips on the Grande Ronde and the other specialty river trips Paul and Penny offer at Winding Waters, it might be time to add a Craig Nichols Riverside Concert option. We get this guy away from his ranch as often as possible to float the river and The Gearboat Chronicles has chronicled how difficult it is to bring up any activity that Mr. Nichols hasn't checked off his list. Astronaut is the only job, to my knowledge, that Craig hasn't at least dabbled in.

So I wasn't surprised to hear about Craig and Liza Jane's first date, which was skiing. At Fergi, I believe. Liza Jane was a ski instructor and kindly offered to introduce this cowhand to the novelty of sliding down snow. Craig floundered around for a bit, listened to her pointers, then tore off down the mountain in fine form, which he'd picked up from skiing since before he could remember, training with well-known ski champions and competing himself.

Notice he didn't come right out and brag about being an above-average skier. That's the only reason I can tolerate this guy. If anyone else boasted about once performing open heart surgery on Henry Kissinger in the back of a taxi in Bangledesh using only a ballpoint pen and his Leatherman, I'd yawn and get tired of their self-promotion. Anyhoo, you should float the river with Craig if you get the chance. Or tour his ranch on that Plate and Pitchfork deal.

Here's a few more shots from Frostbite. Morgan winning a new school backpack in the raffle, with emergency shovel to dig out her homework:

Jerry Hustafa with some Black Diamonds that Hal Morello picked up in the auction.

And proof the weather has been easy on the eyes out here in the Wallowas lately. Here's the view from where I sip coffee in the mornings on my front porch –

Reminder to steelheaders:

Spring steelhead season is galloping our way, fish are coming in and Paul and I are planning a flyfishing expedition down the Grande Ronde for March. We will fish our butts off during the day, sit our butts down inside the heated wall tent at night, grill some Corriente steaks, play a round of cards, tell lies, the occasional true story, talk about the fishing that day and make plans for fishing the next.

There are worse ways to spend your time.

If that sounds up your alley, check out the Winding Waters Supported Steelhead Trip on the Wallowa and Grande Ronde Rivers -- you do the fishing and we take care of everything else.

Sled dogs, ski movies and steelhead

2012-01-30T10:34:00.000-08:00

The Eagle Cap Extreme sled dog race ran last week, starting and finishing at Ferguson Ridge Ski Area outside of Joseph.

Spiffy starting line from Jay-Zee Lumber.

It's good times, having mushers in town. Nice to see dog sleds on top of trucks driving down the road. You think, oh, here comes a – no, that's not a . . . it's, uh . . . that right there is a – what is that? Oh, yes, of course.

Lots of folks volunteer to help put these races on. Jerry Hustafa is so dedicated he strapped himself in the traces and helped pull a sled for 10 miles when one of the dogs needed a break.

Binky patrol.

Paul, Penny, Morgan and Todd have been helping shuttle sled dog fans up to the starting line over the years, running a hay wagon type trailer setup behind the Winding Waters trucks. I got to help out this year and had a fine time visiting with folks on the short rides. Lots of river folk come out to watch sled dogs, I notice.

Speaking of things to do with snow, this is your final boarding call reminder for flight Frostbite Fundraiser, leaving from the terminal this Thursday eve, 6 pm from the OK Theatre in downtown Enterprise.

Cool movies courtesy of The Backcountry Film Festival. Door prizes, raffle and live auction, including a one-day rafting trip for four people with some rafting company . . . let's see here . . . Windingo Waters? They look fun. Heck of a nice website.

Also two nights at Wing Ridge for four people, a one-of-a-kind Paul Arentsen ski-o-lounger chair and a brand spanking new pair of Black Diamond skis. Quality stuff and the proceeds support the Eagle Cap Ski & Nordic Clubs, Wallowa Valley Community Ice Rink and the Wallowa Avalanche Center.

Lou going out for a spin while everyone's distracted by dogs.

Be there. More info at SkiFergi.com and Penny has a Facebook page going.

Well, amigos, Paul and Tom Farnam and I are off to investigate reports that Spring steelhead fishing is already a going concern on the Wallowa River. Learned that bit of information from Eric at the sled dog races.

And Mike Baird said he got in some fishing Sunday afternoon, reported the water clarity is just fine. He picked up a nice bull trout, no steelhead, but they're in there.

Birdies of Hells Canyon

2012-01-23T12:27:00.000-08:00

Green heron? Double-crested cormorant?

Saw a diving bird come up with a fish on my last jaunt down in Hells Canyon with Mike Baird and the Forest Service cleanup crew.

Never seen this particular collection of feathers before in Hells. Long neck. Biggish. About the size of two-and-a-half ducks glued together. There was another bird of the same persuasion floating nearby, they took off and split up to lose us, I guess, with one of them keeping pace with us as we went upriver, doing, I don't know, 30 miles-an-hour? We were moving pretty good and I tried to get photos to ID the thing but they turned out to be a blurry mess.

So I'm laying claim to the discovery of a new bird in Hells Canyon: The Blurry Mess. Identified by not being able to identify it. Inhabits crappy photos taken by amateur photographers.

One guess for this fisher bird was green heron. Most pictures of green herons I found look nothing like what I saw, but this one here looks about right:

I don't see any green, but I'm no ornithologist.

There's a bird checklist for Hells Canyon put out by Idaho Power. Here's a link if you're interested. They don't mention green herons, but I don't suppose birds consult bird books to decide where they can and can't go.

The Hells Canyon bird list does mention a black-crowned night heron, which is mostly white and doesn't look at all like what we saw.

Superhero Birds?

I know one thing for sure – The Green Heron will probably be a movie soon. After the Green Hornet and Green Lantern, The Green Heron is a natural progression. He'll swoop down on criminals, poop on their car and eat all the koi out of their pond, if they happen to have a koi pond. Otherwise his crime-fighting tactics are fairly limited. But that's still a better storyline than most Hollywood superhero films.

Double-crested cormorants are on the list for Hells Canyon inhabitants, and here's what they look like:

Chew your food, cormorant. Chew your food.

Could have been a cormorant we saw, but I don't know. So I don't know that Idaho Power should update their bird list to include green herons, but I have here a photo taken at Coon Hollow on the lower section, and do not see pink plastic flamingos listed anywhere on the Idaho Power bird list. Might want to update that, Idaho Power.

They're very tame. You can sneak right up on them.

We see loads of great blue herons on the Snake River, Lower Salmon, Wallowa and Grande Ronde rivers. Here's one now:

Here's the same bird, without the zoom –

These last two photos were taken from my yard. Friends sometimes ask when I'm going to move from the Wallowas and go live in the city. If they find me a log cabin apartment with a view like this and I can take pictures of herons from my yard that I don't have, I'll consider it.

A quick science lesson

We've been getting snow and rain and rainy-snow and snowy rain lately. Last week we got reports of Lewiston, Idaho getting a foot of snow, La Grande, Oregon getting a foot of snow and here in the Wallowas we got buckets of rain with a temperature of 50-degrees.

Mike Baird said his students were asking questions in his classroom that he didn't have answers for. Like, why are we in school when we should be out sledding because this should be a snow day. So Baird got on the horn to one of his science contacts who explained the numbers related to a chinook.

I didn't take notes, but basically there's high pressure and low pressure and air comes off the mountains and slides down into a valley, heating up around 5 degrees for every 1,000 feet it drops.

So the Wallowas are up in the 9,000-ish foot neighborhood and the floor of Wallowa Valley is around 4,000. Air slides down, heats up, we get rain instead of snow, then it freezes later, turning my driveway into a skating rink, causing me to slip and fall on my can the other night.

But the pressure zones seem to have evened out, the ski run has been in action and the mountains are storing up future whitewater for rafting season.

Call or email to set up your rafting trip on this snow, once it gets around to melting.

And bring your birding book and binoculars. We'll search for the elusive green heron.

Cleaning Hells Canyon

2012-01-17T10:31:00.000-08:00

Hells Canyon got spiffed up last weekend when a Forest Service cleanup crew scoured the banks at popular campsites to remove plastic in many and various forms, bunches of wire, odds, ends, a pair of blue swimming trunks and a few other things we don't need to go into.

Cleaning crew in action. China Bar, Hells Canyon.

Mike Baird and I went along as volunteers and it was unique both to be down on the Snake River in January and also see it by jetboat, rather than raft. Landmarks come at you awfully fast when you're accustomed to seeing them from a floating pace.

Strapping down part of the haul.

That's Ranger Brent in the foreground.

Wildlife sightings were fast and furious. Maybe not furious. They were mostly flying by or grazing. One thing I'd never seen in Hells Canyon were elk. Seen acres of elk sign in the spring. Evidence. Beds. Droppings. But never the actual elk until this trip, when several herds were doing their thing.

Little brown dots near the bottom represent elk.
My zoom can only do so much from a bouncing jetboat.

The eagles were thick down there. Bald and golden. Looked like a political ad with all the eagles flying around, being majestic and whatnot. Also herons, horned owls, wild turkeys, deer, bighorn sheep. All of that.

And possibly, just possibly, a calling card from a wolf. You be the judge:

Whatever creature left this came very close to pooping on my knife.

We stopped in to visit the caretakers at Cache Creek. Nice couple from Estacada. They drew our attention to an intriguing pile of poo behind the house that sure appears to be a contender for having been left by something larger than a coyote. Chupacabra? Wolf?

I asked the internets about wolf doo-doo and it said woofs leave number twos that are generally larger in diameter than one inch, tapered at one end with hair and bone fragments from prey. Coyote poo will be shinier than wolf poo . . . the last time you learned this much about byproducts you swore never again to feed your infant asparagus pureed with blueberries and mandarin oranges.

That pocket knife in the photo measures 4 1/4" long x 1 1/4" at the widest spot. So according to the cap of my pen that I held up to the screen for scale, Exhibit P hovers around 1" in diameter and so it could go either way: Coyote that could use more prunes in the diet or a wolf that didn't use the groover. Or a very large dingo. Never know.

As for the placement of this specimen right behind an old ranch house next to the Snake River in Hells Canyon, here's a snippet from the ODFW site: "Both wolves and coyotes leave scat in prominent places along trails and roads to mark territories and leave scent behind. It is a form of communication with other wolves and coyotes."

Piles of poop as a form of communication. Reminds me of the exciting junk mail offers I receive in my mailbox.

Here's an interactive game for you. See if you can spot hoo is hiding in this photo.

He just finished a Tootsie Pop before I snapped this picture.

It was really quite nice down in Hells Canyon for January. Sweatshirt weather during the day and impressive stars at night. Dusting of snow way up high and it got me looking forward to being back on the water.

The first slot on my calendar for launching a boat will be a steelhead float in early-spring, fishing the 38-mile run from Minam down to Wildcat Bridge above Troy. I aim to tussle with some steelhead in the roadless section and I need to start losing some of these flies I've been tying up all winter.

Want in? Check out our supported steelhead trips where Winding Waters provides all the comforts and you just worry about catching fish.

And remember, friends, Pack It In, Pack It Out. I don't mind doing some cleanup now and then, but it doesn't take much to clean up after ourselves.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got to go tend to the mountain of dishes in my sink.

Sit Downhill

2012-01-10T11:19:00.000-08:00

Paul is in action out in his workshop building a ski chair like he does every year for the upcoming Frostbite Fundraiser auction. It's a hot item, this annual incarnation of old skids put back to use as somewhere to take a load off.

I made a pair of skis out of old chairs....not nearly as cool.

It'll be the 5th annual fundraiser, Thursday, February 2, 6 pm at the OK Theatre in Enterprise to support the Eagle Cap Ski & Nordic Clubs, Wallowa Valley Community Ice Rink, and the Wallowa Avalanche Center.

The Backcountry Film Festival will showcase indy outdoor adventure films by the Winter Wildlands Alliance, plus the auction and a raffle for cool stuff and this event is always a good time. Tickets sold at the door for $8 adults/$4 kids 10 & under.

You can get more info at SkiFergi.com and Penny has a Facebook page going.

Chairs aren't the only use Paul has for discarded skis. He's the reigning champ for lawnchair racing at FergiFest, the end-of-year celebration at our local ski area.

I'm getting weary of Paul winning every year and me not just losing, but usually being injured, so I snuck into Paul's R&D headquarters, lowering myself on wires I got from Tom Cruise and stole blueprints of Paul's lawnchair racer design so I have a shot at winning this year. Wish me luck.

See you at the Frostbite event if you're in the vicinity. If not, get to work on a lawnchair racer and plan on getting to Fergi in the spring for the FergiFest party.

With all this talk of snowsports, it's fitting that we actually got some white stuff on the valley floor this morning after a noticeable lack of that substance.

I'm off to start a snowball fight with the neighbors. They love that.

Whitewater botany and the unique plants of Hells Canyon

2012-01-03T12:17:00.000-08:00

Hells Canyon is a lot of things. Big. Beautiful. Dramatic in many ways. One reason I enjoy running the same river in different seasons with different people is learning something new and seeing the river from different perspectives.

Taking botanists down the Snake River in Hells Canyon to survey for rare plants has sent more knowledge and Latin flying over my head than I can recall, so I asked Forest Service botanist Gene Yates to give us a rundown on some highlights of why Hells Canyon is unique in terms of things that grow down there.

Gene, documenting stuff.

I’ve been on three river trips with this Yates fellow – no, make that four. He also came with us on the Salmon River strictly for fun with his son Connor. And by ‘strictly for fun’ I mean he still had a scientific tome with him that he referenced while surveying plants. Like we all do on vacation.

But I find he's good at explaining things to someone who hasn't had a biology class since high school. So here’s an inside look from someone who knows what they’re talking about on what to look for in Hells Canyon that you won’t see elsewhere.

Here's Gene:

Macfarlane’s Four-O’Clock

MacFarlane’s four o’clock habitat in Hells Canyon. photo: www.fs.fed.us

Many plants are unique, or in botanical parlance, endemic to Hells Canyon; that is, they grow nowhere else. One of the more striking plants is the MacFarlane’s four o’clock (Mirabilis macfarlanei), named for its discoverer, Ed MacFarlane, an early pioneer of motorized boat transportation up the Snake River.

OK, I fibbed, the four-o’clock is not technically endemic to Hells Canyon; it also grows along grassy slopes that line the Salmon River, but it is a unique species, threatened under the Endangered Species Act, and so far as can be determined, with a stable population in Hells Canyon.

It grows near Pittsburg Landing. Under ideal conditions it can be seen blooming along the eroded sediments deposited from the great Bonneville flood (about 15,000 years ago) as you bounce through the rapids downstream of Lower Pittsburg Landing, around the bend from the boat ramp.

Although generally of interest only to plant geeks like myself, here’s a link for more information on Macfarlane’s four-o’clock.

[Gearboat note: I found this interesting, even without being a plant geek. Authored by Mr. Yates. Worth checking out.]

Bartonberry

Another endemic plant, the Bartonberry, is named for Lenora Barton, matriarch of the Barton family that homesteaded in Hells Canyon, who first noticed this plant as being unique.

The Bartonberry (Rubus bartonianus) can be seen at the Hells Canyon launch and along rocky slopes of the upper canyon. Superficially, it resembles currants or gooseberries, but is closely related to thimbleberry (Rubus parviflorus). It’s large white flowers bloom from late April to early May.

For more information on bartonberry, here’s a one-pager from Oregon Rare Plant Guide.

And here's a status report on bartonberry following the 2010 bartonberry survey trip, written by ecologist and botanist Jenifer Ferriel.

[Fun fact: that's Jennifer checking out the waterline in the post from last week.]

From Prickly Pear to Paintbrush

Best appreciated when not barefoot. Trust me.

Many other beautiful wildflowers, endemic or widespread, are abundant along both the Snake and Salmon Rivers. Hells Canyon has masses of prickly pear cactus, a plant not normally associated with the Pacific Northwest. From late May through June, the prickly pear blooms in profusion with large gobs of yellow to salmon pink flowers, the delight of bumblebees, beetles and botanists. And that’s only a start. Penstemons, paintbrushes, phlox . . . it’s a riot of color.

Good Coffee and Surveying by Raft

Rafting is actually a great way to see and experience the wildflowers of Hells Canyon or the Salmon River. One of the reasons we choose raft transport (over jet boats) for rare plant survey work is the slower pace allows us to carefully examine the shoreline and near slopes. And we can conveniently stop at areas we want to look over more closely on foot. Rafting also leaves a much smaller carbon footprint. And having good, dark black coffee - coffee for coffee drinkers - waiting for you after you rise in the morning, and dinner waiting following an early evening hillside hike is more the bonus.

And appetizers. Don't forget the appetizers.

Although one should be advised, on the water, you do get wet. It’s called whitewater rafting for good reason. One memorable trip last September, as Jon was negotiating the Wild Sheep Class IV water, the lip of a Charybdis-sized suck hole grabbed the right tube, promptly pulling it under, putting the raft into an unsettling 40 degree lean. The gear was snuggly tied down, we were not. Fortunately, I was on the left and my botanist colleague in arms, Jerry, proved a reliable step stool and I was scarcely doused. Jon ably pulled us back out.

[Gearboat note: I haven’t the slightest notion what a ‘Charybdis’ is, but it sounds exciting. Thanks, Gene, for the inside scoop on unique plants in Hells Canyon and the Salmon River.]

Rafting Resolutions 2012

2011-12-27T17:16:00.000-08:00

Flip the page on the calendar and run a highlighter across rafting season, because 2012 is coming right for us.

To help ready ourselves for another rotation around the sun, The Gearboat Chronicles presents Rafting Resolutions, 2012 Edition.

I will skip a rock.

Look at that surface tension, begging to be interrupted 6 or 8 or more times.

It's a wrist thing. Just sort of . . . flick it. Choice of rock is crucial. Even one-skip rocks, aka 'just throwing it in the river' are clinically proven to rejuvenate receptors in your brain that make you happy to be on planet earth. Skipping rocks is rated in the Top Ten Things You Don't Miss Doing Until You Do Them Again. It's a go-to activity for many reasons, but mainly just because. Preferred location: river.

I will remember that Hells Canyon is the deepest gorge in the lower 48 for a reason and that makes it big and awesome and fun when you blast down in a whitewater raft.

As waterlines go, that one is on the impressive side.

If you haven't seen Hells Canyon, you ought to. And if you have, odds are you'd like to see it again. Springtime, Summer, Fall, they all have their charms in Hells Canyon. The name is intimidating. The rafting is fun. The scenery makes you feel small. The experience makes you feel big. It's got a lot going on.

I will sleep under the stars.

Rated high on the list of most rafters, sleeping out is a fine thing. The river lapping at the beach, The Milky Way pouring across the sky, crickets....zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

I will get splashed and pretend I don't want to but secretly love it.

Sometimes you really don't want to get wet. Most times, though. . . .

I will spend time in a hammock.

Self-explanatory.

Sit in it. Sleep in it. Take a nap. Read. Snooze. Think about everything or think about nothing. Hammocks are suspended greatness. It's like telling gravity you're going to take a timeout and be comfortable while you do it.

We're just getting started here, but this should get you started on things to do this upcoming year. The river is prime territory for all of these and if you'd like to get on the water we'd love to take you.

Happy New Year from Winding Waters River Expeditions and The Gearboat Chronicles.

‘Twas the Night Before Rafting

2011-12-19T15:41:00.000-08:00

‘Twas the night before rafting
And all through the camp
You couldn’t see anything
Without a headlamp

The coffee next morning
Was made with care
While one of the ladies was
Fixing her hair

She fixed it just right
Like her stylist taught her
But it was ruined real soon
By the Green Room’s whitewater

Clutching her head
Where her hairdo had been
She yelled to the guide
“Let’s do that again!”

That lady loves rafting
Goes on a trip with us each year
Her husband loves it too
But he insists on rowing gear

He’s the best gearboater we’ve seen
Runs every rapid just right
We asked if he’d run gear before
He said, “Yeah. Lots of it. At night.”

We pressed him for his secret
And then he dropped our jaws
When he said, “Well, my first name’s Nick,
Last name . . . Claus.”

We thought for sure he was joking
Trying to pull a trick
But then he showed his drivers license
And sure enough, it said “Saint Nick”

The guides got kind of nervous,
Worried that we’d been naughty
But he said we shouldn’t worry,
“Now where’s that groover? One of the elves needs the potty.”

Gearboat Santa stops at every camp
Spreading river cheer
Leaving gifts in Chacos
From his dry bag full of gear

When rafting with the Clauses
We always enjoy ourselves
They’re fun to have on the river
And so are all the elves

So if your wife is special
But you don’t know what to get her
Take a tip from Santa
And send her down the river

She always will remember
The adventure that you got her
Going whitewater rafting
With the crew at Winding Waters

We know that we’ll see some of you
This coming rafting season
Because Santa let us see his list
Of who’s been nice, and all the reasons

Claus looked out at the river
And then he started talking
About all the lucky people
Who’d get a river trip in their stocking

So if you have been naughty
Burn your coal so you don’t shiver
But if you’re one of the nice ones
Then we’ll see you on the river

Merry Christmas from Winding Waters River Expeditions and The Gearboat Chronicles

River Trip Planning Guide and Gearboat Chronicles What The? Photo Contest Winner

2011-12-12T14:32:00.000-08:00

Announcing this month's winner of The Gearboat Chronicles What The? Photo Contest:

Congratulations to Jana S. of Bend, Oregon who did not successfully identify the subject of the photo below, but got closer than the other contestants:

Not a submarine. Thanks for playing, Scott in Pasadena.

Jana guessed: stand up paddle board. It's actually the bottom of an inflatable kayak, but SUP board was closer than: iceberg, sturgeon belly, un-suntanned leg and the other wrong answers.

River rafting comes with a fair amount of kicked-back attitude, so I made a new bylaw that awards fabulous prizes to whoever gets closest. So congratulations, Jana, and enjoy your Collector's Series First Edition Croakie from the Winding Waters River Mall, available at the bottom-left of the home page. Santa shops there too.

Legal pad not included.

Also enjoy your Grande Ronde River Gearboat Gandydancer, which is the name I just made up for this bead-head nymph I tied the other night. Jana says she isn't in the market for hand-tied flies, as she's not a fisherperson. But I clipped one of the wings off accidentally when I was cutting the thread right at the last, so consider it an earring and enjoy. Might want to pinch the barb.

Planning River Trips and Fishing Expeditions

"Winter is the time for tying flies and thinking about fishing, right?..."

That's how a fishing friend started the conversation on the phone the other day. I was calling to talk him into coming over for some Wallowa Valley steelhead fishing on the Grande Ronde, so technically I disagree with him. There's still fishing to be had out here in the Wallowas as the rivers aren't iced up and the steelhead are in there waiting for you -- but I see what he's saying.

Grande Ronde River steelhead on the fly.

So he's coming up with three options for a big fishing expedition next year and I'm supposed to come up with three more. Criteria: Up to 10 days. Keep the costs minimal and target rivers with exceptional fishing. Remote and uncrowded preferred.

We've had this talk before, this guy and me. And I always advocate him coming over here and floating the Wallowa and Grande Ronde because Wallowa County streams check off all the items on his list. He tells me I need to explore more, and I see his point and love exploring -- but I ended up living here by exploring and finding a spot I didn't see any reason to leave.

So. We go round and round on that. But he's right that this is the season for looking ahead to your next river season or fishing expedition. Here's a handy guide for choosing your next river adventure:

Step One: Start a list of all the things you're looking for in a whitewater rafting adventure. Include things like scenic river setting, wildlife viewing, perfect family river vacation, great food, safe and fun guides. Go crazy. Put down everything you're looking for in the rivertrip of a lifetime.

Step Two. Throw that list away and contact Winding Waters River Expeditions.

Step Three: Done.

This time-saving River Trip Selection Guide brought to you by The Gearboat Chronicles Office of Streamlined Time Management.

Wallowa County Steelhead Update and Gearboat Photo Contest

2011-12-06T10:22:00.000-08:00

Cold and clear with occasional awesome sunset: current trend in Wallowa Valley weather.

I've got sort-of good news relating to steelhead fishing in Wallowa Valley. And I've got some kind-of good news. Some downright positive news and some not-necesarily bad news, given that it is, after all, December.

What do you want first?

First, the downright positive: Fishing guide Tom continues to maintain his air of mystery about him, managing to get his fishers to catch fish when other mere mortals might not be landing steelhead. To witness this phenomenon for yourself, arrange an exhibition by scheduling a se'ance on the river with The Amazing Farnum at the Winding Waters Guided Steelhead Tent and Fortune Telling Booth.

In less exciting news, turns out I'm a mere mortal. I went by the Wallowa River a couple times last week and didn't see any reason not to rig up and fish for a little bit. We haven't been getting blockbuster reports from the Wallowa River -- Tom's been working his magic down lower on the Grande Ronde -- but there must be fish up that high and I aimed to find one.

I may -- and may is a long way from definitely did -- hook a steelhead two days ago on the Wallowa. Felt right. Looked right during the brief glimpse I got underwater before it took the liberty of unhooking itself . . . looked on the small side, but it buoyed my hopes and they were already floating fairly high because the bite from non-steelhead was actually pretty active and for a day with a little bit of ice along the banks, getting into some trout and whitefish is a nice consolation prize.

The little bit of ice was just that, thin tinkles right on the fringe of the banks of the Grande Ronde. This picture here is of the Minam River, which is low and sporting some regular chunks of ice. Pretty, though. If you like that kind of thing.

So the temperatures are down there, but the fish are in there and they're still moving their jaws up and down to ingest things in the water that look like food. Nothing warms you up faster on a cold clear day than the tug of a steelhead peeling line. Except for hot tubs. Hot tubs might warm you up faster. But they're not as exciting. Unless . . . never mind.

Gearboat Book Club Update:

Still enjoying the bejeezis out of Thomas McGuane's The Longest Silence. Here he's talking about a small pool with a difficult approach:

The trouble was you had to stay far enough away from the pool that it was hard to keep your line off the tailwater, which otherwise produced instantaneous drag. You needed a seven-foot rod to make the cast and a twenty-foot rod to handle the slack. They hadn't built this model yet; it would need to be a two-piece rod with a spring-loaded hinge driven by a cartridge in the handle, further equipped with a flash suppressor.

I've started tinkering in my shop to build a prototype, McGuane.

Announcing The Gearboat Chronicle What The? Photo Contest:

First person to identify the subject of this photo wins an exciting gift from the Gearboat Chronicles prize closet. This week it will either be the pair of Winding Waters Croakies I found in my glove compartment or a custom steelhead fly tied by Jon Rombach -- or a fourth grader in arts and crafts class. Hard to say.

Hints: this photo was taken underwater at Maloney Creek on the Lower Salmon River. In summertime. When it was hot out and we were on an awesome river trip and you could be wearing shorts in the morning and feel like going swimming, as opposed to right now when I feel like stoking the woodstove.

What is it? Huh?

Secrets of Grande Ronde Steelheading

2011-11-29T09:43:00.000-08:00

Positively splendid news from the land of steelheading, old sport. Sir Thomas Farnum, Winding Waters Director of Putting Fish on the Ends of FlyRods, has returned from a day along the banks of the merry Grande Ronde with encouraging tales of activity amonst the river rock and stream.

The fish they are a'biting. And a'running.

Tom's fishers, pictured below, each landed steelhead on the smaller-ish side, as you can see. But Tom says the dad here hooked into a charger of a fish that just marched around that river, taking line off the reel like it belonged to him, like he had a receipt for that 7-weight tapered line and by god was going to get it back.

Which, as it happened, he did not. The hook eventually pulled out before the fish could be landed and our man here had to console himself with having had a feisty tussle with what Tom figures must have been a wild fish. And a spunky one at that.

Here's his son with a fish he picked up right below [I'm not supposed to tell].

These fish were caught using [not supposed to tell that either]. And Tom says you will definitely, for-sure, catch steelhead if you simply [I don't feel right, passing on these secrets. You've got to talk to Tom].

Also, the guaranteed, sure-fire fly to use on the Grande Ronde River if you're at all interested in catching trophy steelhead is [well, it has feathers. I can reveal that much. Beyond that, I refer you to Tom].

So talk to Tom. You can do so by visiting the digital fortress of the Winding Waters kingdom for info on Grande Ronde River guided steelhead fishing. Tell them the Gearboat Chronicles sent you. Also, tell them I need my pyrex dish back. The one from Thanksgiving that had the casserole in it with the baked funyuns on top. And tell them -- you know what, I'll just click on the link and tell them myself. Thanks, though.

Speaking of Thanksgiving dishes, boy am I embarrassed. If you made Morgan Jenkins' Ultra-Famous Three Alarm Cranberry Chutney like I told you to for the holiday, well, I forgot to mention the diced red onion. Damnit.

I remembered when I was making it myself. It looks like this:

And tastes like a gang of cranberries got into a fight with a jar of horseradish and some walnuts and red onion and diced apple tried to break it up but they all just ended up involved in the melee so a bunch of green apple slices gathered around to watch the excitement. That's what it tastes like.

Morgan's Famous Cranberry Chutney and The Gearboat Book Club: McGuane's 'Longest Silence'

2011-11-22T11:27:00.000-08:00

In very civilized times it is reassuring to know that wild fish will run so close that a man on foot and within earshot of lawn mowers can touch their wildness with a fishing rod.

-- Thomas McGuane The Longest Silence: A Life in Fishing

I'm already not looking forward to finishing this one by McGuane. I'm rationing pages. Cutting chapters out of the book and stashing them around the house in hidey-holes and not leaving myself a treasure map to slow myself down because sometimes you get into a book and your pace picks up because the writing's that good and your coffee gets cold and you let the fire in the woodstove go out for lack of stoking and once you've latched into enough of those good reads to remember the letdown once you run out of pages -- then whoah, you recognize the symptoms and go into savor mode.

It's early yet. I'm only on page 37. But, man. Jim Harrison says this on the back cover: "In The Longest Silence I have perceived without hyperbole that Thomas McGuane writes better about fishing than anyone else in the history of mankind."

Hyperbole by mentioning hyperbole and the history of mankind aside, Harrison might be onto something here.

It's just that good. And the list of people I'm going to ask Santa to bring this to is on the longish side. This book came out in 1999 so I may very well be the only one who hasn't read it until now. I just missed it somehow. I was unawares until my dad sent it my way. Thanks, dad.

Read that line again, would you?

. . . it is reassuring to know that wild fish will run so close that a man on foot and within earshot of lawn mowers can touch their wildness with a fishing rod.

Maybe it's just me. Maybe out of context it doesn't set off the airbag of colliding with something solid while reading. But c'mon, that's mighty good.

I can think of a few locations you might hook and land a wild fish in Wallowa County within earshot of a lawnmower. Wallowa River, across from that mansion house. But nobody ever seems to be there. Maybe Minam State Park if the grounds crew is out. And the hole under the bridge at Imnaha, if Alazar or Yasha happen to be trimming the grass.

Everywhere else you'd have to pack your own lawnmower. Which isn't such a bad thing.

Tell you what else isn't a bad thing: bad weather. I mean, it is, by definition. But when, for instance, you're driving back home and see this cloud squatting over where your log cabin is....

....then, if you're me, you say to youself, Well, I know one person who's going to sit on the couch and read a good book after I light a fire using the to-do list of chores I wrote for myself as kindling.

Pictured: smoke from fire kindled with to-do list.
Also four point buck skull I found on the riverbank while fishing.
Well, my dog found it but I'm the one who packed it out and nailed it to the logs.

But the weather's kind of going our way, actually. Little bit of a chinook wind blowing through as of last night and I see the rivers are ticking up. Hopefully get some fish moving and I'm set to go test that theory day after Thanksgiving with Mike and Patrick and the rest of the Baird clan.

Meantime, have a swell holiday and might I suggest Morgan Jenkins' Famous Cranberry Chutney, which I trust will be included in his Winding Waters Recipe Book and should compliment any Thanksgiving table.

It goes like this:

Take some cranberry sauce. The kind with actual berries in it, preferably.

Dice up some green apple, real fine.

Add a good dose of horseradish. Don't be shy. Get some heat in there.

Pepper.

I think that's it . . . I could be wrong about the pepper, but I don't think so.

Oh, and walnuts. Chopped walnuts. Mix some of those in there.

And, hey, who says you have to serve turkey? Why not braised Wallowa County steelhead?

I don't know what 'braised' means, to be honest. Morgan's the chef. But if you're tryptophan-intolerant and don't want to fall asleep on the couch, drooling on your aunt's favorite throw pillow again, here's an alternative recipe for this Thanksgiving:

Get yourself a large mixing bowl.

Then call the Winding Waters River Expeditions Steelhead Hotline.

Go on a guided steelhead trip with renowned angler Tom Farnum. This is him, here:

...note the steelhead on the right side of the frame.

....then catch a fin-clipped steelhead. Preferably some wild ones, too, which will delight you but be returned to the waters of the Grande Ronde River.

Prepare it. Add Morgan's Famous Cranberry Chutney. And voila' . . . a Thanksgiving feast to be proud of.

Put the large mixing bowl back. Turns out you don't need that.

Then go read McGuane's book after you watch some football.

Aloha from the Wallowas

2011-11-15T11:36:00.000-08:00

Hidey-ho, rafting friends.

Here's your update on current affairs in Wallowa Valley, the land of Winding Waters Rafting and Fishing.

Steelheaders: the Grande Ronde is running at 819 cfs. Imnaha is 180-something. Advice from our man Tom Farnum remains: get your flies down on the bottom. Weather forecast this week says temperatures in the mid- to upper-30s. The steelhead are in there, you just need to get your fly in front of them. Guided steelhead trips on the Grande Ronde is a logical starting point.

Here's a shot from my last foray down to the Grande Ronde. It's Grande, is it not?

Just got back from Hawaii, where the fall colors were a real disappointment. Just green, green, green. Blah. Except for the riot of tropical flowers, but a northwest boy needs his yellow leaves, you know?

Want to see what the world looks like about two seconds before you ruin your waterproof camera by bodysurfing a beachbreak and holding the camera out to get a picture of the wave? Well, here it is:

Yeah, the little rubber seal does not appear to be rated for getting a washing machine drubbing in waves. Live and learn.

My brother-in-law thinks me might have cracked a rib or two that same day when a bigger set came through and trounced the older folks who were out past the kids boogie-boarding the whitewash. On the up-side, he got nominated for Parent of the Year along with the rib injury because right before getting scooped by the ocean and slammed into the sand, he was busy alerting his kids to the bigger wave, making sure they saw it coming. So, you know, kind of a hero move there. Nice work, Erik. Shallow breaths, man. Shallow breaths.

Not many people know that my mom, Mary Ann Rombach, was a pioneer of big-wave surfing back in the hey-day. She's still got some moves, as evidenced by this shot of her pulling off her signature "One paddle, two paddles, three paddles" move that won her the North Shore Women's Invitational back in '67.

Aloha is easy to come by over there in that beautiful patch of islands plunked down in the middle of water. But I couldn't help but notice that good vibes show up that much easier when you've got young eyes to help you see the fun they're having with all that water. Remind you of anything? Rafting?

Here's one of my favorite photos from Kauai -- my niece Anna, smiling at sunset. I look forward to taking her down the river and seeing the same reaction.

Aloha, amigos. See you on the river.

Jon

Get Down Deep

2011-11-07T20:34:00.000-08:00

Wallowa County steelhead update: Just talked to fishing guide Tom, who says the temperatures have dropped and so should you for going after steelhead. Low and slow is the key right now.

....last Gearboat update came right before Tom and I got down to the Grande Ronde the day before I left for Hawaii. Here's the results:

Look at this beauty. . . .

Yessiree, I sure was excited to see this exotic species on the end of my fly line. Such a handsome fish. And you don't have the same problems as, say, a steelhead being on the end of your line. Like, will it break me off if I'm not careful? Will the thrill lead to my heart rate increasing to such a degree that my doctor would be concerned? If it's not a wild fish, shall I be dining on Omega 3's this evening? No, trashfish really uncomplicate matters.

And my last outing with Tom that I, for some reason, said I'd post results on . . . that outing on the Grande Ronde above the town of Troy . . . it, uh . . . well I did catch fish. Just not the species we were targeting, is all.

Suckers are really underrated. Whitefish are dandy swimmers. And I will say that I've been enjoying the chubby, frisky trout that I've caught lately. They've been in a jumping mood.

But, uh, that particular day last Wednesday I just didn't connect with the ol' steelhead.

And that's the way the cookie crumbles. That's the way the bee bumbles.

Tom is good at making me feel better in times of despair. He made good sense when his analysis of the situation focused on the shift in the thermometer that saw much colder temps overnight and he figured the fish were adjusting. Makes sense. He used a bunch of other fancy words I didn't really understand, but that was the upshot and by now the fish have adjusted. If I was home, I'd be down there taking a crack at the steelhead of the Grande Ronde to get my mojo back after an off-day, but instead I'm perusing spearfishing regulations for Kauai and will try my hand at the Hawaiian sling today.

Meantime, here is your Gearboat Chronicles guide to the town of Troy, at the confluence of the Wenaha and Grande Ronde Rivers.

Next slide, please.

Here we have a photo of the gearboat nestled into the bank just below where the Wenaha comes in above the old bridge. Note how green Oregon is.

This here is the old bridge. It's for walking these days, not motor vehicles.

And there can be a congregation of fisherfolk below this bridge at times, bouncing bait or spinning spoons.

This here is what a cheeseburger and fries looks like from the cafe. And a milkshake.

Tom Farnum has the water up and down from Troy figured out for approach with the flyrod. He introduced me to one of his favored glides, known as "Ass Over Teakettle," which features some wading terrain more challenging than I'm accustomed to, but gets you into primo steelhead water that makes up for the stumbling around.

I ran through that water, waiting for that pull on the rod that erases all previous casts that didn't result in that pull on the rod . . . it was just that the pulls on the rod last Wednesday had trout, whitefish or suckers on the other end.

Which makes me want to get back out there all the more.

So get down low and we'll see you on the river.

Operation: Grande Ronde River Steelhead

2011-10-31T18:02:00.000-07:00

So a rig pulls into my driveway yesterday looking like this:

And I think: Oh, great, they finally tracked me down. Can't trust those witness relocation people farther than you can throw them. And now I'll be beaten with flyrods just like that last time in Singapore when I was in that prison and . . . wait, no . . . it's my pal Tom Farnum. Pheww. So I put the baseball bat back in its place by the front door and we talked fishing.

And it was good talk. Farnum's been racking up successful day after successful day on the Grande Ronde. Better yet, he had a day coming up when he wouldn't be guiding and since Tom fishes every day, on his days off he, well, goes fishing.

And that day is tomorrow. I imagine seeing something along these lines:

Or these lines:

Just as long as there's a line and a steelhead or two or four on the end of it, I'll chalk that up to a day well-spent.

To illustrate the allure of steelhead season here in the Wallowas, allow me to direct your attention to my travel plans for later this week. I shall be boarding an airplane for the islands of Hawaii, where I'll enjoy much beach time with my dear family in ideal weather -- and yet . . . and yet . . . I find myself regretting that this trip coincides with the steelhead run.

I'm pretty sure I'll get over that, but I'm glad to get in one more day on the river before boarding the plane for paradise and with any luck Tom and I will be hearing the sweet sweet music of a racing drag tomorrow.

I'll let you know how it goes.

And, as always, if you find yourself wearing your waders around the house, or making casting motions from your desk at work or show any signs that you'd much, much rather be going after Grande Ronde River steelhead than working on that boring Haskins account -- here's what we'll do . . . you contact Winding Waters Steelhead Headquarters and set up your own day on the river with Tom -- then if you need a cover story for the boss, just let me know and I'll dust off my old covert operations work kit from when I was an operative in Singapore and I'll set you up with an ironclad alibi that will they'll never see through. Trust me.

Breaking News: Steelhead Are Fun to Catch

2011-10-24T09:36:00.000-07:00

The Purple Peril. Just whispering those words over the water of a steelhead run make fish gnash their teeth, sing rugby songs and prepare for battle.

Winding Waters fishing guide Tom Farnum did it again recently, on a clear Fall day along the Grande Ronde River, directing placement of the Peril where it would justify its name. Three fish came to the bank that day, after rising to those strategic swings.

More fish went for it, and narrowly avoided a trip to the bank. They are right now sitting around an underwater campfire, spreading the legend of the Peril and scaring other fish with stories of this Tom Farnum -- the boogeyman of Wallowa Valley steelhead.

Farnum is not feared by those he fishes with. Instead, he provokes this reaction pictured below: smiling.

This guy could have been at work instead. Not sure if he regretted that decision.

I even got in on the game, landing a wild steelhead yesterday. I'm not really smiling in the photo, but that's because I'm mean. Just plain mean. And focused.

This fish was doubly satisfying because my fly tying has improved and it's just nice to catch a fine fish on something you've put together yourself. My original attempts looked like a fourth grader's arts and crafts project gone bad -- but the latest models sort of resemble real flies and they're holding together well.

It was t-shirt weather. Sunny. Fish were active. Catching nice, plump trout in between steelhead strikes. Tough to beat. Take a gander at this shot and try to come up with places you'd rather be:

That's Mike Baird up at the head of the pool. He latched into two steelhead right there.

Right now is one of my favorite times of year in the Wallowas. Even the poison ivy is pretty this time of year. Check it out:

Want to get in on this? Not the poison ivy...though it is kind of pretty, you have to admit....I mean steelhead fishing, Wallowa County style.

For guided steelhead fishing with the notorious Tom Farnum, or catered floats down the Wallowa and Grande Ronde rivers, Winding Waters is here to help.

Fish on.

Grande Ronde steelhead fishing

2011-10-17T10:01:00.000-07:00

He's a cowboy. He's a rafting guide. And everything in between. The only thing I've found that's not on Craig Nichols' resume' is astronaut. And there's still time for that.

Craig had himself a big ol' surprise birthday party this past weekend. Happy birthday, Nichols. If you missed it, wish him a happy one on your next river trip with Craig.

And snake handler. That's also on his resume'.

Craig's gourmet grass-fed Corriente beef cows are so happy you can often see them playing frisbee out in the field when you drive by the 6 Ranch on the way out of the valley.

But protein comes in many forms and you don't get any more free-range than swimming around out in the ocean, then swimming right back to the Wallowa Mountains.

Grande Ronde River steelhead have been on a monumental trip out to the big blue and back. So if you manage to link up with one via flyrod, they don't just throw in the towel.

You'd best adjust your drag and get ready for a wrestling match. They peel line. They leap. They jump out of the water and make fun of your stupid hat. Grande Ronde River steelhead are known for their coarse language and fighting dirty. It's something to do with the minerals in the water running off the majestic Wallowa Mountains. Makes them ornery. Even the hatchery fish, though they don't use as much slang and naughty words when they're cursing you in the middle of a fight.

600 more Wallowa County steelhead came over Granite Dam in the last numbers update from our fish scientist sources.

The Winding Waters steelhead support trip that came down the Wallowa and Grande Ronde last week hooked up with good numbers, after one day where the rains brought the river up and slowed things down a touch . . . but the waters have settled in and look to be holding there, so the Grande Ronde and Wallowa River steelheading is looking good, folks.

To refresh your memory on the difference between normal fishing, and steelhead fishing, I present this photo comparison exercise:

Photo A is of a smallmouth bass. Fun to catch . . .

But, uhhhh . . . .

Get a load of this one here:

Both of Paul's arms actually broke off at the wrists after holding this fish for just a few seconds. It was that heavy.

Fish swam away just fine, but I had to splint Paul's hands back on using sticks and some tippet.

Speaking of tippet, here's a look at the Grande Ronde fall colors that will be your backdrop while tying on new flies. Pretty, huh?

Steelhead movin' on up the Grande Ronde

2011-10-11T12:49:00.001-07:00

Take heed, fisherfolks: Winding Waters fishing guide Tom Farnum has made contact with heads of steel above the sleepy village of Troy, Oregon.

Farnum and cohort Brian Oliver, pictured below grasping a fish, each landed a steelie last week above Troy, which is good news for everyone that they're moving up the system, but especially fine news for our crew down there right now enjoying four days of catered meals and deluxe camps along the Wallowa and Grande Ronde on their steelhead sortee from Minam to Troy.

Tom and Brian picked these fish up on the swing. We had some rain late last week, then the flows settled. More lightish rain last couple days and settling again. Should be good. Should be real good.

This wild fish was so wild it wouldn't hold still for the camera.

If you want to carpe four diems with a super-cush steelhead mission of your very own....we make the coffee, the dinners, the lunches, the breakfasts-es....heat up the wall tent, chip the cocktail ice -- the only thing we don't do is catch the fish for you. And, hey, if you'd rather go that route we can do that too.

If that sounds up your alley, then depress your mouse button upon this right here and start gathering your waders and fly boxes.

I've got my fishing gear by the door, ready to go just as soon as I finish up some winterizing and pre-winter projects....but I'll tell you what, today I very nearly chucked the responsible route and just went fishing. Still might, truth be told. And tomorrow I fear I won't even pretend to do anything other than head straight for the river.

See you there.

Wallowa and Grande Ronde steelhead picking up

2011-10-03T10:10:00.001-07:00

Misty eagle posing along on the Grande Ronde.

Last I saw Paul, Penny and Linden they were heading for the Oregon Coast, towing the drift boat and planning on drifting it to set crab pots. I look forward to reports on how a drift boat operates on the ocean.

Last I heard from Morgan, he was heading for the mountains to do the cooking for a crew conducting a bull trout survey on the upper Imnaha. Been serving them vittles for some years now.

Chef Mo also has a regular catering gig on the Umatilla Reservation, keeping bellies full for a gathering there each fall. That guy can orchestrate some big meals.

Here he is orchestrating some kind of stew with dried fruit and what looks to be a bag of chips. Interesting.

As for me, I've been on a woodcutting rampage this last week, choppin' me some firewoods and storing up BTUs on the front porch. Look here at my precision tree falling....not everyone can balance a lodgepole pine onto a stump like this.

Nor would they want to.

Been out in the woods with Mike Baird, both for hunting season and firewood detail. Here's Baird working his elk bugle up above the Imnaha River.

He took me on some downright strenuous hikes, Baird did. Had to buy a whole new supply of moleskin it got so bad.

Once the wood supply is topped off I plan on trading the chainsword for the flyrod and going after these steelhead heading back to Wallowa County streams.

Here's the latest fishing report from the Joseph Fly Shoppe.

10-2-11 Steelhead are starting to trickle-up the Grande Ronde, but forcast rains this week could really help. Plug guides below Bogan's are finding steelies most days with one boat last week reporting 6. Water temps in the Ronde are good but low flows are the biggest problem. Counts over the dams are very good. The Imnaha is still too low to attract steelhead, although a few have been caught. Trout fishing on the Wallowa has been good.

Stop in and see Rob when you get to town and add some local favorites to your fly box.

Speaking of fish, here's an underwater view of kokanee above Wallowa Lake, taken a few weeks ago:

Fishing guide Tom Farnum is in his element right now, with the steelhead coming on and being out on his home waters of the Wallowa and Grande Ronde rivers.

Click on this here for guided fishing outings with Tom.

Or, you know what? Why not just admit you love fishing, gather like-minded folks and go the deluxe route with a supported trip down the Wallowa and Grande Ronde . . . that means you fish all day and roll into camp where Winding Waters has set up the wall tent and has appetizers waiting. We do all the cooking, send you off in the morning for more fishing and scoot on down the river to set up another lovely camp for you to roll into after another glorious day of fishing. It's kind of great. Read more about it here.

See you on the river.

Rowing botanists in recently-scorched Hells Canyon

2011-09-26T12:02:00.000-07:00

The Cactus Mountain fire burned around 8,000 acres, last I heard, on the Oregon side of Hells Canyon just a week or so ago.

Here's the view from the Snake River, floating by just below Dug Bar.

Lines of reddish-pink fire retardant around scorchy black grass fire remnants . . . should be nice and greened-up next year.

Morgan, myself, Forest Service botanists Jerry, Gene, Sabina, plus volunteer Lindsey and swamper Joanne caught a great weather window for this Hells Canyon tour.

The botany mission was locate populations of....uh.....I want to say 'spartina.' Some grass with, well...it's special, somehow. And has some thingies on top.

To be honest, I just row the boat and let the science talk wash over me because these botany folk speak a different language and I don't comprende much.

Here's a photo of Jerry with said grass:

I do really dig these science floats down the river. We get to pull in to eddies and pockets we wouldn't normally stop at and see some new aspects of the canyon.

Speaking of aspects, here's one from the beach at Ragtown Bar, down from the Copper Creek Ranch.

That was about 40 feet from where I'd spread out my bedroll and I was banking on this not being a usual corridor of travel for Mr. Bear. No evening visits, so it worked out.

Good wildlife trip. I fumbled for my camera when we floated in on an otter who had just got a carp or sucker in his clutches, but wasn't quick enough on the draw and just ended up with this shot after he dove with his catch underwater.

But I did get a nice action photo at dawn of Morgan Jenkins heading for the kitchen to put the coffee on. He's awfully cheery for the moon still being out and no caffeine yet.

Hot enough to swim during the day and just right for t-shirts at dinner....mid-September treated us just right this time for conditions in Hells Canyon.

Now if the weather will just stay clear until I cut firewood for winter, the rain can open up and flush the steelhead up the river and everyone will be happy.

Thanks, summertime...welcome back steelhead

2011-09-13T08:55:00.000-07:00

We here at Winding Waters strive for a perfect Leave No Trace camping record for each whitewater trip on the Snake River in Hells Canyon, Idaho's Lower Salmon and our Wallowa and Grande Ronde backyard rivers . . . every patch of water we row we want to leave pristine. Sadly, this summer our rafting season was marred by one error. Here it is, pictured below.

We picked this image up via satellite. After our crews sweep the camp and brush away footprints before pushing on down the river, Penny engages the uplink with our orbiting camera on Satellite XV411 back at headquarters and scans for anomalies. Rest assured, the person who left this trace has been relieved of duty. We run a tight ship.

Todd Kruger can be thanked for much of the ship-tightening. In the past he stayed closer to home, running the boathouse until he had things so organized on land there was no choice but to do more river trips so he could find more things to organize.

Here he is excavating for the new Winding Waters squirt gun bunker, where all Super Soakers are bored out and retrofitted to provide maximum flow during water fights.

His crew is a little on the young side, but Brady Brown is widely regarded as the finest Tonka operator in the Northwest.

The rafting season is winding down and some of the crew are back at school. Patrick and Dane are climbing the rungs of higher education. Mike Baird's back to teaching high school. Joseph is attending high school. And Linden is learning her ABCs.

For the rest of us, we gaze fondly at our college degrees and are thankful we don't need to sit in classrooms anymore or ever buy another three-ring binder. Except for Morgan. He's fond of Trapper Keepers and buys a new one every September.

This time of year, the crew that isn't in school reviews game tapes from the whitewater season much like a football coaching staff, drawing little circles and making comments. For instance, Paul, Morgan and myself spent two hours analyzing this next photo, trying to plot how we might have adjusted the entry angle of the raft to disperse water droplets in a more efficient spray pattern, splashing the passengers who desired to get splashed while leaving the one passenger dry who wished to stay that way.

So as Fall teeters and we look back on another sweet summer, we thank you for rafting with us and look forward. . . .

Wait, what am I saying . . . there's steelhead arriving already. If you haven't caught a steelhead on a flyrod you're missing a particularly strong trigger to the adrenaline delivery system.

Our fishing guide Tom Farnum turned me from a reluctant steelheader who doesn't care for being cold into someone who doesn't notice the chill because there just ain't nothing like catching a steelhead on a fly.

Give us a shout if you hanker for a first-class multi-day steelhead float down the beeeeutiful Wallowa and Grande Ronde, or a day trip to get you warmed up.

Okey-doke. Be seeing you.

Trailer Light Fights

2011-09-07T08:09:00.000-07:00

Quick survey: What's the worst invention ever?

There's lots of great ideas out there that have changed the world for the better. Like nachos, duct tape, remote controls. But I'm looking for what makes your life worse while allegedly being utilitarian, helpful and good. Something that makes you curse.

My answer is: trailer lights. I'm convinced the patent for trailer lights is held by Satan. In the line for 'purpose' on the paperwork he wrote: to inflict misery. Well, good job Satan. Your little plan is working perfectly.

Here's a pretty picture of calm water and boats. The kind of happy place I "try to go to" while I'm "sweating my ears off," trying to "track down the problem" and seeing a trailer light that "won't work."

Here's another picture. It's of a blaster. Todd calls it a rocket ship. We use it to boil water and bring charcoal up to temperature. That bucket there is approximately what my brainpan undergoes while troubleshooting trailer lights, aka The Devil's Own Lamps.

It's also how hot it was in my yard while I was crawling around under the trailer, banging knuckles and also my noggin.

I've had two run-ins just this week. Borrowed two different trailers from friends and while I *thought* both sets of lights had issues, in classic trailer light trickery, it was a faulty ground on my truck all along.

Well played, Mephistopheles.

Did I mention the angry bees? Yes, bees. As I'm nearing my limit of patience, the yellow jackets got their signal from their commander, The Dark Prince, to erupt from the frame of the trailer, inches from my head, and commence swarming and trying to sting me.

For defense, I had only a bottle of WD-40 and my wits. I switched from the little red tube to fully automatic and sprayed frantically to keep the yellow jacket swarm at bay.

For the record, none of these trailers are Winding Waters-related. Happily, when you plug in the work trailers the lights magically work. I don't know if Paul maintains them with holy water or what, but the lights on the Winding Waters rigs actually work.

So I grinded and drilled and got out the rusty screws and tapped some new ones and tightened and half a day later was on the road. Just like that. Oh, and I aged four years in the process. Half a dozen more trailer light projects and I'll be eligible for Social Security.

I'm salvaging a 90-year old log cabin from Wallowa Lake that was going to be torn down. It's the kind of project you know will be far too much work but you do it anyway telling yourself it will be worth it and then you have to rewire some trailer lights and know you were wrong. But we'll see.

So. I leave you this week with a calming portrait of life on the river. Where I wished I was instead of under a trailer getting stung by bees.

The great thing about rafting is even when you tow a ducky behind your boat, no trailer lights are needed.