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On our long list of runs that have not been done in a while Christian Knight brought a bunch of folks back to a classic or not so classic run that has been off the radar for some years. The East Fork Miller was featured on the old Twitch videos and since then has not been paddled. So with the Pyrahna Demshitz crew in town and Brett fired up to go back in I was talked in to a mission of proportions getting off work with no sleep.  It was hard to motivate for this knowing I was going to hike in a mile and have to bush wack my way through most of the canyon. All in all it was amazing and fun ! alot of work but worth the sweat to see the canyon.  Six hours for three miles..........

                                           CLICK HERE FOR A VIDEO OF THE EAST FORK MILLER
                                   http://creeksides.blogspot.com/2011/07/upper-east-fork-miller.html
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                                      Brett in his usual hiking attire courtesy of Calvine Cline
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                                          The start of the high mountain East Fork
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                                        The first drop of the day a slidy 40 footer
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                                                            The crew filming
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                                                        Brett routing the goods
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                                       Alot of this trying to make our way down stream
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                         Dave with a sweat move then out of the boat again for the 20th time
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                                        Dave Fusilli firing off the 20 footer on the right boof
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                                        Other Dave running the left
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                             Nicole Mansfield cleaning up the fun middle canyon stretch
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                                                  Fusilli with the fader
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                                                Nicole looking at the double drop
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                                                   Dave fusilli on the double
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                   Scouting the last big slide that looked to be 70 feet. We all got out at this one
                     but Dave Fusilli took the pipe and cleaned it up. Watch the video !!!!
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                                                                  70 FEET OF BUTTER
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                                         Fusilli at the bottom. He said it felt like butter ??
 
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                                                   Looking over Box drop
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                                                    With flowers in her hair
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                                 Kendra the Killa surfing up Trinity on the Wenatchee
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                                Kendra enjoying our 4th of July float down Yellowjacket
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After my whirlwind Idaho tour I was meeting my dad and nephew in Utah to fish the waters of the Flaming Gorge on the Green River. The snow pack for the year was huge everywhere it seemed and the green was pumping out 5,ooo cfs out of the reservoir.  Not good for fishing but the weather was good and I had brought a couple kayaks to teach my nephew and my dads buddy Jack how to paddle.  We got a couple good days in. Kayaking, fishing on the lake and a couple days on the river.
Utah was nice and relaxing and fun to hang with the family and my boys. 

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                                 The true RG of the trip Tanner slaying the lake trout
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                       Second fatty of the day, the RG said you just have to piss em' off
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                                  Ol' dad in the backround tying one on for an evening fish
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                  Thanks to Tanner for getting us dinner one night. We were all skunked.......
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          A turbine blew on the dam. Didn't help with the flow as they needed to release more water
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                                                   True RG in his element
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                                       Jack taking to kayaking like a natural
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                                                 Flaming Gorge kayak lesson
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                                                   Green river reservoir
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                                                         Poppa Bear
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                                                   MONTUCKY MY LOVE
So after deciding what to do our original plan was to fish our way home threw Montana. The reports didn't look good for the region as far as flooding but with my love for Montana  and wanting to kayak I convinced the boys we needed to go to the big sky country.  As we drove into Montana it was time to find a place to camp and we encountered the biggest darkest rain storm ever. We quickly put up a tarp and tent and sat under it as it pelted and flooded the grass around us. Thank you Jack Daniels for getting me through that night.  After that we woke up in Dillon,MT home to the best trout fishing anywhere. As it was flooded out we decided to head east to the Madison and meet my new friend Kendra for some kayaking and camping for the weekend.
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           Kendra and the boys. fishing was blown out and kayaking was even high. we got a lot of
           hot spring time in at the Noris hot spring.
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                                    Beartrap Canyon high water but super fun
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                                               Kendra stairing down her line
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                                                     It was that good !!!!
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                                   My favorite beach ever ..... I recommend river left ?      
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                                      Fond Memories of Montana.... I'll miss it.
 
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One of the hardest river permits to get in one of the most remote river wilderness in the lower 48.  The Selway River. As a kayaker it's just one of those things you want to do like the Grand Canyon as soon as you start kayaking. Some folks wait years to get on the Selway.  As I feel fortunate on this one I was invited by a man of the name Lance Young (aka) the Silver Fox. Lance pulled a permit after waiting years and had a crew of three paddlers on a raft and himself and needed more crew. So there I was. I was already at the Lochsa and had time to kill before my Utah fishing trip with my dad so timing was perfect.  Going in as the only kayaker with Lance and two crews on a raft that were not super solid made me want more friends on board.  The levels were spiking up and down and with the snow pack we were expecting high high water and the trip to be cancelled. At least for the rafts. I recruited Rob Bart my buddy from Hood who happened to be at the Lochsa and my new found friend from Montana little miss killa Kendra. Kendra Rob and myself had been hanging at the lochsa all weekend with Chad and the crew so we were a team at that point ready to go anywhere.  Driving an hour to get cell coverage checking levels convinsing Rob and Kendra they needed to go dragging Chad around on missions and making sure our trip leader with the permit was leaving Washington and not bailing. With some luck we pulled it off. Water was perfect, the crew was there. The stars were truly alligned for this one !!!!

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                                 Our Selway crew meeting us at the Lochsa camp
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                 Chad and Rob stoked there acually going on the Selway after painful logitics
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                                            Kaiser roll tired of me stairing at her
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                                   In Montana taking a picture of Chad in Idaho
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          A morning walk to the put in with our coffee. Our cars are gone and there's only one way out
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                                                       Put in maddness
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       The week before this gage at Paradise was 6 on the gage. Are friends from Montana said oh don't bring rafts in there above 6 feet, we kayaked it at 8feet and it was huge. The week before we launched a cold front came through and dropped the levels in the high mountains causing the rivers to drop. The night on the river it rained something fierce and we were all worried as the river rose a foot to 5feet on the stick and we ended up getting off before it hit 6feet. A foot is a big difference in the canyon section. I would say our rafting party was just at there level of comfort while Rob, Kendra and I could see kayaking it above 6feet but it does take on a big water feel. 
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                                        Chad rowing down the top of the Selway
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                                                        The Silver Fox
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                                                 Kendra, I think she's excited !!!
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                                          Rob Bart Excited as well to be on the Selway
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                               Chad plugging a tuber wave with Rob going for the surf
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        Camp one: We did a two day Selway trip. Good flow and two good 23 mile days.
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The Lochsa river is an Idaho classic bringing paddlers from all over to enjoy the big water feel of Idaho paddling with fun rapids and the party scene that combines all my friends from four states.  As we committed to the trip Chad and his new cat boat had some big water training to do and had a date with Lochsa falls and the flipping of his new boat. The weekend was off the chain and started with Rob and I kind of borrowing a raft and taking some folks down in the raft never seeing the river before. It was so fun ! Big hits almost flips, Well Chad got his flip and tons of carnage and laughs on the first day. We stayed for three days kayaking and hanging out with all our friends new and old.  The Lochsa was a hoot and the area was amazing. I'll definetely be back next year With my play boat and more time for the hot springs !!!!

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                                                Rob Bart surfing Pipeline wave
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                                  The masses at the put in getting ready
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                         The ladies man Rob with our crew Stanfield, Erin, Johanna
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                        Massive stack of rafts and a full party shuttle headed for camp
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                                                           Dead Sexy
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                   There were fifty folks from all over in are camp. It turned into a good party !!
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                               A lone mountain surfer trying his luck on pipeline wave
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After everyone went home I had this Selway trip that was on the hit list next and needed paddlers to go with me. I talked my new awesome friend Kendra into going. She drove back to Bozeman to get her gear and came back the night before we left. Rob I had to convince to ditch work and find a way for his car to get back to Hood River and a way for him to get home. It all came together and wse had a crew for the Selway. The water was super high the week before and we had a small window to get in there before it spiked again. Chad was pretty stoked to get on another Classic Wild and Scenic river.  Here's us after Lochsa weekend sifting and organizing our gear for the drive around the pass into the Selway drainage.