Reaching this time of the year brings a big sigh of relief. Another successful river season has come to an end and now it is time to slow down, take and deep breathe and embrace fall and winter.

At the end of each season there is a good amount of work to be done to close up shop and get everything ready for winter. Guides that do not have school to go back to often hang around and help us get everything put up, for which we are very grateful.

We begin by breaking down our lunch camp. Cindy and Rock clean out the bear boxes and bring all of the supplies back to the warehouse kitchen. Then we send in a crew ready for some heavy lifting as all of the picnic tables, benches, serving tables, and the shade tent are brought back to our warehouse for winter storage. Finally, we rake and sweep as we strive to “leave no trace” for those who might use the area in the fall.

Then all of the boats must be patched if necessary, scrubbed clean and treated for winter storage. If you ever drive by our warehouse on boat cleaning day, you will know it. The yard is full of orange and gray boats and all colors of inflatable kayaks. Sometimes we have to wait around for good weather as the boats must be completely dry before being put away for the winter.

Next up is the washing of all life jackets, wet-suits, booties, and fleece jackets. Again, we need sunshine for this activity so nothing gets put away wet.

While all of this is going on, Cindy is cleaning out the kitchen, de-icing the refrigerators and storing everything in its winter home. And Heather is usually cleaning up and putting the office and retail area away.

When we’ve reached this point we usually bring everything from outside in and begin the jigsaw puzzle of how to fit the vehicles inside for the winter. The vehicles get winterized and the warehouse is good to go.

This year included another fall task, that of re-staining all of the buildings on our property. We decided to change things up and chose new stain and trim colors, so don’t be surprised next year when you show up and we have a new face!

Despite the grim picture painted in regards to the Wood River in Sun Valley, the Sunbeam section of the Salmon River is at optimal floating levels. The Wood River and the Salmon are two different river systems all together, with the Salmon able to handle flows much higher than current levels.

Certainly there are dangers on any river at any level. And while runoff this year is unpredictable at best, the Sunbeam section is far from flood stage. In fact, until it reaches flood stage, if it will at all, the higher the water the safer the ride. Right now the river resembles a roller coaster ride. Smooth, fast, fun and exciting.

As a matter of a fact, in addition to the family-friendly class III Sunbeam stretch we normally run, high water enables us to run an adventurous class IV section above the Sunbeam Dam. Because we are at the headwaters of the Salmon and are free-flowing (no dams above us) we are only able to run this class IV section when there is good spring runoff.

As the summer goes on and the water level drops the river gets more and more technical as rocks begin to emerge and there are more quick moves to make. There are definitely fun aspects to the river at all flow stages, and given the inherent dangers on the river it is always wise to go with a licensed outfitter with experienced guides. Guides are on the water everyday noticing changes as they happen, knowing what lines to take, keeping their guests safe. Outfitters will not send guests down the river at unsafe levels.

The River Company has provided safe Sun Valley Rafting and Stanley Rafting on the Salmon River since 1981. All of our guides are required to pass Level 5 Swiftwater Rescue, are certified in at least basic first aid and CPR, and are licensed by the State of Idaho.

Don’t let reports of high water scare you off this spring. Call The River Company today to book your whitewater rafting trip and experience the river in its natural spring state. We WILL keep you safe.

This time around we discovered  more snow than usual on the mountain passes going to Stanley as well as in the boat yard. Giddy with excitement for a good water year, we shoveled snow in order to get the bus out of storage. Meanwhile, the kids asked to go to the beach, not realizing that our beach at Redfish is most likely under a blanket of slowly melting snow.

But soon enough all this snow will be gone and before you know it our season will be underway! We will usher in the summer by hosting a swift-water rescue class through the Wilderness Rescue International May 24-26. Our family rafting trips and high water adventures begin Memorial Day weekend. Call us at 1-800-398-0346 or book your trip online and look forward to a summer of exciting whitewater fun!

Ultimately, while I did make some calls beforehand to check things out, the best part was being able to book everything online (especially since I found myself booking things at night when the kids were finally in bed!) Happily, The River Company has recently launched online booking for your Sun Valley and Stanley rafting adventures at our website www.therivercompany.com. Now you, too, may book your adventure on your schedule, whatever hour of the day it may be!

Sidenote…

One thing that made the trip even more fun, especially for our kids, was to meet up in Disneyland with my whole family. Grandma, grandpa, cousins, aunts, uncles…there were 32 of us total! It was a challenge finding rides that could accommodate all of us, but we were able to go on some rides all together. That experience made me think about how perfect a rafting trip is for a family reunion. Not only can we accommodate groups of all sizes, you can even book a private trip for a more intimate family experience. Call us for details or check out our website.

1. Spend the day at Redfish Lake—I never get bored at Redfish. The kids and I go there several times a week to hang out. If we tire of the beach we might take out a canoe or paddle boat for an hour to two. Then we might get an ice cream cone from the gazebo, walk to the dog beach, explore the nature trail at the visitor’s center or hike along the river looking for critters. Later in the day, Dave might join us for live music on the lawn and maybe a cocktail or two on the porch. A special treat is dinner in the beautifully rustic lodge. It never gets old at Redfish.
2. Soak in Sunbeam Hot Springs—Once the spring runoff subsides and the river level lowers, the undeveloped pools at Sunbeam come out. Some are shallow, some are a little deeper, some are colder and some are really hot, but they all offer a wonderfully relaxing riverside soak.
3. Go whitewater rafting with The River Company—There’s no better way to experience this area than by floating down the Salmon River with us. Hold on tight during the rapids, float by singer/songwriter Carol King’s wilderness ranch, be on the lookout for wildlife, learn about the area’s history, jump into a deep pool at Jump Rock, and experience delicious world cuisine at our beautiful riverside lunch camp. All of these things add up for a most enjoyable day.
4. Explore the ghost towns of Bonanza and Custer—A visit here really shows the rich history of the area. I love that several of the buildings in Custer have been renovated as it helps me envision what life was like back in the late 1800’s. Don’t miss the cemetery in Bonanza!
5. Hike around Stanley Lake—This is where I take the kids with bug catchers, fishing nets and our dog in tow. Exploring the shallow streams and the lake’s edge provides hours of entertainment and great exercise as we hike along the trails. Also, the beach here is rarely crowded.
6. Visit the Sawtooth Fish Hatchery—Learn all there is to know about the life cycle of a Salmon and even see them alive in various life stages. So cool to actually see them in the traps after returning from the Pacific Ocean, 900 miles away! There is also a really fun fishing pond here for kids.
7. Have a leisurely breakfast at the Stanley Baking Company—For the best breakfast in Stanley and a great latte don’t miss this ideal little place located a block off the highway. Don’t let the line scare you, it moves fast and it is worth the wait.
8. Go horseback riding with Mystic Saddle Ranch—We usually go on the hour-long loop ride along Fishhook creek, although this year I plan on going on the half-day Bench Lake ride. Jeff and Deb’s guides are amazingly patient with me and my lack of horse-riding prowess and their horses are surefooted and mellow.
9. Go shopping at Riverwear—This little store will amaze you with the variety and quality of the goods it carries. When I worked there “back-in-the-day” I loved hearing the constant customer comments about how they didn’t expect to find such a great store in such a small town.
10. Get an ice cream shake or latte at Peaks & Perks—On a warm afternoon, nothing beats stopping at Peaks & Perks for a shake or a coffee treat and taking in the beautiful Sawtooth scenery.
11. Fly a kite on a windy day—Every now and then we get a good windy day in Stanley. When the wind picks up we head to the city park with our kites and let ‘em rip. The scenery here can’t be beat and is a great place for a picnic too.
12. Take the historic walking tour of Stanley—From the minute you come into Stanley you sense that you are in the Old West. Going on the walking tour allows our imaginations to drift back to how life used to be here. The kids’ favorite place is the Stanley museum with its relics, artifacts and short videos to watch.
13. Mountain bike the Elk Mountain Loop—This is a beautiful, moderately easy mountain bike ride that gives great views of Stanley Lake, the Sawtooth Mountains and Elk Meadows. Because my mountain biking skills are not as good as I’d like them to be, I find this is the perfect ride for me.

Things to do in Sun Valley:

1) The Ice Show—the Sun Valley Summer Ice Show is, in one word, magical. There is not a better way to spend the evening in Sun Valley with your kids. They will love it!

2) Farmer’s Market—I am a sucker for farmers markets and the Sun Valley area has two great ones, in Ketchum on Tuesdays, and in Hailey on Thursdays. And because both of them are located in the downtown areas we usually combine this with a walk or bike ride around town and a stop at the splash park (see number 11). On warm, sunny days this is my favorite way to spend a leisurely afternoon.

3) Take the lift up Baldy and hike down—I absolutely love the abundance of wildflowers in our mountains and on this hike you are guaranteed to see a beautiful variety. While you can hike up the trail and take the lift down, we prefer to take the lift up the mountain and hike down. Bring a picnic or grab lunch at the Roundhouse Lodge, look for wildlife and wildflowers and enjoy panoramic views of the valley all while getting in a bit of exercise. This one is not for kids under three, so I look forward to bringing Finley along this year as she turns three in April! If you have any mountain bikers in your family, this is a great place for them too.

4) Horseback Riding at Galena w/Stage Stop Corrals—Going by horseback into this area really gives me a feel for the ruggedness of our mountains and makes it easy to imagine what life was like for the miners who first came here. This is something we do at least once every summer, especially when we have guests in town. I look forward to taking our kids along once they turn six.

5) Sawtooth Botanical Gardens—Small, but definitely worth the visit. I’ve learned so much about local ecology here and there’s always a new discovery every time we go, especially in the stream that kids are encouraged to explore.

6) Sun Valley Summer Symphony—Free, yes free, outstanding performances that take place outside in a beautiful setting. To be honest, I’ve had to wrangle my kids a bit to make them behave appropriately for the setting, but it is a great opportunity not to be missed.

7) Wood River YMCA—I haven’t been to very many “Y’s”, but the first time I walked into this one I was blown away. It is a fantastic community resource and my kids love the pool.

Hailey 4th of July Rodeo—The 4^th of July in Hailey is nothing but festive. We love the Children’s Carnival and the Main Street Parade, but our favorite thing is the RODEO. Plain, good old fashioned fun.

9) Scenic Drive to Stanley for a rafting trip with The River Company—Driving north out of Sun Valley, the Sawtooth Scenic Byway will take your breath away, especially when you reach the Galena Overlook that looks down on the Sawtooth Valley. And a day of whitewater rafting with The River Company is the perfect family activity. Launch times are catered to accommodate guests coming from Sun Valley. The 10:30 lunch trip includes transportation to and from our headquarters in Stanley to the river, two to three hours on the water, and a scrumptious lunch that is sure to please even the pickiest palates.

10) Take fly-fishing lessons—Even if fishing is not your thing, hiring a guide for fly-fishing lessons let’s you try your hand at something new while enjoying serene alpine beauty and blue ribbon trout streams.

11) Splash Parks—we’ve happened upon splash parks in both Ketchum and Hailey. Both small, but really fun for the kids. Every time we are in the valley they beg to stop and play in the water. On hot days I almost always oblige for at least a quick visit.

12) The Chocolate Foundry—I cannot be in Sun Valley without going into this fabulous place. Almost overwhelming for this sugar lover, I only allow myself one or two delectable items each visit. In addition, all that candy from your youth…you can find it here!

When planning a vacation there are so many different things to think about. I mean, you are making a big commitment of time and money and you want to make sure you’ve got your bases covered, right? We are in the middle of planning a SoCal/Disneyland trip and I have to admit that, at times, I’ve been overwhelmed with all the details. We know what dates we want to go so the airline reservations were easy. No problem on choosing a rental car. But where I’m spending hours upon hours is hotel reservations and area attractions. So many choices! If you have small children like we do (Miles-5, Finley-2), you know computer time is precious, so how much research can you really do before buckling down and make some decisions?

On vacation we tend to favor flexibility over a tight schedule, but as we are traveling during Spring Break season I’ve been grappling with the issue of making reservations for things we want to do and pre-buying ticket packages. How many days do we really need at Disneyland with a five and two year old? Do we need a Park Hopper pass? What about Legoland vs. Sea World vs. the San Diego Zoo and Wild Animal Park? Whale watching vs. a family sea-kayaking adventure? And of course we need a day at the beach. How do we fit it all in and what needs to be set in stone before we go?

Your Idaho Vacation

All of this has made me think of our guests who make travel plans to come to Sun Valley and Stanley, Idaho. During my planning process I’ve relied on word of mouth, online reviews at Yelp and Travel Advisor and member sites such as AAA and American Express Travel to help figure it all out. But ultimately it is the conversations I’ve had with people on-site that have helped me begin to finalize decisions.

So, while planning your trip to Idaho, please feel free to call us with any and all questions. We are here to help your vacation be a fantastic one. Rafting with us is an excellent family adventure, sure to be the highlight of your Idaho vacation. When choosing to raft with The River Company, rest easy about making a reservation. While we are often able to accommodate short notice requests, it is always better to book in advance. That ensures you won’t miss out on a beautiful day of whitewater rafting in the Sawtooth National Recreation Area. However, once you have your reservation, what if your plans change? What if someone in your family becomes ill or something else you want to do is only available on the day you have chosen to go rafting?

We understand things like this happen which is why we are happy to allow flexibility on date changes and even offer a liberal cancellation policy, allowing you to cancel or change your trip by 1:00 the day before. When you book with The River Company be assured that we want you to enjoy your vacation to the fullest and are here to help make that happen. And if you have any Southern California travel tips for us, please share!

(Next up…insider travel tips for planning your vacation in our neck of the woods.)

Heather

Right now, millions of salmon and steelhead smolts from Idaho are on the ride of their lives as they attempt to dodge hungry predators and other serious obstacles on their downstream migration to the ocean. But one thing the smolts won’t have to contend with on their perilous journey is the curtailment of water spills over dams on the lower Snake River.

This is great news for Salmon and means that if you join us in the next few years you will have a better chance of viewing these amazing fish on one of our trips.

Read the entire article at the Idaho Mountain Express