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Where to begin...If you were there, you know EXACTLY what I am talking about.
OK, let's start here...
62 People. Jenny and I counted on the way home and we came up with 62 people coming from places as far away as Canada, San Diego, Indiana, Colorado, and Utah. 62 friends and family all joining up again for the 10th(?) annual Snake River Extravaganza.
Here is a full, Lunch Counter sequence from start to finish. Photos taken by the magnificent Jenny. (Click on any picture to enlarge.)
Freaking huge!
That is my 70 year old dad on the hound! GO DAD!
This is called submarining. Our entire boat is under water on the 3 rapid.
There were some major changes this year. It started that our normal campsite was already taken! We had claimed that spot year after year, but this year it was gone early. No problem, though, we found a place that many liked better. What did you think if you were there? Did you like our new spot better? Anyway...Another change was the river. It was Angry, Huge, Ferocious, Cold (52 Degrees), and Amazing! We usually run the Snake and 4000 CFS (cubic feet per second) and when we arrived, it was raging at 21,300. The trip usually takes us about 21/2 to 3 hours. This year, 70 minutes. Our normal Big Kahuna hit was a mere ripple, but Lunch Counter was 6 Kahunas, mixed with swelling, sucking and gaping currents ever ready to devour the next boat. Lunch Counter was not the only body claiming section on the river! We had swimmers almost on every turn. There was not a single trip where someone didn't go out.
We ran a total of 10 trips all of which told their own stories and adventures, not to mention several close calls. For example, when Liz got slammed by a wave in Lunch Counter and was submerged underwater for several seconds,
Can you see Liz?
or when Jim, while swimming the ropes, got tied up in an eddie and felt the constant pull of an underwater current trying to take him down. Or when Scott was engulfed by a lurching wave which dragged him down to the depths of the deepest part of the Snake in Champagne where he stayed under water for a good 45-60 seconds... Needless to say, he was seeing stars. Good thing all are strong swimmers!Last but not least, though, was the Lunch Counter cleanse.
The last trip was definitely the most interesting run for me. The entire Edginton clan (Jenny's family) was in my boat, including some younger folks like Alex. Well, we ran the rapids dead center and did fine until the fifth rapid when we just ran out of steam, spun sideways, and an enormous wave/hydrolic devoured our boat sending the entire boat crew everywhere. These are the pics I have so far and I am sure more are to come.
Nice Rick! (Jenny's dad... 50 something)
The Flip
The Spread.Everyone survived (barely!) and lived to see another day! The rescue will be on another post.
Nice! That was an amazing trip!
Awesome pictures, Jenny! Unbelievable experience! This is the trip we will talk about for decades... or some of you will! ...the one against all others will be measured. I feel somewhat cheated that I was shuttling for the "cleansing". That must have been terrifying. There are many stories and I look forward to reading them.
Interesting is such a funny word... the last run took everyone's breath away, no doubt. Man, I love that river. Great pics!
Hi All! This is Dennis, (Jenny's Uncle from Indiana.) Like Matt said, where to begin...
First of all, what an amazing location!! We, being from flat old Indiana were pretty amazed by the mountains, wildlife, and of course, an even wilder Snake River!! None of the Indiana contingent had ever done any rafting whatsoever, and I don't see how any other river rafting we may do in the future will ever be able to compare with what we experienced on the Snake in 2008. We had an absolutely amazing time! My first day saw me on 3 runs that were all absolutely awesome. Now, on to the "Cleansing" run. Yes, it was scary for us, but so exciting as well. Before the "flip" we saw a bald eagle and an osprey fighting in mid-air and it was breathtaking. At Lunch Counter, I really thought we were going to make it through all 5 rapids because it looked like we were doing so well through the first few. I was paddling with everything this 48 year old body could muster, but I guess at the end it just wasn't enough. Certainly does teach you some respect for God's natural wonders and the powers they possess. I do want to personally thank Matt for his superior skills on the river. Without him after the "flip", some of us would have definitely been in trouble. I did not particularly like seeing my wife Teresa in the water after I had already been hauled in by others, but the fact that Matt was right there beside her made me feel so much better. Thanks so very much Matt! Also, just being around much of our family that we seldom get to see was truly a blessing for me and my family. I met some of my great-nieces and nephews for the very first time! What a joy! Finally, let me thank Jenny for the amazing pics; they really bring the experience into focus (so to speak.) Fantastic!