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Meeting a Legend in Hells Canyon
This past summer, our family packed up our new twin-engine jet boat and headed south for our 3rd annual holiday in Lewiston Idaho. Lewiston is located 2 hours south of Spokane or 5 hours east of Seattle Washington.
It all started back in 2003 when a group of anglers from Clarkston, Washington made their 7th annual trip to fish with us on the Fraser. The group we know as, the Idaho Boys. The Idaho Boys consisted of 5 anglers, Randy, Mike, Dan, Bill and George, George being the only one from Idaho. It didn't sound as good to call them the Washington Boys, so Idaho Boys stuck.
I remember it like it happened yesterday, the Idaho boys jumped into my 21 foot sled with excitement, I started heading up the river, shaking hands & giving high fives. It was always a moment to remember when the Idaho Boys first stepped into the boat. The loud laughter of Mike, Bill & DJ Dan was always a reminder that the Idaho Boys had arrived.
After only minutes, Mike turns to me and says, "It's our last trip." Uh, I couldn't believe my ears. " Why would you say something like that? the party was just starting and you already wrecked it." Mike turned and began telling me how every year I say that I am coming to Idaho when my season ends and I never do, so the Idaho boys decided to call me out. I paused for a second, stopped the boat, pulled out my cell phone and called a friend in the travel business and booked 2 airline tickets from Seattle to Spokane. The entire time I was on the phone, the Idaho boys thought I was just pretending until I passed Mike the phone and let him confirm that I was indeed booking flights. " I'm coming to Idaho November 15, so now lets go fishing."
Hells Canyon, Snake River
The Idaho Boys live near Hells Canyon Snake River, which divides two small towns, Lewiston Idaho and Clarkston Washington. The Snake River is 1040 miles long, comparable in length to the Fraser River here in British Columbia. Hells Canyons' Steep mountains, low hills, deep canyons and predominantly, the flat alluvium of the Snake River Plain characterize the geologically diverse and active watershed of the Snake River. The plain originates from a large volcanic hotspot below the North American Plate, which now lies underneath Yellowstone National Park, the headwaters of the Snake River. Gigantic flooding episodes that occurred during the previous Ice Age, involving glacially formed lakes spilling into the middle and lower Snake River, carved out Hells Canyon, the Palouse Hills, and many other topographical features along the middle and lower Snake.
Hells Canyon is much like our Thompson Region between Lytton & Spenses Bridge, dry, rugged, sage brush, steep rock and lots of wildlife. These two regions are so similar that when Idaho's Big Horn Sheep started to disappear, Washington / Idaho Game re-introduced our very own BC Big Horn Sheep into this region. Still today, Big Horn sheep are thriving in Hells Canyon with many herds roaming the hillsides.
Learning Snake River Whitewater
Our first trip into Hells Canyon opened an entire new world to me. Locals call it "Jet Boat Capital of the World" I called it crazy, maybe down right insanity. The Idaho Boys were determined to show me their world, the world of Whitewater, steep mountains and Big Horn Sheep. Doug Wilson, a local boy and good friend of Randy who knows the river as good as anyone, had also fished with us on the very first trip the Idaho Boys did, back in 1997. Doug owns a rental business in Clarkston, Washington, he also owns a Whitewater Jet Boat built for running rapids on the Snake River. A brand of boat I have never heard of "Whyat" with stick steering?
We launched Doug's boat at a place called Hellar Bar which is located about 30 miles south of Lewiston. It's a popular place to start your adventure up the Snake River. Listening to the Idaho Boys talk about rapids like Wild Goose, Deer Head, Checker Board, Garden Creek ( pronounced Crick) Burnard Creek, Water Spout and Rush Creek, you soon get the feeling that not only do you need to learn this river from one of the old timers, but you also need balls made from steel and a few loose screws.
Each rapid has it's challenges, each has a line through that has been proven to get you through without damaging your boat. Those who try to learn on their own, usually end up as a story of a wrecked or sunken boat. Drivers like Doug, learn from others who learned from others who learned from Old Timers who passed on their knowledge.
On our way up the river I started to see why each rapid had a specific line which you had to follow. Hidden rocks were only visible by reading the water, reading water is what you do to determine travel routes, depth and dangers. Rocks just below the surface are noticeable by a white froth, if the rock is more than 12 – 16 inches below the surface it is often not readable so you must learn from others who have either hit them, or knew someone who hit them.
We made our way up the Snake River to the mouth of the Salmon River, just up a little ways around the first corner is a rapid named "Eye of the Needle". At first glance you think, there's no way a boat of any kind is going through there, until captain Doug yells out " Put on your life jackets and hang on." "What? Wait a minute, were not going through that, are we?" " You guys are crazy". The eye of the needle is a narrow shoot with a large rock on the right, larger rock on the left with a "S" curve between the two rocks with a 4 or 5 foot drop. " No way," I yelled, "we can't do this!" Doug smiled, and we all grabbed the hand rails and hung on. Doug skillfully navigated up and down this rapid 4 or 5 times until it seemed so easy that I thought, hell I could even do that.
After getting my first taste of crazy whitewater, I knew I was hooked. We made our way back into the Snake River and continued up river to the next big rapid, Imnaha Creek. This rapid is a 6 or 7 foot drop with cascading whitewater with 7 or 8 large rollers running right down the middle, it also offers some hidden rocks just to keep you on your toes. Doug skilfully ran us up and continued onward, making it look so easy. Our destination is one of those feared rapids, the ones that you hear all the stories of sunken boats and even drowned rafters. Rush Creek is one of 4 very dangerous rapid, one of those ones that you need a combination of Skill, knowledge, a good running boat and a large set of, well, Steel Balls.
At first glance I thought, okay, this is not funny anymore. We are 80 miles up a river in November, water temperature is below 40F, it's cold and this rapid is not for boats, it's for rafts and crazy whitewater kayakers. Imagine this, a large boulder the size of a small house positioned right in the middle of the river with what seems like a 15 foot waterfall coming around each side of the rock. Where the heck is the boat going? I was about to find out. Once again Doug yells out "get your lifejackets on" heck I haven't taken mine off since Eye of the Needle "and hang on". Doug makes sure everyone is in position to give the boat best performance, then like a painter working his canvas, Doug runs the boat behind the Boulder and jumps into a wall of water like I have never seen before. The jet boat climbs up and out, once again Doug makes it seem so easy. I soon learn that going up is relatively easy compared to going down. I can see Doug is a bit moored tense as he sets up for the decent, its hard to see the rock or the line to get down as this is a serious 15 - 20 foot drop from the top of the rapid to the bottom below the rock. You just have to know which way to go and what to do, it's pretty much blind jet boating.
After two or three runs through Rush Creek ( pronounced Crick) the day ended with the safe return to Hellar Bar. The Idaho Boys did what they set out to do, show a BC Fishing Guide what a real jet boat can do and what whitewater Jet Boating is all about. Since that time, I have been back to the Snake River 15 to 20 times, have purchased several custom Whitewater Jet Boats and have run some of Idaho's most feared rapids. Not bad for a guy who was scared of the Eye of the Needle only 6 years ago.
Meeting Legends of the Snake River Valley
During my many visits I have been fortunate enough to meet some of the easy going people. The Idaho Boys have lived in the Snake River Valley their entire lives, they know everyone and everyone knows them. They all love the river, spend as much time as they can boating and fishing. My wife Teresa will tell you that the Snake River has become a bit of an obsession with me. I try to get there as many times as I can, my record is 5 times in one year but I intend on breaking that soon.
Since my addiction started I have had the pleasure to meet some of the North America's best whitewater pilots. I've not only had the opportunity to meet them, run the river, and learn navigation lines, but I can now call some of them good friends. Since that first time on the river with Doug Wilson, I knew I needed to learn more. Whitewater adrenaline is addicting, just ask Ryan Rogers, Ryan is Doug's cousin and has been boating the Snake River since he was old enough to grab hold of the stick. Rich Rogers, Ryan's dad was one of those pioneers who ran the Snake fearlessly. Rich Rogers raced high speed jet boats through rapids when Ryan was just a young boy, following in his dads footsteps, Ryan has won races all over the world winning world championships in 1996,1999 & 2000.
Ryan Rogers built his own custom jet boat, one that I am proud to say that I now own. Like Ryans racing career, he is always looking for the advantage, driving on the seat of pants. He drives his Hells Canyon Marine Jet Boats like it was a test, each and every trip out Ryan pushes the limit looking for another line or better boat performance. Ryan's passion is obvious when you run the river with him. Although he is kind enough to offer you the driving seat, you can sense that he is chopping at the bit to jump back in, where he belongs. Although Ryan Rogers is not a legend yet, I am confident that one day he will be. I am confident enough to say this, he is one of the most skilled drivers I have had the pleasure to ride with.
Meeting Ernie Heimgartner
This past summer we had our camp set up on Bear Bar located 6 miles above Hellar Bar. We had a group of over 40 people including the Idaho Boys and their families, our family including our two daughters and we had invited some of our friends from BC, Wayne & Charlene & Geoff Bamford who is also addicted to whitewater and owns one of Ryans HCM Jet Boats. It was another beautiful morning in the canyon, sun was shinning, kids were just starting to get out of tents when I noticed this unusual Jet boat approaching our beach. Randy turned and said, "that's Ernie, he is a legend in these parts."
Ernie Heimgartner has been running this river since the late 1950's when they ran whitewater with fibreglass boats and 35 HP outboard propellers. Ernie was one of the early guides on the river taking people fishing for Bass, Steelhead and Sturgeon. He was also running Jet Boat Tours up the Snake River to Willow Creek for Hells Canyon Excursions, one of the first tour operators on the Snake river. Ernie was in the drywall business but spent all of his extra time fishing and boating the Hells Canyon. During trying times in the 1960's when the government of the day was trying to place dams at High Mountain Sheep and Appaloosa, Ernie and friend Floyd Harvey did all they could to stop the Dams. Many locals credit Ernie and Floyd for making Hells Canyon what it is today. "If those Dams were installed, there would be no whitewater," stated Ernie. They would bring the likes of singer Burl Ives, Radio and TV personality Arthur Godfrey and anyone else who would listen to the cause.
Ernie's early boat was named "Hells Angel" stories of this boat running the largest most dangerous rapids on the Snake can be found in the countless articles written in the Spokesman Review and Lewiston Morning Tribune. One article written in 1969 describes Ernie plunging the nose of his boat into a feared rapid named Waterspout, only to have his windshield shattered and window frame placed on his lap. I've had the pleasure to run Waterspout and can't imagine the days when Ernie, Floyd, Rich Rogers and other Hells Canyon Pioneers ran those rapids. Maybe that is why I felt the way I did when I first laid eye's on that unusual boat that summer morning.
The boat he was driving was a Weldcraft that Ernie had bought new back in the early 70's. Ernie was dropping by to see Randy who is a family friend, they go back along ways. As I got closer to Ernie's boat I got a feeling that I have never had before. It was strange, hard to describe, almost star struck. I have guided famous people in the past, hockey legends like Harry Sinden, Bob Pullford, Ron Hextall, movie stars like British Actor Vinne Jones and others. This was different, his boat was so unusual, almost historic, something was telling me that this was one special person, someone I need to talk to. Randy introduced me to Ernie and his two fishing buddies. It took me about 2 seconds to ask permission to board, Ernie agreed and I was on that boat as fast I could jump on the bow. I looked through every compartment, like I was in a museum.
Ernies now 27 ft Weldcraft was once 22 feet, named " Sum Fun" Over the years Ernie has modified this boat to what it is today. This boat is a camper on water, Ernie has fiddled and fuddled making this boat as unique as you will ever see. Powered window awnings, pop up tent on the roof, floor storage on every square foot, kitchen sink with bar, spice racks, night lights in and out and just about any other thing you can put in a boat/camper. I have never seen anything like it and never will again.
I needed pictures so I called my wife Teresa who was at camp. I was panicking as I didn't want to miss out on this special boat. I was calling her franticly to bring the camera, she thought I was a bit weird but once she came down to the boat, she understood. I asked as many questions as I could in the short time I was in Ernie's boat. He was heading up river to go fishing/camping with his buddies, Ernie is in his mid 70's and still runs the river better than most. Once he departed our beech, I knew I had just experienced something very special. Meeting Ernie Heimgartner was a highlight of my trip, seeing that boat approach our beach is something I am not going to forget anytime soon.
Unknowing to Ernie, it's people like him who have given me the opportunity to experience Hells Canyon, the incredible journey we take each and every time we navigate the Snake River and run those infamous rapids like Rush Creek, Waterspout and Granite. Ernie and other Snake River pioneers fought endlessly to preserve this incredible Valley. What they have left behind is a what you see today. An incredible valley filled with endless opportunity and adventure, a thriving industry of jet boat builders and tour operators. Now it up to us, what will we leave behind to those who follow us? Thanks Ernie, we owe you a great deal of gratitude.
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