The Bitterroot
Well, we went all the way to Montana to float the Smith River, but it was an awfully long drive to not see a sight or two on the way home. So with that in mind, after we pulled off the Smith we stayed a night in Missoula and then it was on to a day trip on the Bitterroot river just outside of town.
The Bitterroot valley is quite a beautiful setting, but with its 4 lane highway rushing people to and from Missoula it seems a bit busy. When we arrived there it seemed there was a ’50 mile yard sale’ going on. We quickly skipped up the valley without making a purchase, found a place to camp and headed to the river. The day started off threatening and cloudy but got better and better as the day went on.
The Bitterroot is a wide flat valley so the river has more of a braided channel than most rivers I’ve floated and has lots of cottonwoods lining its banks where it floods occasionally. Even though you are floating through a busy valley the river offers a chance to get away from it all and enjoy views of the trees, mountains and the big sky.
Like the Smith, the Bitterroot was just coming down from some high flows following drenching rains. We didn’t hook into too many fish, and of course the nicest hooked were lost before they were landed. Still it was a great day on the river.
On to Idaho
The next day, with the looming end to the week off from work we needed to start heading toward Oregon. We headed up over Lolo Pass and down the Lochsa. The rivers in Idaho were running a bit more clear for whatever reason. After meandering our way down to the confluence with the Selway we wandered up the Selway in search of a place to spend our last night on the road. Before too long we came across a suitable camp and spent the rest of the day exploring.
There are plenty of signs of wildfire and it is still beautiful country.
We ended our explorations just past Selway Falls where the road leaves the river and heads towards Elk City. A future adventure perhaps. Once back at the Falls we had a look around and I was impressed by the drop to be sure.
The falls are pretty much the dividing line between the remote wilderness float that ends above the falls that only allows one launch per day, and what looked to be an enjoyable 20 mile stretch of water below the falls, no permit required. Another one for ‘the list’.
While standing and viewing the falls I saw what I thought was a fish making a run at a portion of the falls. After closer inspection, sure enough, they were giving it their all to leap the big drop!
As the day drew to a close we made it back down the river to camp. Tomorrow was the long drive home. Where did the week go? Down the river I suppose.
