When a friend draws a Selway permit you go. It’s that simple. A week navigating the Selway River through the Bitterroot Mountains of Idaho is a rare and incredible experience. Rare because it’s arguably the hardest river permit to score in the United States, with only 70 permits total being allotted per year between private and commercial applicants, it’s competitive. So, when a friend of mine said he scored a Selway permit I knew I had to go. With a Launch date of July 31st, we knew we’d have end of season flows so we put together a crew of 5 seasoned kayakers for a self-support mission to remember. 5 days, 4 nights, 48 miles of federally recognized Wild and Scenic class III/IV making it’s way through over a million acres of preserved wilderness. We were all set for an adventure.
Launching on Sunday morning, we found crystal clear water slowly making its way down a rock strewn stream. With boats loaded with a week’s worth of supplies we were initially concerned that this low volume stream couldn’t possibly be the mighty Selway, but with the put in gauge reading .7’, we were re-assured by our River Map that this was indeed the “good side of low”. So with faith in that limited beta we push off the bank, immediately greeted with lush forest and enough whitewater to keep our attention. In the first 10 miles, we scare two black bears of the river banks, a reminder of who’s river corridor this is and the need to be bear aware in our camping practices. We find our first camp at the confluence of Goat Creek on a Sandy Beach, with each creek the Selway picks up more and more flow feeding the more technical sections that lay waiting for us downstream. The morning of Day two, we get our first taste of Class IV and the river begins to reveal larger pool drop rapids made of massive rounded boulders. Stopping short of the crux section we arrive at camp early to do some hiking, fishing, rattle snake avoiding, and starling a large animal in the thick undergrowth that never reveals itself.
The next morning the walls immediately begin to close in and the drops between large pools begin to get steeper with each one that we navigate. At mile 26, we pass the confluence with Moose Creek picking up much needed flows that we’ve come to call “The Moose Juice”. Large pool drops rapids ranging from clean and powerful S-turn moves (Wa-Poots) to massive maze style rapids (Ladle), our time in the inter-canyon leaves the whole crew smiling ear to ear. As the gradient eases back to calm deep pools, we call it a day after 13 miles of manageable and exciting whitewater fun. It’s hot at the rocky outcropping of the Meeker Creek confluence that we’ve decided to call home tonight. So we swim. From the river, up on the mountain side of the opposite bank we see an adolescent black bear foraging on wild berries. A hike later would reveal wild raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, and numerous other species that we couldn’t identify. As we trudge through this thick garden of natural delights we both understand why we’ve seen so many bears and ponder how this country ever became the site of the near ruin of the Lewis and Clark expedition. We catch and cook trout and the end of this incredible day, thankful for this bountiful place.
Back on the river the next day, we spend the morning paddling through mostly mild rapids while being watched over by more Bald Eagles than one can count. As we approach mile 38 you might be tempted to believe that you have left all the challenging whitewater behind, but you’d be wrong. Wolf Creek Rapid is a long and technical series of drops with a unique low volume character that differs from the “Juice” rapids of yesterday. After a quick scout, the team picks it apart and we gather in the pool below smiling and with growing respect for difficulty of the Selway.
After a restful night sleep on our last beach camp under the stars we complete our journey. We are met at the take-out with breakfast tacos and cold drinks. As we load our boats on the shuttle vehicles, we all mention how incredible of a trip it has been and how we’d love to come back at Spring high flows but then we remind one another how that would require another permit win. While luck had obviously been on our side on this expedition, it’s unlikely for lighting to strike the same place twice. Fingers crossed.
-RMA Team Manager Kyle Johnson
If you’re interested in learning about how the Selway, one of the “4 Rivers” that eventually make up the Columbia, is one the last remaining habitats for the Wild Chinook Samon which remain on the brink of extinction, we suggest listening to the 3 part series on The River Radius Podcast (starting with Ep.44). https://www.theriverradius.com/
