Alexander Woolcott said, �There is no such thing in anyone�s life as an unimportant day.� Every day floating the Snake River is an important day. Some are better, and some worse. But all are memorable adventures. Here are some stories of my adventures while floating the Snake River.
Excerpts:
CHAPTER 1, "The Moose That Wouldn't Budge"
Our raft came to a stop about 100 feet from the giant Bull Moose. It was obvious that he was not afraid of us, or going to move! Old Man Moose just dipped his head in the water and grabbed a big mouthful of weeds and roots. He swung his head from side to side as if to say, "Don't bother me guys, I'm eating!"
CHAPTER 2, "Making the Raft"
After about an hour, and much chiseling, our posts were ready for the rope lashings. We had learned in Boy Scouts how to lash Poplar trees together to make bridges, so I showed Josh and Amy how to weave the rope between the posts, in and out of the grooves.
CHAPTER 3, "The Eagles Nest"
As we turned toward the shadow, we saw the gigantic eagle glide to the water, extend his wings and stretch his legs downward. With a quick curve of his claws and a small splash of water, he pulled the fish from the river. The eagle then flapped his wings harder, and lifted higher toward the sky. It was only a few seconds before the eagle landed on the nest with the large fish in its claws.
CHAPTER 4, "The Beaver Dam"
There was another tremendous crack, and then a big splash of water hit Josh. We both quickly glanced over to see ripples on the surface, and a big black, flat tail slide beneath the water just behind a floating tree branch. I laughed as I told Josh, �I never dreamed we would see a beaver like that! The tail must have been a foot wide and twice as long. It looked like a deck plank.�
CHAPTER 5, "The Whistling Wind"
No sooner had I spoken the words than we heard it, a whistling noise that filled the river from bank to bank. �Ssill, ssill, ssill.� It was a sound that we had never heard before in all of our trips down the Snake River. The whistling noise sent a shiver up my back.
CHAPTER 6, "The Old Boat Dragger"
As I turned towards the weeds, I saw the bull rushes waving to and fro. We scurried to grab our push poles and immediately began to push towards the weeds. When we got to the weed bed, we peered down into six feet of clear water. There, hooked on a scraggly piece of drift wood, was my daredevil and �Old Boat Dragger.� We could not believe our eyes! This was the biggest fish we had ever seen.
CHAPTER 7, "The Rookery"
Suddenly we heard a 'swoosh' of wings, and then a huge heron pumped its wings overhead. As it approached the nest, it set its wings and glided gracefully into the nest. Just as quickly, up popped three small heads, and the nest erupted. Soon the giant birds were coming from all directions.
CHAPTER 8, "The Little Tike"
Just then a log banged into our raft and something flopped in the water. We looked down and saw a small child struggling in the water, clinging to a log. I grabbed the life ring and jumped into the water. It wasn�t more than a few seconds, and I had the flailing body under the chin.
CHAPTER 9, "Double Dip"
�This is like the story!� Amy said. The shell was at least six feet across with two humps on its back, covered with moss, weeds, and snails. The head was as big as a basketball with two very beady eyes, looking right at us. The right eye twitched a couple of times, like he was winking at us.
CHAPTER 10, "Bear Bait"
We heard branches cracking and a roar in the distance. I looked at Amy and Josh. Without a word, they knew what I was thinking and they crowded around the hikers. Amy, with her forefinger to her mouth, signaled �Shhhh.� We all stood very still and listened for movement. The crackling was getting closer and I could feel a bead of sweat on my face.
CHAPTER 11, "The Lower Snake"
All at once "clunk." Our canoe hit a submerged rock, glanced sideways and almost capsized. "Rocks," yelled Mark. The river was strewn with rocks ahead and the water was only a foot or so deep. What I had worried about was a reality! The lack of rain resulted in a shallow river, and our canoe trip slowed in a hurry.
