Floating and Some Whitewater

At 11:15 a.m. this morning, Joe Moran picked us up for our float down the Snake River. I found Joe on the internet - he owns his own company as opposed to some of the larger companies that take people down the river. We booked the mid-day tour, which included a picnic lunch. No one else booked that time, so we had the raft all to ourselves.

It was a beautiful day - sunny and warm, but not too hot. There's a better chance of viewing animals on the early morning tour, but I bet it's cold, especially if you get wet. And you just might.

The whitewater tours look fun, but we figured the kids weren't ready for that yet. Lucky for us, we hit a few whitewater-ish spots and the kids got some thrill rides.

As I said earlier, the river moves pretty quickly, so floating on the Snake River isn't like floating on the Delaware. There were little rapids where fallen trees and rocks lined the bottom, and we moved pretty quickly at times.

Joe has been taking people down the Snake River for 10 years, both on floats and fishing trips, and he spends spare time on the streams and forks of the river, so he knows the 13-mile stretch pretty well. He pointed out eagle's nests and common eagle hangouts, and we saw six eagles and two nests along the way. Joe told us this stretch of the river is prime eagle habitat, and each year brings a new batch of eaglets in the nests. We also learned that bald eagles don't get the white feathers on their heads until they mature, around five years old.

He showed us some moose hangouts too, but mid-day isn't a good time to spot a moose. Since we had seen some in Yellowstone, it wasn't that disappointing.

I was worried that I'd drop my Canon camera in the water or get it wet and ruin it, so I took the video camera and smaller Olympus with me instead. I haven't looked at the pictures yet, but it was a good call, because I got soaked going through one patch of whitewater - a wave came right over the side and got me. The kids got a good laugh at that one.

We got a real treat when we spotted an eagle in the tree above us - and he either spotted us or an osprey flying overhead - and he took flight right over us. I was so taken by it that I forgot to take any pictures, I just watched him fly. It was awesome. Jeff said it was worth the price of the float right then and there.

The view from the float is excellent too - you can see the Tetons from time to time, as well as the turquise in the water and mountains all around.

Joe packed a solid lunch - cold cuts, bread, lettuce and tomato, chips and salsa and cookies for dessert. It hit the spot. We brought the raft up on a bank of rocks and used a fallen tree for a bench. The kids checked out all the rocks and put their feet in the water where there wasn't any current.

After lunch, we continued on, and the cookies must have ramped up the kids because they didn't stop talking for the rest of the ride. They loved it when Joe let them row the boat; they did a pretty good job and gave his arms a break for a little bit.

What they loved most was the few times we hit waves. They squealed with delight and asked Joe to do it again. Joe was really great to give them the rush. After the second time, they wanted to go on a whitewater trip, but we'll save that for another visit.

If you're ever in Jackson and want an experienced, friendly fly fishing guide (first timers or experienced) or float trip operator, Joe is your man. Scenic Teton Floats - or just Teton Floats - is his company.