There were lots of fish caught, great scenery, great people, sunshine, Smith River Juice, and even a friendly outfitter. I have no complaints!
Monday, June 25, 2007
Monday, June 18, 2007
Outfitters Make Me MAD!!!!
Yep, here I go again...
June 18, 2007
Jake Howard
Outfitters and Guides Licensing Board 1365 North Orchard Street; Room 172 Boise, Idaho 83706
Bob Lund
Outfitters and Guides Licensing Board 1365 North Orchard Street; Room 172 Boise, Idaho 83706
Jake Howard
Outfitters and Guides Licensing Board 1365 North Orchard Street; Room 172 Boise, Idaho 83706
Bob Lund
Outfitters and Guides Licensing Board 1365 North Orchard Street; Room 172 Boise, Idaho 83706
RE: Complaint about Three Rivers Rafting
Dear Mr. Howard and Mr. Lund:
I write to you today to file a formal complaint against Three Rivers Rafting for their unprofessional and unethical conduct on the Lochsa River. I have on two separate occasions witnessed Three Rivers operating in a manner which endangered the welfare and safety of my self, my family, and my friends. I am a firm believer that outfitters should be setting the example for safety and river etiquette, and not throw caution and etiquette to the wind in order to maximize profit. I would like to point out that I have had consistently positive experiences with Lewis and Clark Trail Adventures as well as ROW.
At least a couple times a year, my friends and their families come from various parts of Idaho, Montana, and Washington and meet up at the Lochsa to visit and run some fun whitewater. Mostly we are running oar boats, so we are not as fast as paddle teams. Last year, a Three Rivers group was having a splash fight in a big eddy so we passed them and our group committed to the next rapid downstream. I went through the rapid first and watched as Three Rivers, instead of either waiting in the eddy or back-paddling to give our group the space we needed, proceeded to charge into the rapid, passed and crowded our boats in the rapid, did not communicate with us, and subsequently caused one of our boats to go into a big hole. Three Rivers caused an extremely unsafe and avoidable situation, and didn’t even bother to apologize afterwards. My friend, who lives in Grangeville, stopped at the Three Rivers office on his way home and expressed our concerns, and he was assured that it was a fluke experience and Three Rivers was very sorry.
This Saturday, June 16, 2007, we had a very similar experience. A large Three Rivers group was stopped for lunch and we floated past them. They launched shortly thereafter, and then crowded us, and one of their boats even physically bumped our last boat while in the rapid. We then eddied out, so they could pass us. They proceeded to enter into the same eddy we were in, and drop their lunch coolers with their bus. Once again, Three Rivers unnecessarily put one of our boats into an unsafe situation, did not communicate with us, and did not apologize. The part that really bothers me is that had Three Rivers just stayed in their lunch spot for two more minutes, an unsafe situation could have been easily avoided. I could almost understand if they were trying to get around us, but they put one of my friends at risk to rush to get to an eddy, to keep their schedule. The name of the lead guide for this Three Rivers trip was Bob Rogers.
I am not all that familiar with your laws, but it appears that these two counts of unethical and unprofessional conduct by Three Rivers that placed the public in danger are grounds for permit revocation, probation, or suspension. In accordance with Idaho Code 36-2113. REVOCATION OR SUSPENSION OF LICENSE -- GROUNDS. (a) Every license shall, by virtue of this chapter, be subject to suspension, revocation, probation or other restriction by the board for the commission of any of the following acts: for unethical or unprofessional conduct as defined by rules of the board. Unethical and unprofessional conduct is defined in IDAPA 25.01.01 - RULES OF THE IDAHO OUTFITTERS AND GUIDES LICENSING BOARD. Any activity(ies) by an outfitter or guide which is inappropriate to the conduct of the outfitting or guiding profession. These activities include, but are not limited to: operating in a manner which endangers the health, safety, or welfare of the public.
I am not sure how much rafting experience that you have, but if just one boat gets in trouble an entire group can be put at risk. Outfitters should be setting the standard, and educating their clients in safety and etiquette and lead by example. Apparently on at least two occasions Three Rivers taught their clients poor etiquette and poor safety. I appreciate your time, and am willing to sign any forms, provide you with a list of witnesses, or anything else you may need in your investigation. A response to this complaint is appreciated. If you have any questions or if I should be filing my complaint with a different entity, please contact me.
Sincerely,
Dear Mr. Howard and Mr. Lund:
I write to you today to file a formal complaint against Three Rivers Rafting for their unprofessional and unethical conduct on the Lochsa River. I have on two separate occasions witnessed Three Rivers operating in a manner which endangered the welfare and safety of my self, my family, and my friends. I am a firm believer that outfitters should be setting the example for safety and river etiquette, and not throw caution and etiquette to the wind in order to maximize profit. I would like to point out that I have had consistently positive experiences with Lewis and Clark Trail Adventures as well as ROW.
At least a couple times a year, my friends and their families come from various parts of Idaho, Montana, and Washington and meet up at the Lochsa to visit and run some fun whitewater. Mostly we are running oar boats, so we are not as fast as paddle teams. Last year, a Three Rivers group was having a splash fight in a big eddy so we passed them and our group committed to the next rapid downstream. I went through the rapid first and watched as Three Rivers, instead of either waiting in the eddy or back-paddling to give our group the space we needed, proceeded to charge into the rapid, passed and crowded our boats in the rapid, did not communicate with us, and subsequently caused one of our boats to go into a big hole. Three Rivers caused an extremely unsafe and avoidable situation, and didn’t even bother to apologize afterwards. My friend, who lives in Grangeville, stopped at the Three Rivers office on his way home and expressed our concerns, and he was assured that it was a fluke experience and Three Rivers was very sorry.
This Saturday, June 16, 2007, we had a very similar experience. A large Three Rivers group was stopped for lunch and we floated past them. They launched shortly thereafter, and then crowded us, and one of their boats even physically bumped our last boat while in the rapid. We then eddied out, so they could pass us. They proceeded to enter into the same eddy we were in, and drop their lunch coolers with their bus. Once again, Three Rivers unnecessarily put one of our boats into an unsafe situation, did not communicate with us, and did not apologize. The part that really bothers me is that had Three Rivers just stayed in their lunch spot for two more minutes, an unsafe situation could have been easily avoided. I could almost understand if they were trying to get around us, but they put one of my friends at risk to rush to get to an eddy, to keep their schedule. The name of the lead guide for this Three Rivers trip was Bob Rogers.
I am not all that familiar with your laws, but it appears that these two counts of unethical and unprofessional conduct by Three Rivers that placed the public in danger are grounds for permit revocation, probation, or suspension. In accordance with Idaho Code 36-2113. REVOCATION OR SUSPENSION OF LICENSE -- GROUNDS. (a) Every license shall, by virtue of this chapter, be subject to suspension, revocation, probation or other restriction by the board for the commission of any of the following acts: for unethical or unprofessional conduct as defined by rules of the board. Unethical and unprofessional conduct is defined in IDAPA 25.01.01 - RULES OF THE IDAHO OUTFITTERS AND GUIDES LICENSING BOARD. Any activity(ies) by an outfitter or guide which is inappropriate to the conduct of the outfitting or guiding profession. These activities include, but are not limited to: operating in a manner which endangers the health, safety, or welfare of the public.
I am not sure how much rafting experience that you have, but if just one boat gets in trouble an entire group can be put at risk. Outfitters should be setting the standard, and educating their clients in safety and etiquette and lead by example. Apparently on at least two occasions Three Rivers taught their clients poor etiquette and poor safety. I appreciate your time, and am willing to sign any forms, provide you with a list of witnesses, or anything else you may need in your investigation. A response to this complaint is appreciated. If you have any questions or if I should be filing my complaint with a different entity, please contact me.
Sincerely,
Groover
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
Monday, June 11, 2007
Wednesday, June 06, 2007
IDAHO
When I looked at the Lolo Pass web cam today and saw this photo, I thought this is northern Idaho at its finest. 33 degrees farenheit with a snow rain combo and the logs heading to the mill. Good news is this means a little more runoff for the Lochsa and hopefully most of Montana and Idaho. Anyway, Auto and I plan to head to the Lochsa the weekend of June 16, which may be our last Lochsa trip of the year. Hope you all can make it!!!!
Friday, June 01, 2007
Time to stir the pot again....
The Montana folks have their issues with river access...here's mine.
The following are excerpts from correspondance with the Nez Perce Tribal wolf manager after I e-mailed them about the three dead moose I found on the road last week. I sawed the road open and busted a few snow drifts to get there so I can say for sure I was the first one up that road. Two of the dead moose were a cow and calf dead right next to each other with wolf shit surrounding the carcasses and for miles up the road in either direction....hmmmmm......
Their first response:
"As for the level of possible predation: are you certain that all of the moose carcasses were in fact killed by wolves and not scavenged? Wolves and moose have co-existed for thousands of years and will eventually find their "balance"- which is ever changing and affected by many other variables (winter severity, habitat, fire, disease, etc.) that may swing in favor of predator or prey over time."
So I conceeded, I am not a biologist or in any way qualified to do some sort of autopsy on a stank ass dead moose carcass. I had only anecdotal evidence to support my claims...lots of wolf tracks, none of the meat salvaged by Tribal hunters, wolf shit everywhere, lots of wolf sign across large parts of that drainage..... and their reply:
"Your description of the carcasses and locations also sounds as if the moose
were either killed by some predator or died of other causes during the
winter. At this point I feel it's doubtful wolves will seriously impact the
moose population over time- these species have coexisted (for the most part-
until humans eliminated wolves in the very recent past) for thousands of
years and I suspect they will continue to do so."
My question is this: "Killed by some predator" what the hell is a wolf??? Does a cow and calf just fall over dead next to each other? Is a cougar or coyote able to kill two moose right next to each other? NO. Apparently wolves aren't really predators, since they've co-existed with moose in peaceful harmony for thousands of years, until the white man came along. Much like the Nez Perce themselves I'd guess. Yes, wolves have to eat. I'd prefer we could buy a tag, generate revenue for the state and manage wolves as a state resource.
That is five, count-em, FIVE moose I have found dead in a small part of that drainage since October. Before all you peaceful democra&#@*& helenians retort with a mountain of protests please know that I am not anti-"wolf" in any way. I AM, however, against this sort of stick-your-head-in-the-sand and pretend there's no problem mentality. No management is mis-management. And if you need to see the sentence that summarizes the fact that the Tribe has no idea what the wolves in that area are doing, please comment and I'll forward you the whole thread. To put it in another perspective.......if someone dumped pike in your favorite river-runs-thru-it, you'd be pissed too. And yes, pike are as native to Montana and Idaho as wolves are...at least until the white man dammed all the rivers.
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Recycling
Appears this individual drank a few beers this winter, and was ill advised about curb-side recycling. CHEERS!
Thursday, May 17, 2007
Tribute to the Timber Industry
The next time you folks are heading to Helenabuckit, you may not recognize the destination. I am not sure how many board feet of timber went into this fence, but there are around 2700 screws in it. Can't wait to run naked from the house to the garage and back.
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
Grand Canyon Baby!!!!
Alright boys and girls, it is once again time to donate your $25 to the National Park Service and take a shot at getting a Grand Permit. The application period closes at the end of May. Here is the link: http://www.nps.gov/grca/planyourvisit/weightedlottery.htm
Keep in mind that you should not apply unless you are willing to shoulder the burden of being the TL for an 18 day trip. Please also note that if you are successful, the NPS is going to take $400 out of your account whether you use the permit or not. Good luck and Happy floating.
Thursday, May 10, 2007
STREAM ACCESS
Yep, here I go again. Anyway, for those of you who don't know the Gov called a special legislative session since the legislators couldn't get their shit together and pass the state budget and figure out what to do with a billion dollar surplus. The gov tried to get hookers and blow for everyone, but that got shot down as well as the stream access bill that I whole-heartedly supported and you all would have if you paid attention.
The legislators are back in session and I sent the following email to the following folks. Cut and paste if you want. This is one last chance to try to improve stream access while the legislators are a bit scared for their jobs since they could not get the work done in the allotted timeframe. Remember, these people are supposed to work for us.
Here is the email I sent:
Dear Legislators:
I appreciate the fact that this special session is focusing on the state budget, and tax reductions/rebates due to the budget surplus; however, the state can keep my $400 if you all can work together and somehow resurrect and pass Senate Bill 78 or similar, and provide Montanans better stream access. I've listened to the testimonies from both sides as well as testified in front of the Montana Senate, and the bottom line is that it is tough to knock on someone's door to ask permission for access when the landowner lives in California or New Jersey.
This special session is going to cost Montanans over $200,000, so please make it worth it to your constituents. I don't represent any group, I am just a voter that likes to fish, hunt and recreate on Montana rivers and streams, and I would like my children and their children to have that same opportunity. The last poll that I saw showed that 85% of Montanans support improved stream access.
I've attached a photo of the fence adjacent to the Craig Bridge on the Missouri where I've accessed the river to fish for the last 15 years.
I appreciate the fact that this special session is focusing on the state budget, and tax reductions/rebates due to the budget surplus; however, the state can keep my $400 if you all can work together and somehow resurrect and pass Senate Bill 78 or similar, and provide Montanans better stream access. I've listened to the testimonies from both sides as well as testified in front of the Montana Senate, and the bottom line is that it is tough to knock on someone's door to ask permission for access when the landowner lives in California or New Jersey.
This special session is going to cost Montanans over $200,000, so please make it worth it to your constituents. I don't represent any group, I am just a voter that likes to fish, hunt and recreate on Montana rivers and streams, and I would like my children and their children to have that same opportunity. The last poll that I saw showed that 85% of Montanans support improved stream access.
I've attached a photo of the fence adjacent to the Craig Bridge on the Missouri where I've accessed the river to fish for the last 15 years.
Thank you for your time
Here is the email list that I sent it to. All of these folks either supported an earlier access bill or are fisher/hunter folk, or are assholes that are important:
mailto:kaufman@mt.net; galen@hollenbaugh.org; senatorjohn@bresnan.net; jim@jimelliot.org; gallus@aware-inc.org; llsd22@yahoo.com; rheinert@lclink.com; kendallvandyk@gmail.com; parkmont@hotmail.com; michelereinhart@gmail.com; joebalyeat@yahoo.com; brown.roy@bresnan.net; jeff@jeffessmann.com; vjack@centurytel.net; ricklaible@aol.com; oneil@centurytel.net; cooneyemail@aol.com; mlange6@hotmail.com
Monday, May 07, 2007
North Fork of the Clearwater
I figured I better write something since it does say contributors. So I got to looking and mapping the north fork and it is a 46 mile float from the put in at Hidden Creek CG to Aquarius CG. I marked the put in and take out on the map and it looks like you can come over from superior if the pass is open. It looks like the trout creek road comes straight over the hill to the put in, 43 miles from superior. I am working on the video and the pictures for you guys as well. Hopefully we can make this work for memeorial day. Let me know if you are going to be able to make it over to the lochsa in two weeks and I will be there as well. This time I will be floating as well!!!
Friday, April 27, 2007
Middle Fork Logs
I don't know if anyone is planning to run the Middle Fork Salmon early season, but apparently there are logs at Lake Creek, and Pistol is not currently runnable as shown in the photo. Here is a link to the article http://www.idahostatesman.com/235/story/81248.html
Monday, April 23, 2007
Ba Ba Blackfoot
Pulling streamers and spoons on the Blackfoot yielded a few nice trout Saturday.
Rob hooked this nasty ass thing in the pooper. We thought it was a log at first but he thinks it was a Large Scale Sucker. Ew.
Thursday, April 19, 2007
What a cute face
Congratulations Becky and Mike! 6lb 15 oz baby girl...Evelyn Marie. I'm not sure who looks more suprised.
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