The sun rises over a meadow near Stanley Idaho.
I’ve written before about how I look forward to our trips. It’s not just about the paddling, it’s also about where the paddling takes place. In this case it starts in Idaho at the base of the Sawtooth Mountains just outside of Stanley. Stanley is a small town that sits in a stunning valley made up of mountains, rivers and meadows. It sits at a crossroad between Boise, Ketchum and Salmon in a mostly roadless area of Idaho. Only the two-lane highway is paved, the rest of the streets are dirt. There is a small dirt airstrip on top of the hill behind town where the airplanes take off and land when shuttling folks from Boise or into the Middle Fork for low- water trips later in the season. It’s mountain flying, so early morning and late afternoon are the only times you usually hear the engines. A dirt lot across from the small hotel where we stay is full of cars waiting to be shuttled to the take out. Hang around the gas station for an hour and you’ll see rigs loaded with rafts, kayaks and other gear on their way to the put in at Boundary Creek.
Mary kicking up her heels at a view of sunset over the Sawtooths. Stanley, Idaho
It’s in Stanley where we meet our groups the night before the trip. Final questions are answered, drybags handed out, and plans for getting everyone to the put-in the next morning are gone over.
