# Not Rated M... for once. Salt River 2020



## yardsells (Jul 14, 2014)

In case any of ya'll er bored, here's a video of my daughter and I running the Salt this year.

We had great water and mostly great weather. The crew was the best of all.

I think we launched somewhere above 6k and took out somewhere in the 2k range.

Re-entry into Covid pandemic was a bit surreal. Dragging a boat and trailer through fast food drive throughs is a new skill I've added to the repertoire.

Stay Healthy everyone.

https://youtu.be/SO9EhFEbie4


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## Spintowin (May 23, 2018)

BITCHIN!


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## gwheyduke (Jul 3, 2008)

I love the happy dad right at the beginning. Great!


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## raymo (Aug 10, 2008)

John that is so cool, sharing the video of your daughter getting stick time in on the river, that's an education and skill set that she will never acquire in school now day's. Be careful though your going to wake up one day and she's going to have a duffel bag slung over her shoulder telling you she will see you in three months because she got a guiding job with some river rafting outfit. Thanks for sharing.


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## Waterhopper (Jul 3, 2017)

Thanks for the video! Armchair rafting is better than no rafting at all!


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## 2tomcat2 (May 27, 2012)

Thanks for making us feel like we are "almost" there, great video!


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## griz (Sep 19, 2005)

A tutu wearing unicorn telling river tales...excellent.


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## MNichols (Nov 20, 2015)

See, I told you that you can still have fun without a motor LOL
Thanks for Sharing Jaw Knee !!


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## Ever_Cat (Jan 20, 2009)

Outstanding. Pure fun with family and friends, as it should be.


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## yardsells (Jul 14, 2014)

Thanks for the love ya'll.

I can't believe what a gem the salt is. 

This was my 1st time running it and I instantly fell in love. Of course there are caveats but wow. What a river!


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## kokoroltd (Apr 12, 2015)

WWOOOWW!
What an experience for you and your daughter! Also, what a great crew. I have done the salt 5-6 times but have never seen the river at 6K. I always seemed to have missed it. It is probably because we would do it after ski season was over.
Great video. Like another post about armchair rafting being better than no rafting at all.


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## MT4Runner (Apr 6, 2012)

That was a REALLY fun video. 
gorgeous saguaros.


How old is your kid?

Taking my then-16yo daughter on a Main trip in 2018 was one of the absolute highlights of my boating career.


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## yardsells (Jul 14, 2014)

MT4Runner said:


> How old is your kid?
> 
> Taking my then-16yo daughter on a Main trip in 2018 was one of the absolute highlights of my boating career.


She's 18. 

She grew up on the oars and has a 12'er that she runs on trips but never had to carry a full load of gear. The salt was a major jump for her in terms of human powered boat size and weight.

It was wonderful to see her in action. She said she loves her Scout but might be ready to start running a 14. I love every minute of it.


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## MT4Runner (Apr 6, 2012)

Cool! so is mine.

She tore up her shoulder when she was 12 and repetitive motion aggravates it...may never get good on the oars, but she's my absolute favorite high-sider. I love it when we take spicy lines on the Lochsa and she yells at adults to high-side.
I should have her try running our 13' Trib empty. Maybe a little big in bigger water, but would be good on our local II/III.

Your daughter is definitely comfortable/intuitive on the oars. And a heavy boat is a different beast to a lot of adults, too. I could tell the two of you have a lot of fun together. Keep it up!


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## yardsells (Jul 14, 2014)

Thats sooo cool.

You know, twisting a throttle might be just the thing for shoulder issues... I'm just sayin.

Mine is a pretty conservative line picker so she hasn't had many highside moments. I think this one was only her second but I feel ya when your kid knows more than some adults on the boat/trip. Makes a dad feel like he's done a good job.

We should get the girls on a trip sometime. Before they're too busy for dads. The only time mine is interested in hanging out with me is when it's river related. I count my blessings.


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## MT4Runner (Apr 6, 2012)

Not scared of motors! Sounds fun!

"Dad, the Main was great. Can we go on the Middle Fork next year?"
'Um, well, we don't just get to sign up and go. We have to be lucky enough to get a permit.'
At least she was old enough to put in for the Middle and Main on her own this past year.

She's got a serious boyfriend. Nice kid, but he wasn't raised around rivers. She's pretty adventurous for him.
Took them on the Lochsa this past year (she's been going since she was 12). He was terrified..then hooked.

She's headed to college this fall. We're really going to miss having her around...but strangely this quarantine has given us a lot of unexpected time with the kids, so we're not complaining about that part!


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## raymo (Aug 10, 2008)

*you guys are bring tears to my eyes!*

I think that is so great, spending time with your daughters and sharing your life with them. Trust me they will never forget those special moments and life experiences you taught them. My daughter's call me often just to find out how I'm doing. During the holiday dinner's, we always have plenty to talk about. They grow up too fast, my youngest, Kailee is 29 years old already, she graduated from UNC with a bachelor's in math and science 6 years ago, it felt like yesterday I was changing her diapers, now she go's big game hunting. Here are a few pictures of her, as she grew up. My other daughters are just as precious too.


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## MT4Runner (Apr 6, 2012)

I think all our girls were that little 4yo in the cartoon PFD just yesterday, weren't they??!

Does your daughter fly, raymo?


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## DoStep (Jun 26, 2012)

My daughter rowed well over half of it last spring. She went through local guide school right after HS graduation, her years of 'training' under my reign as Dad has served her well. Watching the growth that occurred while rowing most of the Salt was my favorite boating moment EVER, she came out of that trip a different person and a significantly more competent rower. She now lives permanently in Golden, the reign of Dad seemingly over.  She had also put together her first permit for R/HT for spring break, and made her own choice to cancel the trip cuz of the you know what. Yep, I raised a river rat, pretty happy about that!


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## raymo (Aug 10, 2008)

*Yes.*



MT4Runner said:


> I think all our girls were that little 4yo in the cartoon PFD just yesterday, weren't they??!
> 
> Does your daughter fly, raymo?


The two youngest do, Shawna is 36 years old, the oldest does not, she never cought the bug, Jen will be 46 years old this year. So cool to see all the daughters that are river rats. That's why they all have smiles on their faces.


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## bcpnick (Jul 16, 2015)

Awesome! Much needed river stoke right now.


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## theusualsuspect (Apr 11, 2014)

My oldest turns 5 this month. She asked for a princess outfit and...a life jacket to go on the boat with dad. About broke down in tears right then. I asked her again several times and she was adamant about that life jacket. I hope she enjoys it as much as I do someday, if nothing else she will know a lot about it from living around me!


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## MNichols (Nov 20, 2015)

yardsells said:


> Thats sooo cool.
> You know, twisting a throttle might be just the thing for shoulder issues... I'm just sayin.



I was wondering how long the thread would last with you posting, and no mention of a motor LOL


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## 2tomcat2 (May 27, 2012)

Reading these posts has been a shared experience of the power of family, in specific, fathers and daughters, so important in the positive upbringing of our young girls and women

I would like to add another family relationship, granddaughter and Oma (me); we took our then 9 year old granddaughter on the Snake River, her very first river trip. She immediately became a river rat, loving Wild Sheep and Granite rapids, actively helping everyone in camp, fishing, rigging...and doing whatever was asked of her with a smile Her comment to her classmates when she returned to school that fall, "This is what
I did on my summer vacation and I want to be a river guide." 

Warms my heart


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## MT4Runner (Apr 6, 2012)

theusualsuspect said:


> My oldest turns 5 this month. She asked for a princess outfit and...a life jacket to go on the boat with dad. About broke down in tears right then. I asked her again several times and she was adamant about that life jacket. I hope she enjoys it as much as I do someday, if nothing else she will know a lot about it from living around me!


Amen!

I got my girls into kayaks a little too early and it scared them (so don't do that). 

Oldest started rafting at 18mo, youngest was probably 3. they were hooked. Spend a LOT of time in swimming pools, warm ponds, etc. Get your kids comfortable in water. A decent fitting PFD was huge. They were swimming across the deep end at age 4 and 6. then some friends were doing the same, and positive peer pressure had them swimming across the deep end with no life jackets at 5 and 7. got a motor boat and they turned into fiends on the tube and kneeboard. Little one linked ten 360's at maybe age 11.


Don't start with a goal in mind (like I did kayaking). Simply go out and enjoy the water on their terms, and you'll love your time with them. Have cocoa and cookies in the car, or bring the hibachi and grill some dogs after you get off the water. Keep it social. Same way we enjoy that beer at the takeout.




2tomcat2 said:


> Reading these posts has been a shared experience of the power of family, in specific, fathers and daughters, so important in the positive upbringing of our young girls and women



My girls changed me for the better. I was a chauvenist, and I thought I needed a son. god had other plans for me and blessed me with two daughters. Raising girls and coaching girls sports probably made me a better husband, too.




> I would like to add another family relationship, granddaughter and Oma (me); we took our then 9 year old granddaughter on the Snake River, her very first river trip. She immediately became a river rat, loving Wild Sheep and Granite rapids, actively helping everyone in camp, fishing, rigging...and doing whatever was asked of her with a smile Her comment to her classmates when she returned to school that fall, "This is what I did on my summer vacation and I want to be a river guide."
> 
> Warms my heart


<3
If she helps in camp, it's a guarantee to be invited back.


Awesome, 2tomcat2!


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## Nubie Jon (Dec 19, 2017)

MT4Runner said:


> Don't start with a goal in mind (like I did kayaking). Simply go out and enjoy the water on their terms, and you'll love your time with them. Have cocoa and cookies in the car, or bring the hibachi and grill some dogs after you get off the water. Keep it social. Same way we enjoy that beer at the takeout.


Well put! We used that trick learning to ski as well. Family is precious! Here is my 11 yo (then 9) on our 2018 Deso trip.


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## yardsells (Jul 14, 2014)

DoStep said:


> Yep, I raised a river rat, pretty happy about that!


Amen.


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## Shaft (Aug 7, 2017)

Great vid yardsells, as usual.

I can't believe I missed it, but New Zealand pre-corona pandemic was awesome.

Fingers crossed for Cat!

-Rob

Here's my oldest rowing the chicken bus last summer on Deso with some of the same crew:


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## yardsells (Jul 14, 2014)

Shaft said:


> I can't believe I missed it, but New Zealand pre-corona pandemic was awesome.
> 
> Fingers crossed for Cat!


Every time I used your hand wash rig I thought of you buddy.

Maybe when we get both of our daughters on a trip together, we can comfort each other as they eye roll our every comment.

I was lucky to have E swamp for me on the Grand last year. Pretty moving for ole dad. Especially twisting the throttle... Ahem MNichols...

Maybe Cat this spring if circumstances allow.


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## ckirrk (Jul 13, 2013)

Thanks for sharing the video. I really enjoyed it since I'm sheltering at home it makes it even better. Can't wait for a little river time


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## yardsells (Jul 14, 2014)

ckirrk said:


> Can't wait for a little river time


I feel ya.


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