Valkyrie Voyage: An Epic Whitewater Adventure in Idaho
Valkyrie Voyage: An Epic Whitewater Adventure in Idaho
By Andrew Borden
2024 was been a challenging year for whitewater in Montana and Idaho. Due to a record low snowpack, this run-off season has been lackluster… to say the least. With that being said there is no shortage of paddling! My group of friends were quite busy with our “get it before it’s gone” mindset.
With a long weekend coming up, we got scheming. The plan was to spend a few days boating, with the prized run of the trip to be what looked like an amazing class IV/V creek. Based off the few photos of the creek, the stoke was high and the gradient was steep. With no real gauges on the river the looming question of “is there enough water” floated overhead; a question that has been all too common this year.
Bryce and Q debating if the upside down backband is the move.
At the launch the group’s excitement grew. It seemed that there was enough water to get creeking. Regardless, we still threw our backpacks in our cargo-flys in case boating turned into a scenic hike due to low water. Prepared for anything we hit the river with open minds ready for a day of portaging back to the car. Within the first couple slides we knew we were in for a treat.
The line was pretty straight forward here, pretty sure the guys were taking in the view.
Bryce hitting the first prominent drop of the run.
The river traveled over many different layers of rock as we dropped our way back to the car. The nature of the geology also led to great channelization.
At this point we knew we were in for a treat. Bryce sends the chute.
As the run progressed the gradient picked up to around 80 feet per mile (based off our calculations). There were two main crux on this river. The first was a stout 8’ waterfall with some funky hydraulics and a manky entrance. Our group of three set ample safety after assessing the drop and went for it. I sat on the side of the river with a throw bag and a camera, as Bryce and Q proceeded and hucked their boats into the abyss. It was a perfect drop in every way.
Q and Bryce discus line choice.
Sending it.
Rad boofs all around.
Shortly after the first waterfall was the second crux. A triple drop! Q, who had run the river the previous year, was very skeptical of this feature. He claimed that every boater he watched hit the first drop had flipped. The group looked at the feature for a while and discussed safety. Having a good roll was necessary to run this feature, as a swim here would be non-enjoyable. Bryce and Q decided to portage the first drop and help me run it in full. Thanks friends. With throw bags awaiting below I walked back to my boat to run the series of drops.
How it started
The middle - A blur.
How it ended.
“BGUDFHBVNCUERHGOUVBEWORH!” I think that’s the best way to describe the drop. Water bounced off every direction on the falls, I went total Jedi down it. I think I had water behind my eyeballs. I felt the boat roll up on edge, hit the moves I needed to, and was rewarded with a classic Valkyrie skip at the bottom. Sick.
Q and Bryce put in below the first drop and I took my turn running safety. This was by far the coolest looking part of the river.
We enjoyed a few more drops down to the takeout. Enthralled with the quality of the run we all agreed that we would be adding with run to our yearly run-off run list. Once we got to the takeout bridge, we examined the “gauge,” which consisted of uneven spray-painted lines indicating class II-V. That was one rowdy class II.
About the author:
Andrew Borden is a freelance photographer based in Missoula, MT. He can be found packrafting backcountry whitewater or skiing the many mountain ranges around Montana.
Get in contact and follow more adventures through his lens:
Website: www.andrewbordenphoto.com
Instagram: @andrewbordenphoto