Upper South Fork Payette offers fun rapids, cool waters and hot soaks
Posted on Thu, Aug. 21, 2008
By PETE ZIMOWSKY
McClatchy Newspapers
Whitewater guide Sean Glaccum dug in his paddle and lined up the 14-foot raft for the narrow slot in Wake Up Rapids in the upper South Fork of the Payette River.
It was definitely a wake-up call for the Sembler family from Florida, who were also digging in with their paddles and bouncing through the clear waters fresh from 9,000-foot peaks in the Sawtooth Wilderness.
The raft skimmed over snow-white foamy rapids in what resembled a whitewater-rafting toboggan run through a granite mini-gorge.
"Awesome," was the one word Cameron Sembler, 9, of St. Petersburg had for the experience.
The upper South Fork doesn't get much attention as a whitewater stretch because it is in the shadow of more popular whitewater runs closer to Treasure Valley.
But the sheer cliffs, narrow river gorges, groves of ponderosa pine and bouncy rapids soon grab your attention.
Rafters like the Semblers come away surprised at what is hidden in a small canyon along the main highway from Lowman to Stanley.
"It's wonderful. The water was cool. The guides were great, and we got a nice warm bath," said Steve Sembler.
GETTING POPULAR
"It's catching on," said Ginger Glaccum, who runs Payette River Company with her husband, Sean.
They've been outfitting on the river for three years and have definitely seen an increase in the number of rafters and customers.
Since most sections of the river are hidden from Idaho 21, when motorists actually see rafters on the river, they do doubletakes.
What they don't know is that the rafting season on the upper South Fork is prime all summer and gets even better in low water as rafters have to weave their way through narrow rocky slots in the churning rapids.
The upper South Fork also takes on a certain beauty as it gets later in the season.
"The water is just crystal clear and turquoise in color. It's just beautiful down there," said Ginger Glaccum.
More beaches are exposed, and the river gets so clear that you can see the golden-green cobblerstone bottom and deep turquoise holes.
Ginger Glaccum has been rafting for eight years. Her experience includes countless floats in the United States, as well as Africa and Nepal.
Sean Glaccum has been a licensed river guide for 10 years and has rafted and kayaked for nine seasons in Nepal and India and one in New Zealand.
Despite their international travels, the Glaccums have a deep spot in their hearts for the upper South Fork.
They pass that excitement on to customers like the Semblers.
The river in the Lowman and Grandjean areas is closest to its source in the western, or back side, of the Sawtooth Mountains, which are located in the Sawtooth Wilderness.
FROM ALPINE LAKES
The cold, clear waters gush from mountain streams coming from alpine lakes and snowmelt at 8,000 feet in elevation.
The South Fork starts out as a big creek, twisting and barreling down through loggy granite slots.
"It's an absolutely gorgeous stretch of river with the Sawtooth peaks behind and turn after turn of fun and challenging rapids and a multitude of wildlife," said Sean Glaccum.
The river grows as it passes the small outpost of Grandjean and picks up more steam as it heads past Kirkham Hot Springs and Lowman.
It is a land of hot springs like Sacajawea, Bonneville and Kirkham, and it's easy to get a hot soak after a paddling adventure.
Good paddling.
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