Tourism in North Central Idaho

We're at the Idaho Travel Council's annual Grant Summit in Boise....learning how to grow our business and welcome you to our beautiful RV Park in the 2011 season.

The Park is going through the Winter blahs...the leaves are gone and the grass is brown, but we have plenty of guests enjoying the ability to store their rigs from November to March. They come to fish, hike and enjoy our sunny skies during Winter.  In preparation for your visit later this year, our bushes and trees are trimmed and seeds are being purchased to plant flowers by the Gazebo in May.

What are your plans for traveling this year?  Will the price of gas affect your travel plans?  Let us know your thoughts and keep us posted.

Stay tuned....more later and check us out on pg. 42 of the 2011 Idaho State Travel Guide.  http://viewer.zmags.com/publication/0a34d0e8#/0a34d0e8/44

Steelhead Fishing on the Salmon River

Cold temps & rising water = outstanding steelhead fishing! This am’s 38 degrees on the Salmon River coupled w/ recent downpours ensure a good run.  Are you here yet?

Steelhead count over Lower Granite Dam as of Oct 11 is a whopping 168, 557 YTD, and another 50,336 for wild, according to http://www.fpc.org/currentdaily/7day-ytd_Adults.htm . Already, the count is better then the ten year average.

The recent turn in the weather to cooler temperatures, this is going to be another great week for steelhead on Idaho rivers. Anglers can be spotted up and down the Salmon River, in boats and from the banks of the river.  A recent report from Idaho Fish & Game reads: "Anglers are doing well using brad's lighted squigglers at night and hot lip lures or mag warts during the day. Bobbers with ducktail jigs and shrimp is another good set up."

All Idaho steelhead are summer run fish, which means they leave the ocean in the late summer, with most of the fish arriving in Idaho by early fall. These fish will then spend the winter in the Snake, Salmon and Clearwater Rivers, and spawn the following spring.

Here at the park, we still have camping and rv-ing availability for spaces along the River, AND the good news is that spaces for Winter Storage are still available.  Give us a holler, and we'll get you in!

Get Ready for Fall

Cooler Idaho weather on the Salmon River is good for fishing!  Steelhead season opened up Sept 1st, and 'tis expected to be an excellent season.  Today's weather forecast will bring sunshine and warmer temps - into the high 80's or low 90's - but cool nights (50 degrees or so).

A grandparent's best camping pals

We've had wonderful guests this summer...from Germany, Florida, Montana, to local families from Grangeville, Cottonwood, Boise and Spokane.

We will get back to regular posts and keep you informed on local happenings, and beyond!

White Bird Gun Club News

The White Bird Gun Club Winter Shoot officially begins this coming weekend, January  9 and 10, with practice occurring on Saturdays, and  official scores shot and recorded on Sundays.  If you’re interested, but haven’t tried trap shooting before, come on by the White Bird Gun Club.  It is located within the City limits, on the road over White Bird Creek, that runs between the Carlins and Kronke's.  There's a small sign, but if you're unsure, go to the Silver Dollar Bar, and they'll help you out.  Better yet, roll down the windows on your rig and listen for the sounds of trap gun shooting, and then just follow the noise!  

There are novices, intermediates and experienced shooters, and everyone in this Club is always willing to offer advice and thoughts on the skills of this sport. 

For Winter Storage guests from McCall to Cascade, this is a great reason to get away for the weekend.  The White Bird Gun Club is only 2 miles from Swiftwater RV Park and the Winter Shoot runs for 10 weeks.  Even if you miss a few weekend, the White Bird Gun Club members will always welcome you, and membership to the Club is VERY inexpensive!

We usually have great winter weather, though this first weekend might be a tad cold.  No worries!  The heat from the indoor wood stove will keep you hands nice and toasty in between shoots.

The kitchen is always open on Sundays, and Gladine will be serving hot dogs and flipping burgers.

Snowy Salmon River and White Bird Creek

In mid December, it was very cold for several days, and the combined snow/ice along the banks of the Salmon River was beautiful.  Since my new phone/camera (LG enV3) was on hand - though no cell coverage in the Salmon River Canyon - I snapped a few pics.

Not too many fishermen on this day!

During a mid-day walk a few days later, the snow-covered White Bird Creek, and road, were worthy of a few pics too.

Check out more pics on Swiftwater RV's page on Face book:  http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=186560&l=3eff59bce4&id=100000018226170

Fate of Idaho salmon plays out in tiny Marsh Creek | News Updates | Idaho Statesman

An article published Dec. 27, 2009 in the Idaho Statesman, written by Rocky Barker, that continues the ongoing discussion regarding wild salmon and dams.  Well worth the read.  Tell me what you think!

Fate of Idaho salmon plays out in tiny Marsh Creek | News Updates | Idaho Statesman

HOLIDAY MAIL FOR HEROES

Holiday Mail for Heroes program, which helps to “send a touch of home” to United States service members and veterans across the country and abroad, is in it's third year of operation. Access this web link http://www.redcross.org/holidaymail. Even if you don’t have access to the internet, your Holiday cards can still be mailed and addressed as follows: Holiday Mail for Heroes, PO Box 5456, Capitol Heights, MD 207914-5456 from Monday, November 2 through Monday, December 7. The cards will be collected through this unique P.O. Box, then screened for hazardous materials by Pitney Bowes, and distributed to participating Red Cross chapters nationwide. Once the cards arrive at the Red Cross chapters, they are sorted and reviewed by volunteers who then distribute them to service members, their families and veterans in communities across the country. A few easy tips are to sign all cards, entitle each card with a salutation such as ‘Dear Service Member, Family or Veteran”, and limit cards to 15 per person, or 50 for school class or business group, and bundle groups of cards in single, large envelopes, addressed to the PO box above.

Fishing is still going strong on the Salmon River here in White Bird, Idaho. A few storage guests are coming over to spend the night and toss their lines in the river, and there's open spaces too.

Weather is good...a bit of rain this past week, and a touch of snow...but not here on the Salmon River! Sunshine!

FUN in WHITE BIRD, IDAHO

Costume events this past weekend were lots of fun at two different events in White Bird. Friday night - Oct 30 - at Canyon House during the wine tasting and sing-along by the bonfire, the best Witch prize went to Charlie ‘Chas’ Becktoll from Kooskia, and the best Non-Witch went to local Christy Brown, as Molly Mobster. Winner of the Gift Basket Raffle went to Dale Brege, from Grangeville, and it was nice to see he and Mimi at the event. As the past school teacher at the White Bird Elementary School before it closed, MImi misses her students and their families, so it was a treat for to be in town, and now they’ll be back to pick up their basket, which contains miscellaneous gifts and a gift certificate for one night in the lodging suite at Canyon House.

The other big costume party, on Halloween evening at the Silver Dollar Bar, featured plenty of very creative costumes. Winning first place was Larry, who owns the stables. He was ‘Bait’, outfitted to look like roe, with a big hook and line, attached to his girlfriend, who was dressed like a fish. Then, Rich Beckstead, as Barack Obama, placed 2^nd, and 3^rd place was a tie between Steve Kernutt as a doctor, and Polly Mozingo.

In case you're wondering about fishing...yep...those steelhead are still coming, with counts over Lower Granite Dam higher than normal. One guest said it was the best season so far in 15 years. Good fishing!

Just around the corner, on Sunday November 15, is the Annual Rebekkah’s Turkey Dinner, starting at noon at the IOOF in downtown White Bird. In addition to a fabulous home-cooked meal, the ladies have put together a great fundraiser by raffling off 3 quilts, sewn & created by local quilters, Kelly Rosenbaum, Laurie Bonwell and Sandy Lambert. Tickets are available from any Rebekkah member, and at the Turkey Dinner, after which the winning names will be drawn.

Cribbage games begins this Saturday the 7^th in the afternoon at the Silver Dollar Bar in downtown White Bird. Call 839.2293 for more information.

STEELHEAD COUNTS 2X the 3 YR AVERAGE!

http://fishandgame.idaho.gov/cms/fish/steelhead/dam_count.cfm

Now you know why anglers are swarming along the banks of the Salmon River! Fish counts over Lower Granite are twice the three year average.

The good news is that the White Bird area is still fairly quiet in contrast to Riggins and other 'combat fishing' areas.

FALL FISHING and MORE

Fall weather has arrived in north central Idaho on the Salmon River with cool nights and daytime temps in the 50's-60's, and the steelhead anglers are in heaven! Know why? Because they're catching steelhead fish like never before. It's almost like the fish are jumping into boats - naw...just kidding. But fishermen are saying they can see the fish in the river and there's lots to choose from. The hatchery steelhead counts at Lower Granite in the past five days have ranged from 4,500 to 6,600 - that's per day! (here's the link: http://www.fpc.org/currentdaily/HistFishTwo_7day-ytd_Adults.htm)

Now, that's a reason to enjoy the camping accommodations at Swiftwater RV Park - we're right on the Salmon River, in Idaho, and right where the action is! 208.830.2700 to check availability for spaces. We take 'em all - big rigs, small trailers, tenters. For non-fishing spouses, we have free tv, free wifi, a laundromat (well - not that we want spouses to be stuck doing the laundry, but just in case the dirty clothes pile up), a book exchange, great walks nearby, and a nice front row seat to watching the action on the river.

Steelhead education: 'Wild' steelhead are a subset of steelhead and are counted separately from hatchery steelhead at Corps dams on the Columbia and Snake Rivers. Wild steelhead are identified as fish with an intact adipose fin. However, a small number of hatchery fish may not have had their adipose fin removed. - As you might guess, that text is straight out of the IDFG text book!

Leave a comment - would like to hear from you!

LETS GO FISHING !

The fish are jumping, literally, on the Salmon River, and fishermen are beginning to seriously toss their lines in the river attempting to reel in a steelhead. More jet boats are cruising along, and bank fishermen are starting to dot the sides of the river. Folks are beginning to catch ‘keepers’, and one that I saw was over 25” long. One guy reportedly has caught 24 already this week - can that be real - WOW!!

STEELHEAD FISH ARE COMING!

The 2009 Steelhead fishing season open up on this part of the Salmon River on September 1st! If you need to brush up, or learn about the fees, rules, etc., visit the Idaho Fish & Game (IDFG) website: http://fishandgame.idaho.gov/apps/fees.

IDFG is reported in late July that the "The smallmouth bass fishing continues to be good in the Snake and Lower Salmon rivers. The bass have been averaging 8-12", but there are some bigger fish around for the lucky or persistent angler. Curly tail grubs and small crank baits are the standard offerings."

Interesting read from the Columbia Basin Fish & Wildlife News Bulletin, August 14th:
Folks that monitor the fish counts at Columbia-Snake river hydro projects did a double take Wednesday when the Tuesday steelhead tally at Bonneville Dam was displayed online by the hydro project's operators, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

There were 18,671 upriver summer steelhead counted climbing the dam's fish ladders that day, which fisheries managers believed was the highest daily total ever recorded since the construction of Bonneville Dam was completed in 1938.
Read more at: http://www.cbbulletin.com/350377.aspx

RAFTING: Had to toss in a picture of the guys. Today Al, Aras, and Dave G. headed south to Riggins for a fun day of rafting on the Salmon River, guided by Gary Lane of Wapiti River Guides (http://www.doryfun.com/). Can you tell that Dave used to be a professional basketball player?!

WILDERNESS PICS

The RV Campground is not a hotel, but it is a beautiful place to camp, in a tent, or an RV. We've seen many more camping families this year then in the past, and everyone is welcome to enjoy the fishing, hiking, nearby rafting, and wild-life viewing at our RV Park. www.swiftwaterrv.com

The white tail deer was taken in the Nez Perce National Forest last weekend while huckleberry picking. For about five minutes, the deer was perfectly still, giving me plenty of time to awkwardly find my camera, and attempt to take a few shots. Notice the devastation of the trees in this area.

The picture of the ducks in the Salmon River, off the banks of the RV Park, were taken a week ago in the early evening. The family seemed to be hanging out splashing and enjoying their bath until they all flew away in tandem for parts unknown. Enjoyed their company.

Don't know if the hummingbirds can quality as 'wildlife', and sorry for the blurr, but these babies are fast! Its a constant battle between the h-birds and the bees, which is why the yellow bee catcher is nearby.

Ah, summer!

MORE FISH COUNTS

If you just can't stand it, and want more data about fish counts, this link takes you to a chart offering a ten year history, providing cumulative Steelhead counts for both Bonneville and Lower Granite dams:

http://fishandgame.idaho.gov/cms/fish/steelhead/history.cfm

FALL STEELHEAD FISHING

Idaho Fish & Game (IDFG) is already commenting on the Fall Salmon Season. They report that as of late July, over 3,500 steelhead have been counted at Lower Granite Dam and some are already in the lower Clearwater River where they are waiting for the Snake River to turn colder before continuing their migration.

And if you want to know more about steelhead, IDFG writes: "All Idaho steelhead are summer run fish, which means they leave the ocean in the late summer, with most of the fish arriving in Idaho by early fall. These fish will then spend the winter in the Snake, Salmon and Clearwater Rivers, and spawn the following spring.

Fish managers have broadly grouped Idaho steelhead into two types, which we have termed A-run, and B-run. A-run steelhead originate mainly from the Snake and Salmon Rivers and typically spend one or two years in the ocean, returning as 5 to 10 pound adults. B-run fish originate primarily from the Clearwater River, and typically spend two to three years in the ocean, returning as 10 to 20 pound adults." source: http://fishandgame.idaho.gov/cms/fish/reports/clearwater.cfm

The fish count for steelhead over the dams continues to hold strong, making us think it might be a hot season coming this Fall for steelhead. Keeping track of the fish counts over the dams is recorded by IDFG and can be viewed daily at this web link: http://fishandgame.idaho.gov/fish/steelhead/dam_count.cfm. The graph for Bonneville Dam is impressive. Check it out!

Summer on the Salmon River

Hot, lazy days of summer are here! Rafters are keeping cool with great floats on the Salmon River and many go by the RV Park. Not yesterday though! Cloud cover brought thunder clouds and by 4pm, it was raining cats and dogs and could hardly see the hills up the Doumecq Road. A few hours passed, and the cloud cover smoothed away, leaving a somewhat sunny evening, though cool. However, another rain squall came in during the night, leaving the ground good and wet.

Family re-union folks stayed a few nights on their way back from Troy, Idaho and tried their fishing skills across the river at the favorite spot where the river eddies make fishing fun. Don't know how they did, because the rain squall came through, and they looked pretty soaked, but had big smiles. Go figure!