the ice trip

october 8th-11th, 2009

4 days, boundary to cache bar

blake

jed

1.7 feet

trail flat, stateland, flying b

this was my 30th middle fork trip

the middle fork is such a fantastic place.   my first trip was september 6th, 2002.  there have been many trips that are so similar that they run together in my memory.  but trips like this will stand out forever.  not just the cold weather, but also because it was just two floating buddies enjoying the river, not a huge group of people.

our original plan for this trip was to move from trail flat to sunflower to enjoy yet another hot spring along the river.   however as the temps remained cold and the hot springs at sunflower remain shallow we decided we wouldn't use them enough to warrant the "less then easy" camping at sunflower.  we moved down to stateland.

the evening and morning at trail flat had surprisingly remained above freezing.  that was not the case at stateland.  we spent 1 1/2 hours trying to boil breakfast burrito eggs using our jetboil pot.  they finally got cooked, but it didn't end up being a banner commercial endorsement for jetboil!

leaving stateland about 9:15 am we again changed our plan.  originally we were bound for hospital bar, another hot spring, or maybe lower grouse.  but the temps were just not willing to get much above 40.   we decided flying b was our next camp.  we would camp in the ball field, have dinner with them and also enjoy a nice hot shower for $20.  onward we pushed.

just above lower grouse was saw a raft tied off to the left bank.  we were surprised to see another boat because based on all we knew, we were the only two floaters on the river.   plus it was an odd place to be stopped.  it was not a beach or a camp, but along a steeply inclined, boulder infested hill.  as we moved closer we finally saw movement around the raft.   apparently we were in stealth mode because the two sheep hunters we met just about jumped out of their skin when i called out "howdy!"  they had downed a nice huge ram and were in the process of dressing it out.  as we floated past we learned they had been hunting for about 10 days, working down river very slowly as they looked for their trophy.

we arrived at flying b about 4:30 pm.   "sure" the gal said.  "you can camp in the ball field.   but the place is empty.  don't you want to just stay in a room?  I can give you the rate of $125....."

"we'll take it!" i replied, cutting her short as blake nodded in agreement.  she had sold up and we were glad she did.   we started a fire in the wood burning stove.  no tents to set up, no dinner to cook, no cold night in the ball field!  no camp to break in the morning.  this is all kind of nice any time.  when the weather is cold or wet it is fabulous!   it is one thing to mock the cold by drinking a beer around a warm fire at a cold camp.  it is another thing to enjoy a cold beer and a cold night in a warm cabin around a warm fire in a wood stove ;)  staying at the flying b is a fabulous change pace for any avid middle fork floater.

the original plan had been to leave hospital bar or lower grouse and spend one more night along the river somewhere around ship island or otter bar.  but that had all changed.  this was no longer a 5 day/4 night trip.  it was now a 4 day/3 night trip.  maybe some people can truly enjoy a freezing, shaded camp after a night in a warm cabin with home cooked meals prepared by someone else.  i am not one of them.  true i could do it and laugh about it later. even fondly.  but i would not plan such a thing on purpose, i would only resort to it by necessity.  besides we have floated out from flying b too many times and it is just too easy to do.  a night at home sleeping next to my wife seemed infinitely more alluring than freezing at ship island no matter how good the laugh was later.

if you have the right gear and clothing this isn't as cold as it looks!

the photo of me above was taken during the warmest part of the day on october 10th, 2009.

  the photo of blake above was taken near ship island, also during the warmest part of the day, on october 11th, 2009.

we left flying b at about 8:30 am after a nice warm breakfast preceded by a nice warm night sleeping in a two room cabin in nice comfy beds.  bound for home!  we arrived at cache bar about 4:00 pm.

by trip number i can easily recall my 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 13th, 25th, 27th and 30th.  many of the others also have unique events or circumstances, but i have to go back and look up what trip they were.  i hope my 40th is also an easily memorable float!