Gotta Jet!

 I have wanted to take a jet boat ride down the Salmon River for about 10 years, and that wish finally came true in June! I booked a day trip for Josh and I with Arctic Creek Lodge & Tours. There is a hot springs on my "hit list" of 100 Hot Springs in Idaho down the Salmon River, and the only way to access it is either by a week-long rafting trip or a day ride on a jet boat. Since we did the rafting trip down the Middle Fork last year, we couldn't afford to do it again down the Main so soon. The hot springs is on a stretch that is accessible from the eastern side of the river, so any jet boats launched from the western side by Riggins wouldn't be able to reach it on their day stretch. There are only 2 companies that currently book jet boat tours from the eastern side, which made scheduling this trip a little tricky. We originally had a tour date set in June of 2021, but the river dropped so low the week we were scheduled to go that the boat wouldn't be able to go as far as the hot springs, so sadly we had to cancel. We then tried to reschedule for 2022, but every time there was an opening for Josh and I to join an expedition, it was on a date we couldn't go. I was SO grateful that it finally worked out for us to go in June this year! 

The tour date was scheduled for Thursday, June 15. Josh and I took our camper van and camped at Corn Creek Campground on Wednesday night, since it's a 2-hour ride to get to Corn Creek from Salmon, and our boat ride began at 8:30am on Thursday morning. It was so wonderful to camp along the river, and it was so peaceful in the middle of the week. We took a walk along the river that night and enjoyed the surroundings. 

The jet boat picked us up on Thursday morning from the Corn Creek dock. We were joined by a large group from Montana, and a family of 3 from the Salmon area as well. It was the first jet boat ride Josh and I had ever taken. It was quite exciting how fast it could go! We drove for 40 miles down river, before it turned around and came back. We stopped 4 times on the way: the first was to check out some pictographs on the cliffs bordering the river, then we made a pit stop at Arctic Creek Lodge, which was quite charming. Barth Hot Springs was our next stop, which was absolutely amazing and definitely worth the trip! We only got to soak for about 15 minutes, but I loved every single second of it! Our last stop was the turnaround point of the day--40 miles down river from Corn Creek. We stopped at the footbridge to the historic site of Campbell's Ferry. Josh walked around the location, and just loved it! 

We had an exhilarating ride back to Corn Creek, and arrived about 4:30pm. Josh and I both enjoyed ourselves immensely on the day-long excursion.

Our camping spot on Wednesday night, bordering the Salmon River

A map of the stretch of the river that the jet boat took. 

Our sweet ride for the day!

Our pilot, standing in the gray sweatshirt, 
going over the rules of the boat before our ride.

The boat had a covered section, and a back open deck.

After our stop at the pictographs.

The steps leading up to Arctic Creek Lodge from the river.

There was a little foot bridge crossing the creek behind the house
that we walked over in order to get to the natural outhouses.

Gathering on the front deck before we loaded back in the boat.

The ascent to Barth Hot Springs from the river.

What a stunning pool!

Our group hiking up to the hot springs from the river.

Crossed another hot springs off my Idaho hot springs hit list!

Seriously, I was so full of joy that I was
finally able to soak in this amazing pool!

The jet boat was stronger and more powerful than I'd imagined!

The pilot's chair was above our heads--that
way he could see far enough ahead to guide
us through the rapids and riverbends.

The footbridge at Campbell's Ferry

I waited on the boat while Josh explored Campbell's Ferry.

On our drive back to Salmon from Corn Creek, we saw where
the Middle Fork and Main Salmon merge--there had been a
blow-out on the Main Salmon upriver earlier in the week that
reached the confluence the previous day, & the contrast was quite a sight. 

BHT Reunion 2023

We hosted the BH Tolman Reunion on June 9, 10, & 11 in Ed & Kathy's backyard. Josh's grandpa Rex Tolman was one of ten siblings that began the reunion over 50 years ago, and they each took turns hosting the annual event, and then the children took turns hosting for them as their generation began to pass away. The only sibling left is Grandpa Rex's youngest sister, Aunt Louise. She was able to come to Salmon to participate in the reunion, which is more of a biennial event now. 

The main day of the reunion was Saturday, June 10th, but a few people came early on Friday the 9th to camp in the yard and hang out around the old family homestead. There were around 150 family members who attended the reunion on Saturday, which was such a great turnout. It was the MOST fun day I'd had in quite a long time. The weather was gorgeous, the company was enjoyable, and the setting was perfect. We ate yummy food (the main meal was hamburgers and side dishes), kids played in the ditch and yard, adults sat and talked, and I spent the majority of the afternoon playing games with a group of young adults for HOURS! It was a day full of complete contentment. At one point in the afternoon, I stopped and just listened to my surroundings. I heard many voices sharing conversations and laughter from both the young and the old. To me, the combined sounds represented one feeling: joy. I loved witnessing generations of a large family coming together for one beautiful day, and I'm so blessed to have been a part of this group for the last 25 years!

Aunt Linette & Great Aunt Louise visiting on Saturday morning

Ed & Kathy welcoming the large group before lunch

Josh & Edward grilling burgers for the masses

Their backyard is a perfect gathering place for family!

Josh visiting with cousins after the meal

Kanyon getting to know some of his cousins

Adults chillaxing & conversing after the meal

Younger adults game table

Josh & his sister Tiffany with Aunt Louise

Kids playing in the sand pile under the tree

Kids playing in the ditch

More toys and camping were set up in the front yard

Rex & Beth's living children:
Tim, Jane, Ed, Linette, Janet

Kanyon joined me at the young adult table for hours of game time!

I seriously had SOOOO much fun!

I'm so glad to be related to this group of cousins! They are
my favorite group to play games with at reunions!

By Sunday afternoon, there was only a handful of family who were still in Salmon. We visited in the yard for a few hours with some of Aunt Louise's kids and grandkids who were camping there. Then we headed to Cockrell Campground that evening to visit with Uncle Jack's kids and grandkids who were having their own family reunion there (thankfully it coincided with our larger reunion on Saturday, resulting in so much family being able to join us!).  We played games with them again, ate dinner, and hung out until it got dark. Kanyon had so much fun, he went back up to Cockrell Campground after work again on Monday and spent more time with them, doing crafts, eating, and playing games. We had no idea where he was, and he came home after dark with a picture he'd painted and said he'd spent more time at the family reunion! We aren't a part of Jack's immediate family, so we were so incredibly happy that he felt like he belonged there and that they welcomed him back to join them! Especially considering he doesn't usually reach out to others easily and he struggles with feelings of belonging at social gatherings. We feel so blessed to belong to the Tolman family! 

The large picnic tables had a lot fewer people at them on Sunday!

Edward drove some of the remaining kids on the Harris' wagon train.

I took this photo right before he took a curve too sharp and tipped it over!

Playing games with the Jerome cousins at the Cockrell Campground

Kanyon kept playing even after Josh and I stopped in order to visit!

He felt right at home with this family!

The painting he made at the Jack Tolman Reunion,
of him changing pipe in Grandpa's field!