Beautiful wilderness run through open valley and down into isolated canyon. Please follow the below put in and takeout recommendations. This page's put in/take out access data is incorrect. Note: For the canyon run (section 2) takeout you must travel over private property to reach the highway, or travel 20+ miles downstream the snake river).
Put In for section 1&2: Where north fork of pine creek meets highway 21 and there becomes a flow large enough to paddle (43.560758, -111.275906).
Take Out without running canyon (section 1) or Put in for section 2 only: (43.509021, -111.357853).
Takeoff for Full Canyon Run (section 2): (43.477242, -111.441340) -arduous paddle and hike over numerous channels of the snake river and a cow pasture. About 1.5 miles before reaching the highway. Beware of aggressive territorial cows (seriously). The takeout exercise is about a two-hour ordeal.
Flow Report: Ran 5/22/17 while the snake was at 10k. The Teton was at 681 cfs. I approximated the initial flow at 250-300cfs. As you near the canyon small streams and tributaries add to the flow. Eddies were numerous in section 1 and 2…..but at higher levels I imagine eddies in both sections would be few are far between.
Section 1: II-III Class II for the majority of section 1 before the canyon, which meanders through fields and willows. Two class III rapids. One mandatory log jam portage.
Section 2: 4.1 Miles (Pine Creek Canyon) II-IV+
At this point the river turns away from the highway and slowly drop into a canyon with giant walls to your north. This canyon section is a beautiful isolated wilderness run with no turning back. There were 4 notable class IV rapids throughout. Be on the lookout for log jams and passages through half log jams (1 mandatory 5/21/17). Of these IV rapids one had a high consequence entrance rapid IV+ or V at higher flows. This entrance rapid has three entry slots. the far right has pinning potential. the center has a line but a quick maneuver must be made around a boulder after dropping the center. the far left has a line to skirt around but does not set you up for the remainder of the rapid's line which is river right. Where pine creek meets the snake river exit on river left just before the confluence. You can now hike west along the south bank of the snake, periodically crossing channels, and eventually a cow pasture, to reach the highway. Another option would be to do an over-nighter and travel down the snake 20+ miles to the next boatramp (riley ditch or Byington boat ramp).