Payette

A group of packrafts, and a kayak, had a great day on the Main Payette. We met up in Banks (most of us floated down from the Staircase run) and were on the water shortly after 1pm. We cruised down the river and were at Beehive Bend by about 3pm.

We had a large group of kids in kayaks and a couple rafts along for the float from Banks down to Beehive Bend. It was a Saturday morning when we launched but not too crowed. We were at the launch area around 10am which was earlier than many other trips. After rigging and setting shuttle we were on the water at approximately 11:30am. We stopped for lunch for abour 45 minutes. We were off the water by 2:30pm. It was just over 2 hours of float time from Banks down to Beehive Bend at a leisurely pace.

Trip down the main with kids and the O'Keefe, Andrews, and Donnelly families.

We had a big trip with several kids and kayaks. The kids all did great and it was a fun flow. I did not have a chance to take photos on the river but captured a few images of the Banks put-in and Beehive Bend Take-out.

During the 2016 River Management Society in meeting in Boise a few of us went up to spend a day enjoying the Main Payette.

Trip to the Payette River in the summer of 2014.

Mostly big wave trains down the middle. Swirly, a good brace is helpful. Much colder water than in the summer, in the low 40s. Go Left is still a center left line, with a huge hole in the center-right.

Kayaking on the Payette, New Year's Day 2005!

Payett Upper Main. Troy Wilson(9) at Bennett's Rock

Troy Wilson (9) at Bennett's Rock on the Main Payette. After a summer of Idaho River Kids I can't get him back in his IK! The run at Bennett's is to the right of a rock that forms a monster hole at anything but high levels.

Bennetts Rock at this level is still a pour-over. As flows increase (Spring) this rock creates huge standing waves and a great surf opportunity with long eddies to return upstream. As levels decrease the hole becomes mammoth. Run is generally river-right. A nice wave-train follows!