Back Packing the Selway River – 1969
Bob Marlatt had just turned fourteen when he went on his First 50-mile Back trip down the Selway River in central Idaho. His family lived in Lewiston, Idaho where his father was a logger, working over out of Clarkston, Washington in the Blue Mountains. His father would often take one of his three sons with him. When Bob went, he was old enough to set chokers behind the D6 Caterpillar and Skidders. He was in excellent physical condition and experienced in being in the mountains.
Bob was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Lewiston Second Ward and a member of the affiliated Boy Scout Troop 14, sponsored by the Ward. John Sump was the Scoutmaster.
The trip plan was to drive to Grangeville, Idaho on Monday July 14, 1969 and get into Bush airplanes that would fly us into the Shearer Landing Strip, deep in in the Idaho wilderness and then hike out to below the Selway Falls where we would be picked up by our parents, the following Saturday, July 19.
The Selway River is a tributary of the Lochsa river, which flows into the Clearwater River, which in turn is a major tributary of the Snake river which connects at Lewiston Idaho. This area is part of the Selway Bitterroot Wilderness Area and within the Nez Perce National Forest. The entire length of the Selway river was included by the United States Congress in 1968 as part of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers Act. The main stem of the Selway is 100 miles (160 km) in length[ from the headwaters in the Bitterroots to the confluence with the Lochsa near Lowell, Idaho to form the Middle Fork of the Clearwater. The Selway River drains a 2,013-square-mile (5,210 km2) basin in Idaho County. It’s pristine land on the Idaho/Montana border and a land of west slope cutthroat trout, black bears, eagles, ospreys, deer and other big-game animals. The Selway is in the middle of 1.3 million acres of wilderness and protected by limited rafting permits, strict fishing regulations and some of the gnarliest rapids in the West, not to mention rough shoreline trails spiced with rattlesnakes.
Shearer Landing Strip is a difficult wilderness airstrip located within the Selway Bitterroot Wilderness on the banks of Idaho’s Selway River. The final approach is obscured by a bend in the river, making the approach difficult and rough terrain makes the touch point critical. The runway is sloped on the south end. This airstrip is 2634 feet elevation and 2000 feet long.
The Troop left very early Monday morning for the hour drive to Grangeville. We were told we needed to be there early, because the air was heavier in the cool morning air and the planes could not make it out during the heat of the day. We arrived at the Grangeville Airport put our backpacks in the two planes and took off on our adventure. For many of the Scouts, it was Their first time flying. It was a beautiful sunny day and they enjoyed the scenery as they flew over mountains, forests, and streams. We flew over the Selway river and did a pass over of the landing field. The plane Bob was on, landed first about 8:30 am and then the second plane landed. We disembarked, with our gear and the planes took off and returned to Grangeville. It was sobering to realize that we were deep in the Idaho wilderness with no roads closer than 50 miles away.
Just around the corner about three miles is the Selway Lodge, an original homestead from early 1900s. This working ranch also has an airstrip. The Selway lodge is located on Running Creek and the Selway River. Over the past century the Selway Lodge has gone through several transformations. Built in 1898, the lodge was the centerpiece of a 100-acre cattle ranch and sawmill deep in Idaho’s Bitterroot wilderness area, reachable only by fourteen miles of trail or bush plane ride. By the 1920s, the many cabins scattered around the property (regularly visited by bear, cougar, elk, and deer) served as a summer hunting and fishing retreat. Though the property shrank in size when a good chunk was sold off to the Forest Service, the housing complex expanded: Two houses, a dorm, and several outbuildings were added to accommodate the growing number of visiting outdoor enthusiasts. Now the lodge caters to persons wanting a wilderness experience.
The first day of backpacking is always difficult, as you get used to the backpack weight. Bob had carefully packed his gear, but he experienced the weight first hand the first few miles. The backpack was a good pack but did not have a hip belt. After a couple of miles, Bob dug a hole and dumped out the flour he planned to use for cooking trout he would catch, and he went through his pack and got rid of extra clothes and underwear. Weight and pain are great teachers.
As the group left the Selway Lodge, on their way to Bear Creek, we ran into our first rattlesnake. The Selway River is relatively low elevation and is quite temperate. It is home to a good population of snakes. That evening we all went out and secured a hiking staff. A good staff is about six feet in length, made of green wood. Adding a rope handle is cool, and you can carve a ruler and a history of the fish you caught and the rattlesnakes you killed. You can tie a rattle underneath the handle. The Scouts were now armed and ready for any snake they would encounter.
The Troop’s first night camp was at Bear Creek. When they got to the camp in the mid-afternoon and setting up the basic camp, which mostly consisted of plastic tarp tents, we set out on our fishing expedition. We were not disappointed as we caught a lot of fish. Many were 12 to 14 inches. This enabled us to supplement our dried food meals with fresh Idaho trout.
Tuesday and Wednesday, they hiked down the Selway river. Although it is predominantly downhill, it is a rough trail with many ups and downs. Gradually they got toughened in and were able to make good time. They ran into several more Rattlesnakes, killed them and added to the group’s rattle collection. Bob usually hiked in the fourth position following fellow Scout Mark Wardle. The first in line would wake up the Rattlesnake, the second hiker would make the snake mad, The third in line would spot the snake, and the snake would bite the fourth hiker. Being in the fourth position Bob had several occasions when Mark would yell “Snake” and jump backwards into Bob’s arms. Bob was in a good position to kill the snake and collect the rattle. The snakes were usually on the side hill sunning themselves.
After hiking ten or so miles, the scouts would go down to the river and jump in to the cold mountain water to cool off and to rejuvenate. They then went fishing catching trout in beautiful holes found along the Selway River.
On Wednesday, July 16 we arrived at Moose Creek Ranger Station. Moose Creek is snuggled tight against the foot of Trout Peak on one of the precious few parcels of level ground in this largely vertical backcountry. Cradled between the pristine waters of the Selway River and Moose Creek is the historic Moose Creek Ranger Station and Airfield. The ranger station is a staffed by a crew of forest rangers, who maintained trails and bridges, and managed the affairs of this wilderness area.
It had been a hot day and over ten miles of backpacking. When the Troop arrived, the ranger brought out a watermelon, sliced it into pieces and give one to each member of our group. This melon was the most delicious Bob ever had and really quenches his thirst.
The Ranger told us that they had been listening to the radio and were following the Apollo 11 crew who were to land on the moon. He told the Scouts that Neil Armstrong was in the process of landing on the moon. Apollo 11 Lunar Module pilot Buzz Aldrin who performed the first manned Moon landing and spent two and a half hours outside the spacecraft while Michael Collins remained in lunar orbit in the Command/Service Module. When Armstrong stepped onto the lunar surface, he famously said: “That’s one small step for [a] man, one giant leap for mankind.” The Troop of Scouts sat mesmerized listening to the radio as their heroes, the Astronauts, finished their work.
Listening to the Lunar Landing while the scouts were at Moose Creek Ranger Station under the hospitality of the forest rangers who lived there during the summer. What a memorable experience to be able to say where they had been when the Neil Armstrong landed on the moon.
The next morning the Scouts woke early, packed up and headed on down the Selway river valley. The river was beautiful, and we saw many great fishing holes. They hiked about 10 miles and camped at Wolf Creek. By this time the Scouts and leaders were well broken in and work well as a group. The country was rugged and beautiful. The fishing remained good and we had a fish fry that evening. The food was good, but the trout that were caught really added to our meals. With everyone, catching their limits they had an ample supply of fish to consume.
The next day the Troop hiked out to the Selway falls, Selway Falls is nearly a mile long set of continuous rapids. The rapids are class 5+ whitewater. They are amazing to see and contemplate. They seemed to be like a barrier on the lower Selway river guarding this pristine wilderness area. Just as important, the Selway Falls campground was where their parents would be with a meal of fresh food (no more dried food!) The Troop shared their adventures, the rattlesnake rattles they had collected. After a great meal, the Troop of Scouts and Leaders piled into the cars and headed home.