645. Good Lawd Willing The Rivers Rise — Taint, Idaho

The Middle Fork Payette, Cutting a Canyon Through the Taint

Every year, in mountainous states, the snow and ice melts from the high country and the water finds its way to the oceans, seas, lakes, whatev’s. They say hell hath no fury like a woman scorned but they ain’t met the Rushing Payette South, Middle, or North Fork’s after the snow-pocolypse… for just about a week or two of the year. Snowmageddon is one glorious month a few years back when there was so much snow we didn’t see the ground for a month (or what seemed like it). The locals will recall snowmageddon fondly.

You can clearly spot the great Salt Lake and then that area lit up in Orange depicts Idaho’s Rivers (Snake and Columbia/Oregon/Washington clearly stands out)

So what does the great state of Idaho have in Spades? 1) Wide Open Spaces just like the Dixie Chicks sang about. 2) Mountains, and 3) Rivers. We got a whole veritable shit-ton of all three of those things.

There’s 3 Forks to Every River Here (North, Middle, and South)

For those who love Riverine eco-systems… all things Riparian, our claim to fame is the Middle Fork of the Salmon, smack dab in the Lower 48’s largest Protected Wildlife area The Frank Church River of No Return wilderness. Imagine yourself having to go with guides to get to the put-in, floating the river for 8 days or so and never hearing a single sound of modern technology for that complete time!!! Now imagine your guides having to haul around the poop bucket from its own raft to shore and back again. Yep, that’s a designated wilderness area. Thank you Senator Church and Teddy Roosevelt!!!

Well that brings us squarely to the Taint. That’s right Taint, Idaho! Taint nothing but a Thang!!

Montour Wildlife Refuge, Deep in Taint, Idaho

So where is Taint, Idaho. Well ‘taint Emmett and it ‘taint Horseshoe Bend. That’s right it’s defined by the crack in the earth that is the… Payette River and a little something we call Black Canyon. A lake, a River, a dam, and a canyon. Taint ugly!!!

Taint, Idaho. Taint Emmett. Taint Horseshoe Bend

Roystone Hot Springs at the 29 Minute Flag

The 29 minute flag… that’s me!! Where I’m staying at Roystone deep in the spring-fed heart of Taint, Idaho. Actually taint Idaho, actually ‘tis Idaho…. deep in the heart of. And only 30-45 minutes from all the Treasure Valley had to offer… Boise.

Only 2 miles from the Montour Wildlife Management Area!!